"baking beans"? (UK)

[ChrisGreaves]

Guardian: How to make perfect pumpkin pie

Towards the end of the article, I read:

5. Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Put in the oven for 15 minutes, then remove the paper and beans, and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the base is pale golden. Remove from the oven. Turn the oven down to 180C.


Please and thank you, what are baking beans?

[HansV]

You might use any type of (real) dried beans, or dry pasta, but "baking beans" are ceramic balls that can be used instead of those. They distribute the heat evenly and prevent the pastry from burning/drying out. See Baking beans - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[ChrisGreaves]

They distribute the heat evenly

??? Thanks Hans.
So, here is my pie plate.
The pastry is pressed into it.
I spread a sheet of baking paper atop.
Then I spread pasta (shells?) on the paper, presumably covering the paper completely.

I think of pasta as light, so I get the feeling that the paper will touch the pastry every centimeter or so, which is a point-based distribution, not even.

I suspect I'd better try it with two pie plates, one without beans, and compare the results.

[John Gray]

More than you ever wanted to know about Ceramic Baking Beans.

(Note that the phrase 'bake off' is not native to the UK, but has crossed the Atlantic without having been shot down in flames, unfortunately...)