Baking question

You can use rice or lentils or any dried pulse. If you don't, you risk the base of the pastry puffing up. You need something to weight it down while it bakes so that it lays flat.

I never use baking beans- as long as you haven't trapped any air under the pastry and it's well pricked, you don't need them. However, if you're worried, coins work very well apparently (lots of loose change, I mean)- they conduct heat so the base gets v crisp.

I use dried beans (the type that need soaking), can't remember what sort but it doesn't matter.