Dock

To dock means to poke small holes all over a sheet of raw dough before baking. The holes let steam escape so the dough bakes flat instead of rising into big bubbles. You dock tart and pie bases, crackers, flatbreads, shortbread and some pizza bases. Most cooks use a fork. Bakeries use a roller with spikes called a docker.

How to do it

1. Roll out the dough and put it in the pan or on the tray.
2. Press the tines of a fork straight down through the dough, almost to the pan.
3. Space the holes about 2 cm (¾ inch) apart in even rows across the base.
4. For a tart, dock the base only, not the sides.
5. Chill and bake as the recipe says. For a tart, you usually blind bake as well.

Why it works

Water in the dough turns to steam in the hot oven. With nowhere to go, it lifts the dough into blisters and domes. The holes give the steam a way out. They also stop the bottom from lifting away from the pan, which helps it cook through and brown evenly.

Common mistakes

• Docking a tart that will hold a runny filling and not sealing it. A thin custard can leak through the holes. Brush the baked base with beaten egg and bake for 2 more minutes to seal them.
• Docking too little. A few holes in a large base still lets big bubbles form.
• Docking puff pastry all over when you want it to rise. Dock only the center and leave a border to puff up as a rim.
• Pushing so hard you tear the dough or scratch a nonstick pan.

In recipes

"Prick the base all over with a fork" means dock it. Shortbread recipes often ask you to dock the top in a pattern, which also marks where to cut. For a crust baked with weights, docking is optional but helps. If bubbles form anyway, press them down gently with a spoon halfway through baking.