A method for making a pastry shell includes an upward-facing female die, with an open-bottomed baking ring, and a downward-facing male die. The two dies move toward each other with a selected volume of dough inserted between. When the male die is inserted concentrically into the female die, the device forms the dough into an unbaked pastry shell shaped like the space between the male and female dies. The unbaked pastry has a substantially flat, horizontal floor and vertical side walls. The assembly of baking ring, gasket and unbaked pastry shell is then removed from the forming apparatus, conveyed to a separate oven and baked so that the baking ring supports the walls of the pastry shell during the conveying and baking processes.