Ultimate Quiche with Buttery Crust and Creamy Filling
Equipment
- 9″ (23 cm) quiche or tart pan with removable bottom ideal for serving; alternatively use a 9″ pie pan
- Rolling Pin or a wide, flat-bottomed glass
- Mixers Mixing bowl (for crust) and another for filling; whisk or fork for eggs
- Knife and cutting board for chopping fillings
- Baking sheet to pre-bake crust and catch any spills
Ingredients
For the butter crust
- 1½ cups 190 g all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar optional, for a subtly sweet crust
- 10 tablespoons 140 g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 3 –4 tablespoons ice water
(Alternative tip: For a gluten-free quiche option, substitute with 1⅓ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour + 2 tablespoons almond or oat flour.)
For the creamy filling
- 4 large eggs
- 1½ cups 360 ml half‑and‑half or heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt plus extra to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese or Swiss, cheddar, fontina; choose your favorite
Filling additions (pick one or mix)
- 1 cup sautéed spinach or swiss chard drained
- 1 cup sautéed mushrooms a lovely mushroom quiche recipe twist
- ½ cup diced bell peppers and zucchini—great for a vegetable quiche recipe
- ¼ cup cooked and crumbled bacon or diced ham
Instructions
Make the Easy Quiche Crust
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, salt, and sugar.
- Add cubed butter, tossing gently. Use a pastry cutter or fingertips to press until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, with pea-sized bits of butter.
- Sprinkle ice water, one tablespoon at a time, tossing just until dough starts to hold.
- Form dough into a flat disc, wrap in plastic, and chill for 20 minutes.
Roll Out and Blind-Bake (aka Make the Quiche Dough Recipe)
- Lightly flour surface and roll dough to ~12 inches (30 cm) diameter.
- Transfer to pan, gently pressing into bottom and sides, letting edges hang over. Trim or crimp edges elegantly.
- Chill crust 10 minutes—helps prevent shrinking.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Line crust with parchment, fill with pie weights or dried beans.
- Bake 15 minutes, remove weights and parchment, bake 5 more minutes until pale golden. Let cool slightly.
Prep the Filling
- Sauté chosen fillings: mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, spinach, etc., until tender; season lightly. Drain if needed. Cool.
- In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, cream or half‑and‑half, nutmeg, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Spread cheese on crust bottom, top with fillings, then pour custard over evenly.
Bake to Custardy Perfection
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 30–35 minutes, until edges are puffed, center slightly wobbles.
- Rest on wire rack ~10 minutes before slicing so flavors settle.