A classic quiche crust and pie crust are made using homemade shortcrust pastry. It’s straightforward to make, especially if you have a food processor, and far superior to store bought in both flavour and texture!
I’ve also included directions for using store bought pastry sheets because the steps are the same for the baking part.
This is my recipe for quiche crust which I’m publishing separately so it’s handy to reference for the quiche recipes I’ve shared and the many more I will inevitably share over the years!
If you have a store bought prepared pie shell, simply cook it per the packet directions.
Quiche crust is shortcrust pastry
Quiche crusts are made with shortcrust pastry. The name “shortcrust” refers to the baking term “short” which means pastries that are flaky and crumble when you cut into them. They should be tender enough such that you can cut into it with little effort, and while it should be flaky, it should not disintegrate into crumbs.
And a quiche crust should hold together so a slice of quiche doesn’t fall to pieces when cutting and serving.
Even if you’re new to making quiche crust from scratch, I think you’ll find it quite straight forward the way I’ve broken it down plus the recipe video below!
Using a food processor, the quiche crust dough takes less than 5 minutes to make and it works 100% perfectly!
How to make quiche crust or pie crust
- Blitz – place flour, butter and salt in a food processor and blitz until fine crumbs form
- Add ice water while the motor is running. Why ice water? Because it stops the butter from melting. Teeny tiny bits of butter in pastry = flaky pastry!
- Once a ball forms, take it out, pat into a disc, wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour+ (up to 2 to 3 days). Reason: This makes the butter in the dough firm up again = flaky pastry
- Roll out pastry to 3 mm / 1/8″ thick
- Press into quiche tin or pie dish
- Fill with pie weights and bake – Use baking beads, dry beans or rice. Anything that will weight down the pastry to stop it from puffing up and shrinking while it bakes. This is called Blind Baking.
- Remove beads carefully – Nobody wants hot beads bouncing all over the kitchen!
- Bake again just for 10 to 15 minutes until the base is light golden – this will really ensure your quiche crust base stays nice and crisp once filled.
Once baked, fill the quiche crust with your filling of choice – or use one of my existing Quiche recipes:
If you want to make your own filling, use this as a guide:
- Standard quiche tin (about 23cm / 9″ diameter, 2.5 – 3cm / 1 – 1.25″ deep) – use the cream, eggs, salt and cheese in the Quiche Lorraine recipe;
- Deeper quiche tart tin (about 23cm / 9″ diameter, 3.5 – 4 cm / 1.5 – 1.7″ deep) – use the cream, eggs, salt and cheese the Salmon Quiche recipe
Enjoy! – Nagi x
How to Avoid Soggy Crust for Quiche : Easy Quiche Recipes
FAQ
Is quiche crust the same as pie?
Should I Prebake a pie crust for quiche?
What is the difference between pie crust and pastry crust?
What is the difference between Quiche crust and pie crust?
They are made with the same ingredients, but are mixed slightly differently. Quiche crust is meant to be flaky, so it is not mixed as long as pie crust. Pie crust is mixed a little bit longer to break the butter into smaller pieces, creating a tender crust that works great for pie fillings.
What is the difference between Frittata and Quiche?
Frittata is an egg based Italian dish similar to omelet or crust less quiche or scrambled eggs, enriched with additional ingredients like meats, cheese, or veggies. The word frittata is an Italian word which means fried. Quiche is a French tart consisting of pastry crust filled with custard and cheese, meat, sea food or vegetables. Quiche can be served hot or cold. A frittata is a crustless quiche or an unfolded omelet. It is favorite of those who can’t or don’t want to make crust.
What is a quiche crust?
It is made with little flour and no leavening agents so that it doesn’t puff up when baking. In the US, shortcrust is typically referred to as pie dough. A quiche crust is the vessel for your favorite toppings and custard. A quiche crust should hold together so a slice of quiche doesn’t fall to pieces when cutting and serving.
Can You bake Quiche in a raw pie crust?
Quiche, on the other hand, can bake in a raw pie crust but it will likely taste soggy. So let’s partially pre-bake it, also known as a blind bake pie crust. Make pie dough ahead of time, then refrigerate or freeze until you’re ready to make the pie. Pie crust must chill for at least 2 hours before rolling out.