How to Make Flaky Quiche Crust - Shortcrust Pastry
by Feli Chic'Cuisine
A great quiche starts with an incredible crust - one that’s crisp, buttery, and perfectly flaky. While store-bought pastry can be convenient, making your own crust at home is easier than you think and comes with some big advantages.
Homemade pastry crust is made from a simple mix of flour, butter, and water - no unnecessary additives or preservatives. By using fresh, whole ingredients, you can create a healthier, more wholesome base for your quiche while controlling the quality and flavor. Plus, nothing beats the rich, homemade taste of a perfectly baked crust!
In this step-by-step guide, I’ll show you how to make a flaky quiche crust from scratch, sharing my best tips and tricks along the way. Whether you're making a classic Quiche Lorraine or a veggie-packed variation, this crust will take your quiche to the next level.
To Blind Bake or Not to Blind Bake?
Now comes an important decision: Should you blind bake the crust before filling it?
What is Blind Baking?
✔ Blind baking means pre-baking the crust before adding the filling.
✔ This ensures that the crust doesn’t get soggy from the moisture of the quiche filling, especially if the quiche takes a while to cook.
Why You Might Want to Blind Bake
✔ Blind baking is especially useful for quiche recipes that have a filling that cooks quickly, such as one with raw vegetables or meats.
✔ It also works well when you're making a custard-based quiche with a wetter filling, as it helps create a crisp, golden crust that doesn’t become soggy.
How to Blind Bake
✔ Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
✔ Line your crust with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dried beans.
✔ Bake for 15 minutes, remove the weights, and bake for another 5-7 minutes until lightly golden.
Why You might Skip Blind Baking
If your quiche filling is relatively dry or takes longer to cook, like a cheese-heavy filling, you might not need to blind bake. In these cases, the crust will bake perfectly as the quiche cooks.
Just be sure to keep an eye on the crust and use a fork to prick it a few times to help it cook evenly.
Tips for Making a Flaky Pie Crust
1. Keep the ingredients chilled:
✔ It will inhibit the development of gluten in the flour.
✔ Use butter right out of the refrigerator and the water should always be ice cold when adding it to the dough.
✔ When incorporate the butter use your fingertips. Butter creates a flake, crisp pie crust.
2. Do not overwork the dough!
✔ Mix only as much as necessary to hold the dough together.
✔ Overworking heats up the pastry and makes it sticky, greasy, and a less flaky crust.
3. Rest the dough
✔ Rest the dough in the refrigerator for at least an hour or overnight, up to 2 days.
✔ Chilling the dough helps gluten in the flour to relax so that the pastry becomes more elastic and easier to roll, not sticky.
✔ If refrigerated longer, let pastry soften slightly at room temperature before rolling.
4. When you roll up the dough
✔ Lightly dust your work surface and the top of the dough to prevent sticking and tearing.
5. Use an egg wash & Baking
✔ Brushing the top of the pastry will prevent them from turning too dark after baking.
✔ To prevent excess browning of the edges during baking, cover the pie edge with a strip of baking paper or aluminum foil.
✔ Bake as directed, removing the paper/aluminum foil 15 minutes before the end of the baking time.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Keep Everything Cold
✔ Cold butter is essential to creating a flaky texture.
✔ Keep the butter, water, and even your mixing bowl chilled to prevent the dough from becoming too warm.
2. Mix the Dry Ingredients
✔ In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. This ensures the salt is evenly distributed throughout the flour.
3. Cut in the Butter
✔ Use a pastry cutter or your hands to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized clumps of butter.
✔ These pockets of butter are what make your crust flaky.
4. Add Ice Water Gradually
✔ Slowly add the ice water, one tablespoon at a time, stirring gently with a fork.
✔ You want the dough to come together without being too wet.
5. Chill the Dough
✔ Once it forms a ball, stop mixing. Overworking the dough can make it tough.
✔ Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
✔ This relaxes the gluten and firms up the butter, which helps prevent shrinkage during baking.
6. Roll Out the Dough
✔ Once chilled, roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch circle.
✔ Gently transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie dish and press it into the edges.
✔ Trim any excess and crimp the edges for a nice finish.
In Conclusion
Making your own quiche crust is easier than you might think, and the results are so worth it. There’s something really satisfying about knowing exactly what’s in your crust- just a few simple ingredients that come together to create something delicious and flaky.
Whether you decide to blind bake or just bake as is, you can feel confident that your homemade crust will give your quiche, pie, or tart the perfect base. It might take a bit of practice, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll wonder why you ever bought store-bought crust! Enjoy the process, and happy baking!
Flaky Quiche Crust - Shortcrust Pastry Recipe
This easy quiche crust recipe is perfect for anyone who loves a buttery, flaky base for their quiche.
🍽 Serves: 1 (for a 9-inch pie dish)
⏱ Prep Time: 15-20 min
⏳ Cooking Time: 20 min (for blind baking)
⏳ Chilling Time: 30 min
⏰ Total Time: 1 h 10 min
Ingredients
1 ¼ cups (150g) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
3-4 tablespoons ice water
1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice (optional)
Method
STEP 1
1. In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the cold butter to the bowl and use your fingers to rub it into the flour mixture.
2. Use a gentle, soft motion- no pressing- just ensure all the butter is coated with flour. Continue until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
STEP 2
3. Gradually add the cold water, one tablespoon at a time, and use your hands to bring the dough together into a ball. Be careful not to overwork the dough, as this can make it tough.
4. Once the dough comes together, wrap it in baking paper or cling film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using. You can also chill it overnight or for up to 2 days if you prefer.
Now that your perfect quiche crust is ready, you can use it for a variety of delicious dishes! For some inspiration, check out the recipes where this flaky crust can be used to create mouthwatering quiches, pies, and tarts. Enjoy the endless possibilities!
Enjoy!
''Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live". ― Socrates
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