Quiche Crust (Easy and Foolproof)
I’ve been making my own quiche crust for years, and this go-to recipe never fails. If you’ve never made a pie crust for quiche from scratch before, don’t worry, I’ll walk you through it step by step, and help you avoid the little mistakes I made when I was starting out.
Table of contents
What Kind of Crust Should You Use for Quiche?
For me, a proper quiche always starts with a classic shortcrust pastry. It’s the traditional base for a Quiche Lorraine, the mother of all quiches, and it’s perfect for holding both light and rich fillings.
You can use puff pastry, but keep in mind that it tends to get soggy, especially with fillings that contain a lot of moisture, like tomatoes or zucchini.
3 Ingredients for a Quiche Crust
The base of a good quiche crust is simple: flour, butter, and cold water. A pinch of salt, and that’s it! Here’s the basic ratio I use:
- 2 parts flour
- 1 part butter
- 2/3 part liquid
For example: 200 g flour, 100 g butter, and 60 ml water is ideal for a 10–11 inch (26–28 cm) tart pan. If you’re using a larger dish (like my 12-inch (32 cm) IKEA pan, that serves 6–8), I increase to 250 g flour, 125 g butter, and 75 ml water.
With or without egg? You can replace some or all of the water with 1 whole egg or just a yolk. This makes the crust crispier but a little less crumbly. I switch it up depending on my mood. If you do add an egg, be sure to weigh it and subtract the same weight in water (e.g., a 60 g egg = subtract 60 ml water).
This basic recipe works great with the classic Quiche Lorraine or even the vegetarian version. I find it’s also great with a Salmon Quiche, a Mushroom and Spinach Quiche or even to make a savory tarte Tatin, like my Leek Tatin or Caramelized Onion Tart Tatin.
Recipe card
Quiche Crust (Basic recipe)
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Ingredients
- 200 g flour
- 100 g butter cold, cut in cubes
- 60 ml water cold
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your kitchen machine, mix the flour and salt.
- Add the cold butter and rub it in with your fingers until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs (or use a mixer with a paddle attachment).
- Gradually add the cold water, mixing just until the dough comes together. It should be soft but not sticky.
- Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- Roll out the dough on a floured surface, then press it into your greased quiche pan.
Video
Notes
- I recommend blind baking the crust if you’re using it for a quiche.
- You can prepare the dough the day before and store it in the fridge wrapped in plastic wrap.
- You can freeze the quiche crust by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap.
- It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
5 Tips for a Perfect Buttery Quiche Crust
Before you start, I have 5 tips for you, that are in my opinion, the most important for a successful quiche crust.
1. Use cold ingredients
The butter should not be too soft: simply take it out of the fridge 5 minutes beforehand and cut into small cubes to make it easier to work with. The water should be cold, but not icy.
2. Rub or Pulse Until Sandy
This step gives the crust its signature flaky texture. Mix the butter and flour with your fingertips (or pulse in a food processor) until it looks like coarse sand. Then slowly add water until the dough holds together.
- If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour.
- If it crumbles too much, add a touch more water.
Avoid overworking it, no kneading or mashing. Just shape it gently into a ball.
Note: The amount of water may vary according to several factors (ambient humidity, type of flour…), so adjust slightly if necessary. In the end, the dough should be smooth, homogeneous, non-sticky and easily detachable from the bowl.
3. Let the Dough Rest
Resting is key for a crust that rolls out smoothly and holds its shape in the oven. Wrap it well and rest:
- 30 minutes in the fridge, or
- 10 minutes in the freezer (not longer, or it’ll freeze).
4. Check the elasticity of the dough by rolling it out.
When rolling out the dough, it shouldn’t be too cold or too soft.
- If it’s difficult to roll, it’s probably too cold. Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes.
- If the dough shrinks while you’re rolling it out, it’s too warm. This often happens in a warm kitchen. In that case, place it back in the fridge for about 15 minutes before continuing.
5. Blind bake the crust
I strongly recommend blind baking the crust for your quiche, especially if you’re using vegetables like tomatoes or zucchini. This helps keep the base crisp and prevents it from becoming soggy.
Here’s how to do it:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Place the dough in a 11-inch (28 cm) greased tart pan and prick the bottom with a fork.
- Cover with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
- Bake for 10–15 minutes. Then remove the paper and weights and add your filling. Then bake the quiche for another 30-35 minutes.
A Simple Base with Endless Variations
What I love about this base is that you can easily transform it to suit your mood or recipe:
- Wholemeal version: replace 30-50% of the flour with wholemeal, spelt or rye flour.
- With olive oil: replace the butter with the same amount of oil for a lighter, more Mediterranean version (see recipe).
- Sweet shortcrust pastry: add 3 tbsp (40-50 g) sugar (see recipe). What I use for my fruit tarts!
- Herbs and spices: add 1 tablespoon dried thyme, paprika, fennel seeds etc… depending on your filling!
Frequently asked questions about shortcrust pastry
I strongly recommend bling baking the shortcrust pastry, especially if you’re using a quiche with juicy vegetables (tomatoes, spinach, zucchini…). This prevents the tart base from becoming soggy during baking.
Yes, it’s possible, but you have to be careful. Puff pastry is more delicate and tends to soften more quickly under the effect of humidity. If you choose this option, remember to pre-bake it too, to avoid a soft quiche.
Absolutely. Wrap it raw tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge before rolling.
Yes, you can prepare the dough a day in advance and store it in the fridge, well wrapped. It saves time and stays perfectly workable.
This usually means the dough is too dry or not mixed enough. Add a little cold water and gently mix until it comes together smoothly.
Love how quick and easy it is to make…that will be my go to recipe from now on.
Thank you!
Great!
I add 1/2 teaspoon of Rosemary and a little Thyme to the recipe for an herbed-pastry crust.
It sounds delicious ! I love to add thyme and rosemary as well in the crust.
Excellent. Exactly what one likes: Plain, good, wholesome pastry shell for quiche.
Easy to make and delicious.
Pre-made, packaged pastry will never taste as good as made-from-scratch pastry,
and you don’t need the 50 ingredients listed.
If you are short of time, you can simply make a basic quiche crust with Flour, Water and a little salt.
If you have more time, this recipe is the finest one.
Thank you,
Nuala Galbari
Thank you so much Nuala !
Thanks so much, I use this crust recipe with all the quiches I make!
can you please share some good quiche ceramic pan options? And what depth of quiche pan is ideal if I have to invest in one pan only
can you please share some good quiche ceramic pan options? And what depth of quiche pan is ideal if I have to invest in one pan only?
Maybe is a silly question, but can you use the beans after baking them with the dough/crust? 🙂 I would hate to waste them…
Sure, don’t throw them away. You can reuse them to either blind bake or they are safe to cook 🙂
I recommend adding powdered buttermilk to the recipe, for a bit of complexity. To taste, but I would start with 2 teaspoons.