A deep dish quiche brings drama to any table. Here’s the thing though, if you’re going to make the effort to bake a quiche, it better deliver beyond the visual. A golden, flaky crust is a defining factor. And that structured, buttery crust playing off a sublime, silky, rich filling is where the magic happens. This page outlines how to bake a phenomenal quiche by incorporating my favorite tips. It also calls out a few pitfalls that are easy to avoid. Let’s bake a quiche!
This Quiche: Let’s Talk it Through
This quiche is baked in a 9-inch springform pan. It allows you to achieve a deep dish version that sits high and proud on any table. If you don’t have a springform pan, you can adjust to an equivalent deep dish pie pan if you keep an eye on and adjust the timing if needed. The filling here is made with a blend of whole milk and either sour cream or crème fraîche plus eggs and a bit of flour. The result? Something decadent, buttery smooth and wildly delicious. Arguably better than the more typical heavy cream version.
When it comes to additional ingredients, there’s no need to add cheese here. Unless, of course, you can’t help yourself. In that case, go ahead and grate some in. I typically add some sort of well-chopped hearty green (kale, Swiss chard, etc.), plus whatever is seasonal. You see oven roasted tomatoes here, along with chopped Serrano chile and red chile flakes. Play around with your add-ins after you read the section below about how to avoid a watery quiche.
How to Make Quiche
The steps to making a quiche are straight-forward. But, like most baking, the difference between a good quiche and one that is truly memorable is in the details. Let’s start with the basics. They go something like this:
- Make the dough for the crust. I use this pie crust recipe and it delivers every time.
- Blind bake the dough for the quiche crust.
- Prepare the quiche filling.
- Fill the pre-baked crust and bake quiche.
- Allow to cool and set.
The Details That Make a Difference
Here are a couple things to focus on if you want to bake an exceptional quiche.
- Thicker crust: Establishing a great crust is everything in the quiche realm. This is a crust that has to put in a good amount of work – especially when going the deep dish route like we are here. It should be flaky and structural at the same time. And, of course it needs to be beautiful and delicious. If you’re going to the effort to make quiche, go the distance and make your own crust. This pie dough is simple to work with (I promise!), and it can handle every job this deep dish quiche throws at it. Roll it out a tad bit thicker than you normally would for a standard pie if possible, and absolutely use it all. Confidently press any overhang or extra pieces into the walls of your pan.
- Add flour to your filling: Adding a bit of flour to your quiche filling helps absorb moisture and stabilize things in general. I like to use the method Liz Prueitt writes about in Tartine (2006 edition). Whisk flour into one of the eggs, add more eggs gradually from there, and then strain the mixture into your liquid dairy ingredients.
How To Avoid Watery Quiche
A major quiche pitfall, there are a few key ways to avoid baking a watery quiche. The first, avoid the addition of water-filled ingredients. For example, raw mushrooms will release their water into your filling resulting in a watery quiche. The better option is to cook or roast as much water as possible from any quiche add-ins. Blot more with a clean towel or paper towels before incorporating. So, you want deeply roasted mushrooms versus raw. The quiche recipe below features roasted cherry tomatoes, not raw. The liquid bakes out and you’re left with a concentrated ingredient. The second technique is to add a bit of flour to your custard mixture. The flour will help with absorption and stabilize the filling in general. Lastly, bake it low and slow, opting for a lower temperature for longer time.
What Temperature to Bake a Quiche?
You’ll see a wide range of baking temperatures used to bake quiche. I subscribe to the slow and low school of quiche baking. I find it lends a creamy texture you don’t get at higher temperatures. We’re after silky smooth with no eggy curds. This requires a longer baking time, but it’s worth it. I like a rustic vibe as well, so I’ll often finish with a quick flash of the broiler. Really quick, just a few seconds!
Variations:
- Gruyere & Roasted Broccoli Quiche: Toss a couple handfuls of small broccoli florets in a bit of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and roast in a 375°F oven until golden. Allow to cool completely. Stir the broccoli and 1/2 cup grated gruyere into the quiche filling and proceed with the recipe.
- Roasted Winter Squash & Caramelized Shallot Quiche: Toss your favorite winter squash (cut into 3/4-inch cubes) and wedges of shallots (or small red onions) in a bit of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in a 375°F oven until deeply golden and caramelized. Allow to cool completely. Stir into the filling and proceed with the recipe.
Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions
To Make Ahead: To bake the quiche up to two days ahead here’s what you do. After baking the quiche and removing it from the pan, allow to cool completely. Carefully wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. When ready, if you’re opting to serve at room-temperature, allow the quiche to come up to temperature a couple hours prior to serving. Or, you can serve the quiche warm. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes or so wrapped in foil, until the center of the quiche is warm.
To Freeze: Allow quiche to cool completely after baking. Wrap in a snug layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer or aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Two days before you’re ready to serve allow the quiche to thaw in the refrigerator. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes or so wrapped in foil, until the center of the quiche is warm.
Leftovers: To Re-heat a Fully Cooled Quiche
Cover the quiche with aluminum foil and reheat on a middle oven rack for 15-20 minutes, or until the center of the quiche is warm.
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