Cheese Quiche in Flaky Butter Crust

Filling and flavor combinations are endless, too; try crispy bacon with chives, sautéed kale with caramelized onions or even last night’s leftover roast chicken with mushrooms. This recipe is based on two classic French techniques: pâte brisée, a basic flaky pie dough, and the quiche batter is the simplest of baked custards. The quality of your ingredients is paramount for a great quiche, so plan to use real butter and heavy cream.

Christy Augustin has had a lifelong love affair with all things sweet. After working as a pastry chef in New Orleans and St. Louis, she opened Pint Size Bakery & Coffee in St. Louis’ Lindenwood Park in 2012. She calls herself the baker of all things good and evil. Learn more at pintsizebakery.com.

CHEF'S TIP: Why go through all the trouble of making pie crust from scratch and not make extra? This recipe creates enough dough to make two pie crusts. If you’re only making one quiche, simply wrap the extra crust tightly and freeze for future use (thaw frozen crust in the refrigerator for several hours before baking). Pie crust dough will keep in the freezer for up to one month.

Cheese Quiche in Flaky Butter Crust

Serves | 6 to 8 |

Pâte Brisée (Yields 2 crusts)

• 2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp granulated sugar (optional)
• 1½ sticks cold unsalted butter, cubed into walnut-sized pieces
• ½ cup ice water
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Quiche Batter (Yields 1 quiche)

• 3 whole eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• ½ cup whole milk
• ½ cup sour cream or crème fraîche
• 2 tsp kosher salt (reduce if your cheeses are saltier)
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp fresh thyme (or herb of choice)
• 1½ to 2 cups crumbled cheese (try local goat cheese, Gorgonzola and Gruyère)

| Preparation – Pâte Brisée | In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and sugar. Add half of butter and begin working the fat into the flour by hand until a cornmeal texture is achieved. Add remaining cold butter and rub into flour mix until pieces are the size of hazelnuts. Using a fork, gently toss cold water and vinegar into the mix using to create rough, shaggy dough. It should still be dry and crumbly but comes together when squeezed. Divide mixture in half.

On a lightly floured work surface, smear dough with the heel of your hand, ball it up and repeat 2 to 3 times until a cohesive dough forms. This trick makes the flakiest crust. Form each half into a round, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours or up to 2 days before rolling.

| Preparation – Quiche Batter | Thoroughly whisk all ingredients together, except for thyme and cheese. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 3 days.

| Assembly | Preheat oven to 400ºF. Prepare either a 9½-inch-by-10-inch pie pan with pie weights and set aside.

Roll chilled dough on a lightly floured work surface into a circle between 1/8-inch and ¼-inch thick and 12 inches around. Transfer dough into pan, form a crimped edge and thoroughly dock the bottom with a fork. Freeze quiche shell for 20 minutes.

Line frozen shell with a piece of parchment filled with dried beans or raw rice and transfer to oven to blind-bake for 15 minutes. Remove pie weights and bake another 5 to 10 minutes until dark golden brown. Turn oven down to 350ºF. Fill shell with thyme and cheeses and pour custard batter over top as full as your pan will allow. Bake quiche on a sheet tray for 45 minutes until the top is toasty brown, the center is puffed and the quiche has a nice jiggle when shaken.

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