Quiche

May 14, 2026|Ruth Schleppi-Verboom

I have to meet the first person who doesn't like a quiche.

Quiche Lorraine takes its name from the Lorraine region in France, though the word quiche is believed to derive from the German Küche or Kuchen.

Oh well. Whether it's a Küche or quiche, its deliciousness is known around the world—perfect for brunch, lunch, or dinner. For a picnic, a potluck, a large gathering (I once baked 14 quiches for my mother's birthday, a group of 50 people), or simply for yourself. Ah, comfort.

I love the process of making dough, but there's no shame in buying a frozen or refrigerated pie crust—as I have done many times myself. And why not?

Below you will find the recipe with homemade pâte brisée—the French pastry dough traditionally used for quiche. If your pie-dough is ready to go, skip ahead to the filling and the migaine—the custard-like egg mixture—and follow the steps from #3.

Prep Time: 35 minutes

Bake Time: 40-45 minutes

Chill Time: 60 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

unsalted butter, ½ cup
unbleached flour, 1 ½ cups
eggs, 5
ice-cold water, 3 tbsp
6 slices of bacon
leek, 1
mushrooms, 1 cup sliced
heavy cream, 1 cup
milk 2% or whole milk, ¾ cup
Gruyère, 6 oz
salt, 1 tsp
freshly ground pepper
nutmeg, ¼ tsp

Instructions

Cut the cold butter in pieces and mix with the flour. Mix in 1 egg and the cold water, bit by bit. Work swiftly to form a soft dough. Shape into a ball. Wrap and place in fridge for at least 1 hour.
Roll pie dough to fit a (9-inch) pie plate. Press into the pie plate and chill in the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 400°F.
Slice leek (white and light green part). Wash and drain well.
Dice the bacon.
Crumble the Gruyère.
Mix remaining eggs with the heavy cream and milk.
Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Cook the bacon until lightly crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Remove most of the bacon fat, and sauté the leek and mushrooms until softened and most of the moisture has evaporated. Let cool slightly.
Spread the bacon, leek, mushrooms, and Gruyère evenly over the crust.
Pour over the migaine—the silky custard-like egg mixture.
Place the quiche in the middle of the oven for 40 minutes.
The quiche is ready when the edges are set and the center still has a slight wobble.
Purists insist quiche should rest for nearly two hours before slicing, loosely wrapped in foil.
I rarely have that kind of discipline.

Tips

💡 Tip 1: For an extra crisp crust, blind bake the pâte brisée for 10–15 minutes before filling. Especially helpful if your filling contains vegetables with a high moisture content.
💡 Tip 2: Short on time? I often skip pre-sautéing the vegetables altogether and simply add them straight into the quiche. It still turns out delicious. Fair warning though: the filling may end up a little softer and the crust slightly soggier.
💡 Tip 3: Adjust baking time according to package, if you use prepared dough.
💡 Tip 4: A quiche can be made with a thousand different ingredient combinations. A good rule of thumb is to balance color, texture, and moisture.
Tomatoes and spinach release quite a bit of liquid while baking, so pair them with firmer vegetables, such as broccoli or roasted peppers.
💡 Tip 5: Gruyère has a deeper, nuttier flavor than Gouda and stands up beautifully to bacon and leek. Choose your cheese according to the personality of the quiche you want.