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Quiche Crust

A proper quiche crust that shatters delicately under your fork, holds its shape without leaking, and tastes buttery enough to eat on its own. This recipe delivers the perfect balance of flakiness and structure every time with cold butter, minimal handling, and a short rest period.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 8 slices
Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Main Course
Cuisine: French
Calories: 185
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter cold and cubed into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons ice water
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar optional, for extra tenderness

Equipment

  • 9-inch pie pan or tart pan
  • Food processor or pastry cutter
  • Rolling pin
  • Plastic wrap
  • Parchment paper
  • Pie weights or dried beans
  • Mixing bowls
  • Fork for docking the dough

Method
 

  1. Cut the cold butter into 1/2-inch cubes and return it to the refrigerator until needed. Fill a small bowl with ice water and set it aside.
  2. Add the flour and salt to your food processor and pulse 2 to 3 times to mix. If mixing by hand, whisk them together in a large bowl.
  3. Add the cold butter cubes to the flour mixture. Pulse 10 to 12 times in the food processor until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining.
  4. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of ice water (and vinegar if using) over the flour mixture. Pulse 5 to 6 times until the dough just begins to clump together but still looks shaggy. Add the fourth tablespoon of water only if the mixture feels dry and won't hold together.
  5. Turn the shaggy dough out onto a clean surface and gather it into a ball with your hands. Flatten it into a 1-inch thick disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  6. Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll the chilled dough from the center outward, rotating it a quarter turn after every few rolls, until you have an 11-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick.
  7. Gently roll the dough around your rolling pin, then unroll it over your 9-inch pie pan. Press it gently into the bottom and up the sides without stretching.
  8. Trim any overhang to 1/2 inch beyond the pan rim using kitchen shears or a knife. Fold the overhang under itself and crimp decoratively with your fingers or press with fork tines.
  9. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork, spacing the holes about 1 inch apart. Refrigerate the entire pan for 15 minutes before blind baking.
  10. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line the chilled crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans, spreading them evenly to the edges.
  11. Bake for 15 minutes with the weights, then carefully remove the parchment and weights. Return the crust to the oven for 5 more minutes if using a wet filling, or 10 to 12 minutes for a fully baked crust.

Notes

Freeze your shaped, unbaked crust for 10 minutes right before blind baking for extra flakiness and reduced shrinkage. The dough can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Brush the blind-baked crust with beaten egg white and bake for 2 more minutes to create a waterproof seal against soggy bottoms.