Traditional Quiche Lorraine Recipe

Preparation time - 30 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

Quiche Lorraine pastry (soft crust)

• 165 g white flour (type 000)
• 80 g cold butter (at least 80% fat)
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 cold egg yolk
• 1 to 2 teaspoons of cold water

Quiche Lorraine Filling

• 150g bacon (Kaiser, smoked pork ribs)
• 3 eggs + 1 egg white (leftover dough)
• 200g whipping cream, minimum 30% fat (natural)
• 200g whipping cream, minimum 20% fat
• salt, ground black pepper
• optional: grated nutmeg, chopped green onions
• 30g cold butter

 

 

How to Make a Quiche Lorraine

Quiche Lorraine Crust Shortcrust Pastry.
I took the ingredients out of the refrigerator a few moments before starting. I put the flour in the bowl of a food processor and cut the very cold butter into pieces. I added a pinch of salt and quickly mixed everything together in a mixer (using the dough hook).
In a few seconds, I had a sandy mass, to which I added a raw egg yolk (I kept the white for the topping) and a teaspoon of cold water.
I mixed again for a few seconds until the dough came together. If necessary, I added 1 to 2 additional teaspoons of cold water. This tender dough should NOT be kneaded, as the elastic gluten network in the flour must not expand!

 

I wrapped the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerated it for 30 minutes. Any soft dough needs this resting and refrigerating time – find out how I make sweet tart pastry here. A soft dough that doesn't benefit from resting and refrigerating will be very difficult to stretch; the sheet will be elastic and will tighten, etc.

 

How to Roll Out and Bake a Quiche Lorraine Crust

After 30 minutes, I took the package of dough out of the refrigerator. I place the piece of dough on a lightly floured work surface and, using a floured rolling pin, roll out a 33 cm diameter round of dough. This is the size of the disk of dough that will curve the bottom and sides of the pan. There's no need to roll out the dough larger or use the adjuster, as you'll lose some thickness!

Using the rolling pin, I placed the dough in the pan and pressed it lightly so that it adhered to the bottom and sides. I need to adjust the edge of the pan slightly (a few mm) so as not to lose any dough. It needs height, otherwise our filling won't fit.

I pricked the bottom of the dough with a fork and shaped it for 20 minutes in the refrigerator or 5 minutes in the freezer. Cold is ideal for this dough.

If you have special ceramic balls (blind baking weights), you can place them on a baking sheet on top of the dough.

I preheated the oven to 200°C (top, bottom, fan-assisted oven, or gas mark on full power). I took the dish out of the refrigerator and baked it empty for 15 minutes at 200°C. The dough will be slightly tender and firm. This is what's inside us, because it will be filled with a liquid that will soften it.

I took the pan out of the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. I left the four because I needed more right away.

 

How to prepare the quiche Lorraine filling

In a bowl, I cracked 3 whole eggs and added the remaining egg white from the dough. I added both types of cream and a good handful of chopped porcini mushrooms. I seasoned with salt (carefully, because bacon is salty too!), freshly ground black pepper, and a little grated nutmeg. I lightly whisked everything together and set aside.

On the cooled crust, I placed small cubes of bacon and pressed them gently so they would set well and not float when I poured the migaine (filling). Variations: Julia Child boils these bacon pieces and drains them. Others fry them in a pan. I left them as is because I like their smoky flavor and they weren't too salty.

 

 

I then added the liquid filling by the ladleful, without pouring it directly from the bowl. Ladleful after ladleful… carefully. I cut a few flakes of cold butter (30g) and spread them over the surface. Of course, they sank to the bottom.

Be careful! The filling will expand during baking, so leave a margin of 1cm! Avoid pouring the filling between the crust and the sides of the pan, as it will soak through the dough!

If you want to add grated or diced cheese, now is the time.

 

 

Preparing a Savory Cream, Egg, and Bacon Tart

I carefully placed the tart in the preheated oven and lowered the temperature to 190°C. I baked this quiche for 40 to 45 minutes, until the surface was golden brown. Another sign is the "wobble": if you gently shake the pan, the filling should wobble slightly under the crust (jiggly, wobbly), like a cheesecake. You can also see that it has risen and puffed up like a soufflé.

 

 

Serving the Quiche Lorraine

Let the quiche cool for at least one hour. This is the time needed for the filling to set. Carefully unmold, especially if the mold is removable. Serve the tart warm and serve it easily after cooling.

 

 

This quiche looks and smells so good! Let's see a slice! Traditionally, this quiche Lorraine is prepared in late fall, during the grape harvest season. It is served with freshly pressed must, but also pairs perfectly with light white wines.

As I told you at the beginning, the filling is very thin, creamy, like a charlotte. This is the case with all the quiches I've eaten in France, in Metz or Strasbourg.

The crust is well cooked inside: if you tap it If you press it with a fork, you'll hear a dull sound. This is the sign of a well-baked pie crust.

We really enjoyed this classic quiche and I would definitely make it again, but with a little cheese. I feel like I missed them...