Quiche Lorraine

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Mix 200 g all-purpose flour with 3 g salt, add 100 g cold unsalted butter cut into small cubes and rub it in until only rice-sized bits of butter remain, then add 18 g egg yolks and 45 g ice water. Those little bits of butter create a crisp, flaky, multilayered crust in the oven. The dough is ready when it just comes together into a ball and is still marbled with streaks of butter.

   Mark step 1 as done

2. Step 2

   Pat the dough into a flat disk, wrap it tightly and refrigerate for about an hour. Resting in the cold lets the dough hydrate evenly and firms up the butter, so the crust shrinks less. The dough is ready when it feels as firm as cold butter.

   Suggested time: about 60 minutes.

   Mark step 2 as done

3. Step 3

   Roll the dough into a circle about five centimeters wider than a 23 cm tart pan, lift it into the pan and press it snugly into the corners, then roll the rolling pin over the rim to trim off the excess. Pressing the dough well into the bottom corners helps the crust stand firm when the heavy filling goes in. The shell is ready when the sides are even and there are no cracks.

   Mark step 3 as done

4. Step 4

   Prick the bottom of the shell all over with a fork, then put the pan in the fridge for about twenty minutes. Once the butter in the crust is firm, it turns to steam in the oven and creates flaky layers instead of melting out. The shell is ready when it's cold and firm and the folds up the sides hold their shape.

   Suggested time: about 20 minutes.

   Mark step 4 as done

5. Step 5

   Preheat the oven to 200°C with a rack in the middle and a baking sheet on the rack below. The hot sheet underneath gives the bottom of the crust a strong blast of heat so it bakes up crisp. The oven is ready when the temperature has held steady after about fifteen minutes.

   Mark step 5 as done

6. Step 6

   Line the shell with parchment paper, fill it with dried beans or pie weights and bake at 200°C for 15 to 18 minutes. Blind baking with weights sets the shell's shape before it meets the liquid filling. The shell is ready when the edges are lightly golden and the bottom no longer looks wet.

   Bake at 200°C for about 15 to 18 minutes.

   Mark step 6 as done

7. Step 7

   Remove the paper and beans, lower the oven to 180°C and bake the shell for another 5 to 8 minutes. Drying out the bottom keeps it from soaking up the filling, so it stays crisp. The shell is ready when the bottom is an even pale golden color; then lower the oven to 170°C, ready to bake the filling.

   Bake at 180°C for about 5 to 8 minutes.

   Mark step 7 as done

8. Step 8

   Cut 200 g bacon into short strips about one centimeter wide and cook them in a skillet over medium heat until the fat renders and the bacon is lightly crisp, then drain on paper towels. Cooking the bacon first makes it more flavorful and keeps the filling from swimming in fat. The bacon is ready when it's a rosy brown with crisp edges.

   Medium heat.

   Mark step 8 as done

9. Step 9

   Lightly whisk 150 g eggs and 36 g egg yolks, then add 300 g heavy cream, 150 g whole milk, a pinch salt, a pinch ground black pepper and a pinch ground nutmeg. Stir just until combined so the filling doesn't get too foamy. The mixture is ready when it's uniform, creamy yellow and pours smoothly.

   Mark step 9 as done

10. Step 10

    Scatter the bacon and 80 g grated Gruyère, if using, evenly over the shell, pour in the egg custard almost to the rim and bake at 170°C for 30 to 35 minutes. A moderate heat sets the eggs smoothly and browns the top gradually. The quiche is done when the top has puffed slightly, is mottled golden and the center barely wobbles.

    Bake at 170°C for about 30 to 35 minutes.

    Mark step 10 as done

11. Step 11

    Let the quiche rest in the pan for about fifteen minutes before removing it and cutting it into slices. The filling needs time to set so the slices don't run. It's ready when the top springs back when pressed lightly and the knife cuts neat, clean slices.

    Suggested time: about 15 minutes.

    Mark step 11 as done