Description
Quiche Lorraine is a classic French savory tart featuring a flaky homemade pastry crust filled with a rich custard of eggs, cream, crispy bacon, caramelized onions, and nutty Gruyère cheese. This recipe includes a buttery crust baked to golden perfection and a creamy, flavorful filling, making it perfect for brunch, lunch, or a light dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust:
- 1 ¾ cup (222 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika (optional)
- 10 tablespoons (141 grams) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 egg, cold
- 3 tablespoons ice cold water
For the Filling:
- 12 ounce package (10–12 strips) bacon
- 1 red onion (about ½ pound or 225 grams), finely sliced
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup (113 grams) whole milk
- ½ cup (113 grams) heavy cream
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 ¼ cups (141 grams) Gruyère cheese, shredded and divided
Instructions
- Make the crust: Combine the flour, salt, and optional paprika in a food processor or bowl. Add cold cubed butter and pulse or cut in until pea-sized pieces form. Add cold egg and water, pulsing or mixing until the dough resembles wet sand but is not overworked. Press into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.
- Roll out and prepare the crust: Remove dough from fridge and roll to a ¼-inch thick, 13-inch diameter circle. Gently press into a 10 x 2-inch nonstick quiche pan with removable bottom, trim edges, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in fridge for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Cook bacon and caramelize onions: Using a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy, then dice into ¼-inch cubes. In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon oil, butter, or bacon grease and cook sliced onions over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes until caramelized and fragrant.
- Prepare the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, whole milk, and heavy cream. Season with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and optional cayenne. Fold in the diced bacon and 1 cup (112 grams) shredded Gruyère cheese. Set aside.
- Par-bake the crust: Remove crust from fridge. Line the bottom with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dry beans. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes until set and fragrant. Remove weights and parchment; allow to cool about 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 375°F.
- Assemble and bake the quiche: Spread caramelized onions evenly on crust base. Pour in egg mixture and top with remaining ¼ cup Gruyère cheese. Place quiche pan on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake at 375°F for 25-30 minutes until crust is golden, center set, and toothpick comes out clean.
- Rest and serve: Let quiche rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving to allow custard to set completely.
Notes
- Chilling the dough before rolling helps maintain a flaky crust.
- Pie weights prevent the crust from puffing or shrinking during par-baking.
- Using room temperature eggs for the filling helps it cook evenly.
- Allow the quiche to rest before slicing to avoid a runny center.
- You can prepare the crust dough a day in advance for convenience.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Keywords: Quiche Lorraine, French quiche, bacon quiche, savory tart, brunch recipe, Gruyère cheese quiche, caramelized onion quiche
