Want a buttery, flaky, never-soggy quiche crust you can prep in minutes? This quiche crust recipe is made with pantry staples and takes just 10 minutes to combine and 20 minutes to chill. It’s perfect for any quiche, savory tart, or freezer prep ahead of time.
I’ve been making shortcrust pastry since I was a teen—first by hand, then with a food processor, and eventually in batches for the freezer. My mom always said every great pie or quiche starts with a good crust, and she was right.
Having a few crusts prepped and frozen has become my secret weapon—especially for last-minute brunches or quick dinners. When I’m short on time, I just grab one, add a simple filling, and bake. And honestly? It’s hard to beat that buttery homemade flavor.
Why you’ll love this quiche crust
- Flaky and buttery — holds together, but never tough
- Uses just 4 ingredients (plus water)
- Works with any filling, sweet or savory
- Can be made by hand or in a food processor
- Freezer-friendly — make it ahead and save time
- Blind bakes without shrinking or puffing
- You can make this crust in the food processor, as I am doing today, or by hand, as I have shown in the pie crust by hand recipe.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Flour – Use unbleached all-purpose flour. Avoid self-rising or bread flour.
- Butter – I prefer all butter for rich flavor. You can substitute half with vegetable shortening for extra flakiness.
- Salt – Don’t skip it. My mom added a pinch of sugar too for balance.
- Egg – Adds structure and crumbly texture. Can be omitted for an eggless crust.
- Water – Use ice-cold water. Never add ice cubes directly to dough.
Step-by-step: Easy quiche crust recipe
Quiche dough
- In a food processor, add the flour, salt, chilled cubed butter (and vegetable shortening). Pulse for 30 seconds until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumb consistency.
- Next, combine the egg with cold water and add it to the mixture. Pulse or combine for 30 seconds more.
- Pour the mixture onto a work surface. Bring all the crumbs together and shape them into a ball. Then, flatten into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 20 to 30 minutes or until firm enough to roll.
Roll the quiche crust
- Once firm enough, roll the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Start with a tapping motion, then roll from the center out.
- Use your quiche pan as a guide to know how big you need it. When you reach the desired size, transfer the dough without cracking. Gently fit it to the pie pan, especially in the bottom edges.
- Next, remove the excess dough and neaten the edges.
- Chill the quiche crust in the fridge for 15 minutes up to 48 hours.
Bake the quiche crust
- Preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C / Gas Mark 6.
- Dock the chilled pastry all over with a fork to prevent the pastry from puffing up. Line the pie with parchment paper. Then, fill the center with pie weights or baking beans (dry beans)
- Bake for 15 minutes – then, remove the pie weights and parchment paper. Add the filling to the pre-baked crust and bake it further for as long as necessary, until the filling is cooked. Depending on the recipe, you will need to reduce the oven temperature to 350°F/ 177°C/ Gas mark 4
- When baking, if the edges of the crust get too dark, tent the edges with aluminum foil or a pie shield to prevent them from becoming too dark.
What pan do you use for quiche?
You can make quiche in a quiche pan, pie pan, or tart pan with a removable bottom. Most of my pies are made in tart pans. The advantage of the tart pan with a removable bottom is that you can take it with you over to friends and family.
And yet, when I make quiche at home, I like to use my stoneware pie pan. The advantage of stoneware is that it gives a lovely crisp crust that does not get soggy as it cools down. And, the quiche or pie also stays warm longer.
Tips for success
- Use chilled flour, butter, and water — cold is key
- Don’t overwork the dough; stop when it just comes together
- Always chill before rolling, and again before baking
- Dock and blind bake to prevent puffing
- Brush with egg white before filling to prevent sogginess (optional)
Frequently asked questions
The basic quiche crust ingredients are butter, flour, water, and a pinch of salt. Often, a tiny amount of vinegar (1/2 tsp) is added in the belief that it tenderizes the pie dough. Also, vinegar inhibits the development of gluten, resulting in a flaky crust.
Yes! Just replace the egg with extra chilled water. The result will be a flakier, slightly more delicate crust.
It is best not to use a stand mixer when making a quiche or pie crust because we want to cut the butter into the flour to a mixture that resembles coarse bread crumbs without activating any gluten.
Both quiche and pie crust are made with the basic ingredients are flour, fat, salt, and water. The egg is always an optional ingredient. While I do believe it contributes to the stability of the crust, I have given you the recipe for an eggless quiche crust below, too.
Bake with weights for 15 minutes at 400°F, then remove weights and bake another 5–10 minutes until lightly golden.
Yes — use a 1:1 GF blend with xanthan gum. The texture will be slightly more crumbly.
The basic ingredients are quite similar: flour, fat, salt, and water. However, a quiche crust is only used for savory quiches, while a shortcrust can be sweet or savory. Often, you can add sugar to the shortcrust pastry. Also, a shortcrust can be made both by the pie crust method in a food processor or the creaming method using a stand mixer.
There is so much you can add to your quiche. For example, try simple sautéed or grilled veggies as well as cheese. In addition, most quiches are topped with a custard-based filling. Here are some quiche recipes you may like to try.
Caramelized onions and roasted red peppers
Leek Asparagus Quiche
Cheesy Grilled Eggplant and Onion Quiche
Roasted Red Pepper Goat Cheese Quiche
Cheesy Artichoke Quiche with Goat Cheese
Mushroom Ricotta Cheese Tart
The BEST Mushroom Quiche Recipe
Homemade Quiche Crust
Homemade quiche crust is simple and easy to make from scratch. With just four ingredients, which are pantry staples, this takes 10 minutes to combine and 20 minutes to chill.
Video
Ingredients
- 190 g (1½ cup) All-purpose flour
- 113 g (½ cup) Unsalted butter chilled, cubed
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 Egg large
- 2 tbsp Chilled water (up to 1/4 cup)
- 190 g (1½ cup) All-purpose flour
- 60 g (¼ cup) Unsalted Butter chilled, cubed
- 60 g (2 oz) Vegetable shortening chilled
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 Egg large
- 2- 4 tbsp Chilled water
- 190 g (1½ cup) All-purpose flour
- 60 g (¼ cup) Butter unsalted, chilled cubed
- 60 g (2 oz) Vegetable shortening chilled
- ½ tsp Salt
- 60 ml (¼ cup) Chilled water (up to 1/2 cup)
Method
- In a food processor, add the flour, salt, and chilled cubed butter (and vegetable shortening). Pulse for 30 seconds until it resembles coarse breadcrumb consistency.190 g All-purpose flour, 113 g Unsalted butter , ½ tsp Salt
- Combine the egg with cold water and add it to the mixture. Pulse or combine for 30 seconds more.1 Egg, 2 tbsp Chilled water
- Pour the mixture onto a work surface. Bring all the crumbs together and shape them into a ball. Then flatten into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 20 to 30 minutes or until firm enough to roll.
- Once firm enough, roll the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Start with a tapping motion, then roll from the center out.
- Use your quiche pan as a guide to know how big you need it. When you reach the desired size, transfer the dough without cracking. Gently fit it to the pie pan, especially in the bottom edges.
- Remove the excess dough and neaten the edges. When using a quiche or tart pan, I like to roll my rolling pin over the tart to cut off the excess around the edges. Then neaten the edges by running your thumb along the edges. If using a pie pan, fold the edges under and crimp the edge by forming a V shape with your thumb and index finger.
- Chill the quiche crust in the fridge for 15 minutes up to 48 hours.
- Preheat the oven at 400°F / 200°C/ Gas Mark 6
- Dock the chilled pastry all over with a fork to prevent the pastry from puffing up. Line the pie with parchment paper. Then, fill the center with pie weights or baking beans (dry beans).
- Bake for 15 minutes – then, remove the pie weights and parchment paper. Add the filling to the pre-baked crust and bake it further for as long as necessary, until the filling is cooked. Depending on the recipe, you will need to reduce the oven temperature to 350°F/ 177°C/ Gas mark 4.
- When baking, if the edges of the crust get too dark, tent the edges with aluminum foil or a pie shield to prevent them from becoming too dark.
Notes
Tips for a Flaky, Crisp Quiche Crust:
- Use chilled flour, butter, and water — cold is key
- Don’t overwork the dough; stop when it just comes together
- Always chill before rolling, and again before baking
- Dock and blind bake to prevent puffing
- Brush with egg white before filling to prevent sogginess (optional)
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
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Hi, I’m Veena
I’m the recipe developer, baker, and food photographer behind Veena Azmanov Kitchen.
I’ve spent years developing and testing recipes, from everyday meals and homemade breads to cakes and desserts.
I share the practical tips and little details I’ve learned along the way so you can get great results in your own kitchen.
Excellent
PASTRY DAY 10 DONE
Pastry day 10 done.
Pastry Day 10 DONE
Pastry Day 10 DONE. I made this 10″ crust on 09/13/22. Came out great. The filling was made with shallots, bacon, spinach, artichoke hearts, Gruyere cheese and 5 eggs. Lesson learned – should not have replaced cream with coconut oil. The whole kitchen filled with smoke, and set off the smoke alarm.
Yes, Olive oil does have a very high smoking point.
PASTRY DAY 10 DONE
Pastry day 10 done
Pastry #10 done!
Pastry day 10 done
Question: in the recipe for the combo, you have written 60 grams of butter, but also say it’s half a cup of butter. So I was wondering if it’s 60 g or 1/2 cup of butter in that one? Clarification would be great!
Sorry for the confusion Grace. Yes, it’s a total of 1/2 cup fat. So for the combination, it is 1/4 cup butter and 2 oz of shortening. Total approximately 110 grams of fat. Thanks
Pastry day 10 – done!