The "Your Way" Deep Dish Quiche

I have so much to say about quiches.

My obsession started back in 2021 when I was living in Madrid. It was there that I met my best friend, Alice, who is from the UK. She used to bake these incredible mini quiches for us to pack for park afternoons and day trips. When I eventually moved back to the States, I still hadn't braved making one myself.

Fast forward to 2025: I was back in Madrid and took a trip over to the UK to visit Alice. She welcomed me with a beautiful salmon and asparagus quiche, and that was the turning point. As soon as I got home, I bought all the ingredients to finally test it myself.

I’ll be honest, I tried plenty of other recipes along the way and failed a lot. But I always came back to this one. Beyond being foolproof, this recipe carries so much nostalgia for me. It reminds me of beautiful times with my best friend, which, not surprisingly, always revolved around food.

The beauty of this deep-dish recipe is its versatility. While the base is classic and traditional, you can fill it with absolutely anything, I’ve done everything from roasted carrots to breakfast sausage. It easily serves eight, makes the ultimate prep-ahead meal, and reheats like a dream (pro-tip: pop a slice in the air fryer for a few minutes to get that crust perfectly crispy again).

The Recipe

For the Dough (Pastry)

• 350g plain flour

• 200g cold butter, cut into pieces

• 2 egg yolks

For the Filling

• 400g lardons

• 100g gruyère

• 400ml crème fraîche

• 400ml double cream

• 6 eggs, well beaten

• A generous pinch of ground nutmeg

Assembly Instructions

1. Prep and chill the pastry: 30-45 mins chill time.

   By Hand: Rub the 200g cold butter into the 350g plain flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the 2 egg yolks, then add the ice water (around 4 tbsp) a little at a time until the dough is soft and pliable.

   By Mixer: Alternatively, add the flour and cold butter to a KitchenAid bowl. Using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolks and stream in the ice water slowly, mixing just until the dough comes together and is soft and pliable.

   Shape into a disk, wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

2. Roll and line the tin: Use a deep greased loose-bottomed tin.

   Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a pound coin. Line your deep-dish tin (or tins), leaving a bit of overhang. Prick the base lightly all over with a fork and chill for another 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 375°F

3. Blind bake: 20-25 mins total.

   Line the pastry case with baking parchment and fill with baking beans. Bake for on bottom rack for 15 minutes, then remove the paper and beans and bake for another 5 to 8 minutes until the base is pale gold and dry. Trim any overhang with a sharp knife. Reduce the oven heat to 350°F

4. Render the lardons: 10 mins.

   While the pastry bakes, fry the 400g lardons in a pan over medium heat until they are crisp and golden. Drain them on kitchen paper to remove excess grease.

5. Mix the custard: 5 mins.

   In a large bowl, whisk together the 400ml whole milk, 400ml double cream, and 6 well-beaten eggs. Stir in a pinch of ground nutmeg and season with a little black pepper.

6. Assemble and bake:35-40 mins bake time.

   Scatter the cooked lardons and 100g grated gruyère evenly over the bottom of your blind-baked pastry case. Pour the egg and cream mixture carefully over the top. Bake for 60 minutes on the bottom rack covered and another 30 minutes uncovered until the top is golden and the center has a gentle, slight wobble when nudged.