quiche quandary

bonsai

Hi everyone,
I've taken to baking my own quiche recently but am having problems with the base. It's always soggy! Most recipes say pour the egg mixture onto the base i.e. without baking blind first. But if I do this it comes out completely wet and horrible. If I bake the base blind first it's a bit better but I still have to remove the quiche from the tin and let it sit on kitchen paper for awhile to get some of the moisture out of it. The dough recipe I use is basic - 4oz butter, 8oz flour and enough water to bind.

I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I don't think it's that I'm just not leaving it in the oven long enough because it's in for 45min at 190c - any longer and the egg mixture would be charred.

Does anyone know how to solve this? If any of you have any advice please let me know!

Minder

Try baking the base blind, but 5 minutes before it's done, take it out and brush with egg wash. The final 5 minutes should help seal the pastry. Obviously if you are using baking beans, these don't go back into the pastry case once eggwashed.

Another way is to sit your tin on a hot baking sheet. The heat from this will help bake the base.

Dizzyblonde

The egg wash does the trick - it really seals the pastry and makes it crisp.

emc2

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

The egg wash does the trick - it really seals the pastry and makes it crisp.

that works for me too.....I sometimes use filo pastry for my quiche which make it lighter and crispier (I still use the egg wash trick for filo too!).

bonsai

Thanks guys, I hadn't thought of that it makes sense. Might give the filo pastry a go too - sounds good!

chuckles30

Here is a Darina Allen recipe that I always use and I never have a problem. I don't do the eggwash thing and I seem to work out ok....so far anyway.

Ballymaloe Quiche Lorraine
Serves 6
Pastry
4 ozs (110g) white flour
Pinch of salt
2-3 ozs (55-85g) butter
1 egg, preferably free range or 4-5 tablesp. cold water or a mixture of egg and water

Filling
1 tablespoon olive or sunflower oil
4 ozs (110g) chopped onion
4-6 ozs (110-170g) rindless streaky rashers (green or slightly smoked)
2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk, preferably free range
½ pint (300ml) cream or half milk, half cream
3 ozs (85g) freshly grated Cheddar cheese or 2 ozs (55g) finely grated Gruyére cheese
¼ - ½ oz (15g) Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
2 teaspoon chopped chives
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Flan ring or deep quiche tin, 72 inch (19cm) diameter x 13 inch (3mm) high.

First make the pastry. Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl cut the butter into cubes and rub into the flour with the fingertips. Keep everything as cool as possible; if the fat is allowed to melt the finished pastry may be tough. When the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs stop.

Take a fork or knife (whichever you feel most comfortable with) and add just enough liquid to bring the pastry together, then discard the fork and collect the pastry into a ball with your hands. This way you can judge more accurately if you
need a few more drops of liquid. Although slightly damp pastry is easier to handle and roll out, the resulting crust can be tough and may well shrink out of shape as the water evaporates in the oven. The drier and more difficult-to-handle pastry will give a crisper, shorter crust.

Line the flan ring or quiche tin and bake blind in a moderate oven 1801C/3501F/regulo 4, for 20-25 minutes.

Cut the bacon and cut into 2 inch lardons, blanch and refresh if necessary. Dry on kitchen paper. Heat the oil and crisp off the bacon, remove and sweat the onions gently in the oil and bacon fat for about 10 minutes. Cool.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, add the cream (or cream and milk), herbs, cheese, bacon and onions and cool. Season and taste.

Pour the filling into the par baked pastry shell and bake in a moderate oven 1801C/3501F/regulo 4,* for 30-40 minutes, or until the centre is just set and the top golden (don't over cook or the filling will be slightly scrambled).

Serve warm with a green salad.

The Sweeper

Use a basic shortcrust pastry to the recipe you're using - 8oz flour, 4oz butter, a pinch of salt, and about two tablespoons of water to bind - if you're adding more water, you'll get soggy pastry.

I never blind bake my quiche pastry cases, because I find the pastry case can tend to shrink down the sides of the tin, even with baking beans.

I have a number of quiche tins - all with removable bases. The first is a small tin made of a highly conductive material (you'll see them advertised in cooking shops, though I can't remember what they're made of - they have a dull silver finish). One of those on a baking tray to conduct heat and I get a nice base.

The second tin I have is larger, and the base is full of tiny holes like a strainer, to allow the pastry base more access to the oven heat, and help to crisp it up.

Last thing, make sure you're giving your quiche long enough - if you have a fan forced oven, 190 for 45 minutes is a bit short and sharp for me - I'd try 170 degrees and 55 mins - play with the oven settings, because every single oven is different, even with the time and temperature guidelines for cooking. I currently use a cavernous gas range oven, and I have to cook quiche on gas mark 7 initially for the first 10 minutes, then take it down to gas mark 5 for another 50 minutes. Cooking anything is like alchemy on that bloody thing.

Minder

Minesajackdaniels wrote: »

I never blind bake my quiche pastry cases, because I find the pastry case can tend to shrink down the sides of the tin, even with baking beans.

Don't trim the pastry if baking blind - lay the pastry into the tin - use a spare piece of pastry to push the pastry into place - allow the extra to fall over the sides - line with greaseproof paper and baking beans - bake and remove the paper & beans - brush with eggwash and give it another 5 minutes - allow to cool slightly before trimming off the extra pastry and filling the base with quiche mixture.

This ensures an even edge to the quiche.

Nikster

What are baking beans? And what do they have to do with a quiche?

olaola

Nikster wrote: »

What are baking beans? And what do they have to do with a quiche?

They are ceramic 'beans' that you put on the pastry to bake it blind. They add weight, so the bottom doesn't rise. You can use rice, or dried chick peas or the like.

http://www.quirkykitchen.ie/shopping_admin/product_details/product.cgi?product=QKPSB690

Pigletlover

I bake blind for around 10 minutes, then take out the rice and bake for another 5 minutes and never have any problems. I find the pastry does shrink a bit, but I wait till the end to trim it.

Off topic, but does anyone know where I'd get baking beans? I use rice but I'd prefer baking beans for making mini pastry dishes.

Toto Wolfcastle

Pigletlover wrote: »

I bake blind for around 10 minutes, then take out the rice and bake for another 5 minutes and never have any problems. I find the pastry does shrink a bit, but I wait till the end to trim it.

Off topic, but does anyone know where I'd get baking beans? I use rice but I'd prefer baking beans for making mini pastry dishes.

Debenhams do them in a smallish tub. I find that one tub isn't enough though.

Pigletlover

Better get two so, thanks.

lily lou

Yum I love quiche, this thread has inspired me to make it for my dinner tomorrow. Home Store and more in Airside have baking beans too:)

The Sweeper

I just used dried canelloni beans.