Herb quiche with rye crust

This easy-to-prepare herb quiche with its distinctive crust relies on rye flour for the crust's sweet and malty flavour.

Credit: Martha Bakes / Yossy Arefi

• serves

  5

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  1:30 hour

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

Crust

• ½ cup rye flour
• ¾ cup plain (all-purpose) flour, plus more for dusting
• ½ tsp coarse salt
• ½ tsp fennel or caraway seeds
• 113 g (1 stick / ½ cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2½-3 tbsp ice water

Filling

• 3 large eggs
• ¾ cup thick (heavy) cream
• ¾ cup milk
• ¾ tsp coarse salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
• ½ cup packed small fresh herb sprigs, such as chervil and dill

Chilling time: at least 1 hour or overnight. Freezing time: 30 minutes. Cooling time: about 1 hour 30 minutes.

Instructions

1. Make the crust: In a food processor, pulse flours, salt and seeds to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons + 1 tsp ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but just holds together; if necessary, add up to 3 teaspoons more water. Transfer dough to a piece of plastic wrap and form into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
2. On a floured surface, roll out dough to a 33 cm (13 inch) round, 3 mm (⅛ inch) thick. Fit into a 23 cm (9 inch) pie plate. Fold edges of dough under and crimp. Freeze 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 200˚C (400˚F). Line pastry shell with parchment; fill with pie weights or dried beans. Transfer pie plate to a rimmed baking tray (sheet) and bake 20 minutes. Remove paper and beans. Bake until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let crust cool completely.
4. Make the filling: Reduce oven to 190˚C (375˚F). In a bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, milk, salt, and pepper. Set pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet and pour custard into cooled crust, stopping just short of top.
5. Arrange herb sprigs on top. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 170˚C (325˚F). Continue baking rotating sheet halfway through, until golden and set, about 55 minutes. Transfer quiche to wire rack and let cool at least 1 hour before serving.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.