Quiche Pastry – Savoury French Tart
·Coarse crumbs
Put the flour, sugar, salt and butter into a large bowl. Work quickly so the butter stays as cold as possible. In just a few moments you'll have worked the ingredients into something like coarse breadcrumbs. The dough won't be fully bound together yet.
Smooth dough
Add the ice-cold water, but for now use only about half of the amount you've prepared. Work the mixture into a smooth dough that holds together nicely without being sticky. Shape it into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and leave it in the freezer for about an hour.
Roll it out
After an hour, take the dough out and roll it out on a lightly floured surface. Get your tart tin ready – this can be a springform cake tin or a shallow ceramic tart dish, whichever you prefer. Aim for a diameter of roughly 24–26 cm.
Prick the dough and weigh it down
Lightly grease the tin with butter and transfer the rolled-out dough into it. It needs to line not just the bottom but also come up the sides in a good high edge, so the filling won't leak out later. Prick the base all over with a fork, lay a sheet of baking paper on top and fill it with baking beans.
Bake
Bake for about 10 minutes at 200°C. After this time, remove the baking paper and beans from the pastry base and bake for a further 5 minutes or so. Take it out of the oven and let it cool completely. The base is now ready to be filled.
Filling ideas
Quiche with ham and cheddar. Quiche with salmon and eggs. Quiche with ham and cheese.
