Quiche Thickness

[Chris Hennes]

I just found myself in a heated discussion about the appropriate thickness for quiche: it seems that the argument hinged on the ideal ratio of filling to crust, if such an ideal even exists. In Bouchon, Keller endorses the notion of a two-inch thick quiche for optimal texture. I don't object to this thickness, though I typically make mine thinner. But my colleague's argument is that two inches is simply too thick, the balance is thrown off and you may as well leave the crust off altogether (but you better not call it a quiche then!). What do you all think? Is there an optimal quiche thickness? What is it?

[Snadra]

A proper look-through might prove me incorrect, but I have noticed that in my (limited number of) French cookbooks, a quiche is generally a shallow thing, probably 2cm thick maximum. There are quiche-like objects in many modern Aussie cookbooks, but they all seem to be called tarts rather than quiche and are quite thin, while the things called quiche that I see in cafes are quite thick.

I've experimented a small amount with thicker and thinner versions, and have come to prefer the thinner version of a quiche, where the crispness of the pastry is a more direct contrast to the filling, rather than a minor accoutrement that gets lost in the richness of the filling. Ideally, about 1.5cm of filling, to a thin crust. My feeling is if you want savoury custard, eat savoury custard and dispense with the crust, because by the time a quiche becomes 4cm or more thick, isn't the crust is nearly pointless anyway? Also, quiche strikes me as a dish that should be served in small portions, and I think a thicker quiche makes this problematic.

[djyee100]

I'm reminded of Peter Reinhart's discussion of crust to crumb ratios in breadmaking. Do you like the crust most, or that soft bready interior (crumb)? I guess the same kind of exterior vs interior discussion could apply to quiche.

I'm a crust person for bread, I'm a crust person for quiche. I make my quiche in a French metal tart pan, less than 1" thick. Years ago I baked a thicker quiche, in a 3" deep tart pan I specially bought to experiment. I did that once. The thicker quiche didn't appeal to me. Forget the custard, I want crust! The pan is still sitting at the back of the highest cabinet in my kitchen.

[LindaK]

My experience is that quiches baked in most home kitchens are made using standard pie or tart pans, thus producing a thinner quiche. In those instances when I see quiche in a restaurant or pastry shop, it's generally thicker. I've always assumed that's because restaurants wants to serve something more substantial, and because home cooks probably don't have the deeper tart molds needed for the thick quiches.

I checked Julia's MTA v1, she doesn't weigh in directly on the "thick or thin" question, but does advise on pastry/filling ratios. She notes that "an 8-inch shell will hold about 2-1/2 cups filling." That sounds like thin to me.

So is the question here about preference or authenticity?

[janeer]

Can I come in at 1 1/2 inches? Not too thick, not too thin, but just right?

[maggiethecat]

Can I come in at 1 1/2 inches? Not too thick, not too thin, but just right?

That sounds just right, but you're gonna have to fiddle your pan, your pastry and your filling to give us just right. Keller's custard fest is great, except it takes too long to cook and the pastry deteriorates. The Julia version I made in my French tart pan as a newlywed were awesome, but maybe too much crust in the ratio to custard. This is a worthy topic to explore.

[plum tart]

I have always preferred the thinner quiche - the height of the tart pans whatever that is - one and a half inches. They are moist and there is a lovely balance between crust and filling. They look as beautiful as they taste. I find the thicker quiches too dry and too full of stuff! I like a minimalist quiche.

[Kim Shook]

I haven't made Keller's yet (haven't got the ring), but I've seen other folks' examples of it and that looks right to me. A local restaurant makes a perfect one that is probably 2 1/2 inches tall. I really like a high,light, custardy filling and crisp, flaky crust. This place makes their crust fairly thick - 1/2 cm or so and while the bottom gets a little less crisp, the sides and the 'frill' is fantastic. Wish I could recreate it at home.

[prasantrin]

Like with all subjective topics, the answer can only be "It depends."

Are you someone who likes crust? If yes, then you probably want a higher crust:filling ratio.

Do you prefer filling? Then you probably want that ratio reversed.

For some of us, the answer depends entirely on mood. Sometimes you feel like a crust, sometimes you don't.

In other words, there is no one ideal ratio, and to look for one is an exercise in futility.

(I love the Bouchon quiche, but sometimes I save the crust that gets carved off and sprinkle it on the middle of the quiche, so the middle has almost as much crust as the perimeter.)

[Marlene]

I almost always make the Bouchon or Ratio quiche (they're pretty close to the same thing). I like the height and the custard. However, I just got Michael Roux' book "Eggs" and he advocates a flan ring of 1 1/4 inches deep. Seems to me that's a decent compromise, and I want to try this one as soon as I get a flan ring.

[FoodMan]

I almost always make the Bouchon or Ratio quiche (they're pretty close to the same thing). I like the height and the custard.

Same here. The Keller quiche to me is perfect and a thing of beauty. It is certainly not too much filling for crust because the crust is fairly thick, rolled a bit less than a 1/4 inch thick. If anyone tries it and complains of a lack of crust, I'd be surprised.

In my opinion (and I think Julia Child's if I am not mistaken) anything less than 1.5 inches thick is more suited to a sweet tart than a proper quiche.

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[LindaK]

FoodMan, that is gorgeous. What size tart ring did you use?

[JAZ]

In the quiche recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Child and Beck call for a ring mold 1" to 1-1/2" high.

[stuartlikesstrudel]

Mmmmmmm Keller's quiche. Need to make that again!

I agree with FoodMan that the thicker crust helps to make up for the tall filling. I guess people who want some crust in every bite might still argue that so much custard makes it unweildy, but the custard texture is so good i'm perfectly happy to have some bites of gooey deliciousness, and every other bite having some crust.

Having said that, if we kept the temperature down, I wonder if making it thinner would still work. I like the sound of the 1 1/2 to 2 inch height.

[FoodMan]

FoodMan, that is gorgeous. What size tart ring did you use?

That's a 9X2 ring.

[jsmeeker]

I've had the Bouchon quiche before. It was great. I love the amount of custard. But I really like any kind of custard. So, for me, it's perfect.

[JAZ]

I like a thinner quiche for a couple of reasons. First, I like a higher proportion of crust, but also I find thick quiche can be overcooked around the perimeter by the time the center cooks. Not that this has to happen, but in my experience it's common. Finally, I find sometimes that in thicker quiche, all the filling ingredients sink to the bottom.

I understand that in Bouchon, Keller goes to great lengths to make sure these problems don't happen, but I'd rather just make a thinner quiche.