Classic pastry crust dough, with instructions for quiche

This can be used for any pastry crust, but it comes from Thomas Keller’s Bouchon cookbook as a key component to the recipe for quiche. It’s pretty easy really. The length of the instructions is mostly due to the detail and related to the specific assembly as the quiche crust, so don’t be intimidated.

Note that we bought a 9-inch-diameter, 2-inch-high ring mold, which the Bouchon cookbook calls for, but you can also use a springform pan of similar size (which we used the last time we made the two quiches). Either way gives pretty similar results.

Remember: cold butter, ice cold water, and cold dough makes a good, flaky crust. Measure carefully. Also, when rolling it out for quiche, don’t make it too thin. Keep it ⅜- to ¼-inch thick. In a traditional slope-sided pie tin a thinner crust might work, but not with a straight-sided crust.

Makes 1 (9-inch) tart shell or a (9-inch) deep-dish pie pan.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour, divided, plus a little more for rolling 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch pieces ¼ cup ice water 2 tablespoons canola oil

DIRECTIONS

Place 1 cup of the flour and the salt in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the butter a small handful at a time.

When all the butter has been added, increase the speed to medium and mix until the butter is completely blended with the flour. Reduce the speed, add the remaining flour and mix just to combine.

Add the water a little at a time and mix until the dough gathers around the paddle and pulls cleanly away from the sides of the bowl. It should feel smooth, not sticky.

Remove the dough from the mixer and check to be certain that there are no visible pieces of butter remaining; if necessary, return the dough to the mixer and mix briefly again. Pat the dough into a 7- to 8-inch disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to a day. (If the dough does not rest, it will shrink as it bakes.)

Lightly brush the inside of a 9-by-2-inch removable-bottom tart pan with canola oil and place it on a jelly roll pan. Place the dough on a floured work surface and rub on all sides with flour. Flatten it into a larger circle using a rolling pin or the heel of your hand. Roll the rolling pin back and forth across the dough a few times, then turn it 90 degrees and roll again. Continue to turn and roll until the dough is one-fourth inch thick and about 14 inches in diameter. (If the kitchen is hot and the dough has become very soft, move it to a baking sheet and refrigerate for a few minutes.)

To lift the dough into the tart pan, place the rolling pin across the dough about one-quarter of the way up from the bottom edge, fold the bottom edge of the dough up and over the pin, and roll the dough up on the rolling pin. Lift the dough on the pin and hold it over the pan, centering it. Carefully lower the dough into the pan, pressing it gently against the sides and into the bottom. Trim any dough that extends more than an inch over the sides of the pan and reserve the scraps. Fold the excess dough over against the outside of the ring. (Preparing the quiche shell this way will prevent it from shrinking down the sides as it bakes. The excess dough will be removed after the quiche is baked.) Carefully check for any cracks or holes in the dough, and patch with the reserved dough as necessary. Place in the refrigerator or freezer for at least 20 minutes to resolidify the butter. Reserve the remaining dough scraps in the refrigerator.

Place a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 375°. Line the quiche shell with a 15-inch round of parchment paper. Fill the shell with pie weights or dried beans, gently guiding the weights into the corners of the shell and filling the shell completely. Bake the shell until the edges of the dough are lightly browned but the bottom is still light in color, 35 to 45 minutes.

Carefully remove the parchment and weights. Check the dough for any new cracks or holes and patch with thin pieces of the reserved dough if necessary. Return the shell to the oven until the bottom is a rich golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the shell to cool completely on the jellyroll pan. Once again, check the dough for any cracks or holes, and patch if necessary before filling with the quiche batter.

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes plus at least 1 hour, 20 minutes chilling time.