Perfect Gluten Free Quiche
This gluten free quiche is made with a creamy, savory egg custard and vegetable filling, baked to perfection in a light and flaky gf pastry crust.
Servings: 8 slices
Ingredients
For the pie crust (See Recipe Notes for alternative recipe.)
- 2 cups all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter; please click thru for full information on appropriate blends), plus more for sprinkling
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it; use a heaping teaspoon)
- ⅓ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter diced and chilled (a 1/2-inch dice is best)
- ½ cup cold water iced (ice doesn't count in volume measurement), plus more as necessary
For the filling
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion peeled and diced
- 1 pound white or baby portabello mushrooms sliced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- 1 ⅓ cups half and half at room temperature (See Recipe Notes for alternative.)
- 8 ounces Gruyère cheese grated (alternatives are another semi-hard cheese, like Asiago, Jarlsberg or sharp white cheddar)
Instructions
Prepare the pie crust.
- In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt, and whisk to combine well.
- Add the chopped and chilled butter, and toss to coat it in the dry ingredients. Flatten each chunk of butter between your thumb and forefinger so that it’s about 1/8-inch thick.
- Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and slowly add the water (reserving the ice cubes), mixing gently until the dough begins to come together.
- With floured hands, press together the dough into a disk. If there are any crumbly, dry spots at this point, add more water by the teaspoonful and press together with your hands.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
- Sprinkle the top lightly with more flour, and roll out into a rough rectangle that is about 1 inch thick. Sprinkle the dough lightly with more flour, fold it over on itself in thirds like you would a business letter, sprinkle again with flour, and roll out the dough once again into a rectangle about 1 inch thick.
- Repeat the process of rolling, sprinkling and folding at least once more, this time ending with a rectangle about 1/2-inch thick.
- Roll the dough in thirds once more, and wrap it securely in plastic wrap.
- Place in the refrigerator to chill until firm (30 minutes to an hour).
Shape the pie crust.
- Grease a 9-inch deep dish pie plate and set it aside.
- Remove the pie dough from the refrigerator. Place it on a lightly floured piece of unbleached parchment paper, dust lightly with flour, and roll into an 10-inch round, about 3/8-inch thick.
- Roll the pie crust loosely on the rolling pin and then unroll it over the prepared pie plate.
- Press the pie crust gently into the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate and, with kitchen shears, trim the crust so that only 1/4-inch of excess is overhanging the plate.
- Tuck the 1/4-inch of excess under itself, and crimp the edge gently all the way around the crust. Pierce the bottom of the pie crust with the tines of a fork.
- Preheat your oven to 425°F.
- Place the pie plate in the freezer to chill for 10 minutes.
Par-bake the empty pie shell.
- Remove the pie plate from the freezer and place a large piece of unbleached parchment paper in the center of the crust. Place pie weights or dried beans in a single layer in the center of the pie crust, on top of the paper.
- Place the pie plate in the center of the preheated 425°F oven. Bake for 15 minutes or until just beginning to brown on the bottom and edges.
- Remove the pie plate from the oven and remove the paper and pie weights.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
Prepare the filling.
- In a medium sauté pan over medium heat, place the butter and oil. Once the butter has melted, add the onion and cook for a minute, stirring frequently.
- Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are browned and the pan has very little if any liquid in it (about 10 minutes). Drain any remaining liquid from the pan and set it aside.
- In a medium size bowl, beat the eggs with the half and half or milk until well-combined.
Assemble the quiche.
- Line the bottom of the parbaked pie crust with half of the grated cheese, then the cooked mushrooms and onions, followed by the remaining cheese. Pour the milk and egg mixture on top.
Bake the quiche.
- Place the pie plate in the center of the preheated oven.
- Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the quiche is mostly set and lightly golden brown on top, with just a tiny bit of jiggle in the center when moved from side to side.
- The quiche will finish cooking when it’s removed from the oven.
- Remove the pan from the oven and place it on top of a wire rack to cool for at least 20 minutes or until set.
- Slice into wedges and serve warm.
Notes
For the pie crust.
You can also use our extra flaky gluten free pie crust here. Follow the instructions in that recipe through parbaking the crust, then finish with the ingredients and instructions here.
About the vegetables for the filling.
Mushrooms can be replaced with 10 ounces broccoli or cauliflower florets, blanched and blotted dry, or 1 pound frozen cut spinach, thawed and drained.
About the half and half.
You can make your own half and half by combining half heavy whipping cream and half milk by volume. Alternatively, you can use 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) whole milk in place of the 1 1/3 cups half and half.
About leftovers.
Any leftovers can be covered and placed in the refrigerator for at least 3 days. Warm in a 200°F oven before serving. They can also be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 3 months, then defrosted in the refrigerator before warming and serving.