Applewood Smoked Bacon, Tomato, Gruyere Quiche Recipe

Make dough

In a medium bowl whisk together 1.25 cups flour, 0.5 tsp sugar, and 0.5 tsp salt. Add the cold cubed butter. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, cut the butter into the flour until mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-sized butter pieces remaining (about 6–8 turns).

Add water and chill

Sprinkle 3 tbs cold water over the mixture and gently fold until dough just comes together when pressed — do not overwork. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours).

Roll and blind-bake

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly flour a work surface with 1 tsp flour. Roll chilled dough to a 12-inch circle and fit into a 9-inch (23 cm) tart or quiche pan with a removable bottom, pressing into edges and trimming excess. Prick the bottom lightly with a fork, line crust with parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 12 minutes, remove weights and parchment, and bake another 6–8 minutes until set and lightly golden. Reduce oven to 350°F (175°C). Let crust cool slightly.

Prepare bacon

Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the 6 slices applewood smoked bacon and cook until crisp, about 8–10 minutes, turning occasionally. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, then chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon fat; discard excess or save for another use.

Prepare tomatoes

While bacon cooks, core and thinly slice the 2 medium tomatoes into 1/4-inch rounds. If tomatoes are very watery, gently pat slices dry with paper towel to remove excess moisture to prevent soggy filling.

Assemble custard

In a medium bowl whisk together 4 large eggs, 0.75 cups whole milk, 0.75 cups half-and-half, 0.5 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, 0.75 tsp salt, and 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper until smooth and frothy.

Layer filling

Evenly sprinkle 1.5 cups grated Gruyere over the pre-baked crust. Scatter the chopped bacon over the cheese. Arrange tomato slices in a single layer on top of the bacon and cheese, slightly overlapping if necessary.

Finish and bake

Pour the egg custard gently over the layered filling, allowing it to settle into gaps. If custard looks very full, allow to rest 5 minutes; do not overfill—leave ~1/4-inch to rim. Place quiche on a baking sheet to catch drips and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30–35 minutes, or until the center is just set (a knife inserted near center should come out mostly clean with a slight wobble).

Rest

Remove quiche from oven and let rest 10–15 minutes on a wire rack to finish setting before slicing.

If desired, sprinkle 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh chives over the quiche before serving. Slice into 6 equal portions and serve warm or at room temperature.