The Real Reason Your Quiche Is Soggy - Tasting Table (2024)

The Real Reason Your Quiche Is Soggy - Tasting Table (4)

Maria Kovaleva/Shutterstock

ByLauren Rothman/

If you've ever tucked into a still-warm slice of eggy, buttery quiche, then you know how delicious this brunch staple can be. Much like a savory version of pie, quiche is simply an egg custard that's poured into a pastry crust, often layered with other ingredients such as shredded cheese, sliced vegetables, or pieces of meat or fish, and baked in a hot oven until just tender on the inside, with a crispy, flaky crust.

Typically thought of as a French dish, there's compelling evidence that quiche actually originated in medieval Germany, in the southwest kingdom of Lothrigen, which was later annexed by France and renamed Lorraine (via Importico's Bakery Cafe). There, the iconic smoked bacon and egg quiche Lorraine is said to have taken its early form, with the word "quiche" coming from the German word "kuchen" for cake.

Whatever type of quiche you like to make — whether it's Lorraine or springy leek and spinach or your own invention — you may have been plagued, in the past, by a soggy end result, with both the filling and the crust coming out too waterlogged. A sodden quiche really takes away from the dish's tastiness, so we're going to explain why it happens (and how to avoid it next time).

Wet fillings will produce a soggy quiche

The Real Reason Your Quiche Is Soggy - Tasting Table (5)

Maria Kovaleva/Shutterstock

We've all — hopefully — enjoyed a picture-perfect quiche in our lives, one that's characterized by a burnished, flaky crust and a flavorful, tender egg filling. But all too often, quiches seem to turn out wet and watery, with moisture dominating not only the filling but also seeping into the crust below and turning it mushy. According to Real Simple, this typically occurs when adding too-wet ingredients to the quiche filling, layering the egg custard with, for example, large slices of raw tomato or raw zucchini. These vegetables, while tasty, have a high water content when raw, which will weep into the quiche as it bakes.

Instead of using raw vegetables in quiche, the outlet recommends roasting or sautéing vegetables with a high moisture content before adding them to quiche: That way, they'll release the majority of their water before landing in the egg custard and reducing the chances that it will become soggy. In addition, the flavors in the vegetables will concentrate as they cook, so they'll make a bigger impact in the finished quiche.

If you've sautéed spinach to add to your quiche, The Kitchn recommends squeezing it out before layering it into your savory pie as additional moisture insurance. With these tips, your next quiche will boast a perfect balance of flavor and texture.

Recommended

The Real Reason Your Quiche Is Soggy - Tasting Table (2024)

FAQs

The Real Reason Your Quiche Is Soggy - Tasting Table? ›

Wet fillings will produce a soggy quiche

Why is my quiche always soggy? ›

Avoid Fillings That Are Too Wet

"Some vegetables, such as sliced large tomatoes or raw zucchini, have a high water content and will make your quiche soggy (even if you follow all steps to avoid this!)," Davila notes.

What can go wrong when making quiche? ›

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Quiche
  • Not blind-baking the crust. ...
  • Using too many eggs in the custard. ...
  • Using fillings that are too wet. ...
  • Baking it on the top rack. ...
  • Leaving it in the oven too long.
May 1, 2019

Can you put too much cheese in quiche? ›

A Few General Rules for Making Perfect Quiches

This will help to prevent the quiche crust from getting soggy, though disregard If you are making a classic quiche Lorraine. 2. Never use more than 2 cups of cheese. Too much cheese will make the quiche not set properly.

How do I stop the bottom of my pie from being soggy? ›

Crust dust is a 1:1 mixture of flour and granulated sugar. When baking a pie, especially a fruit pie, a couple of teaspoons of crust dust sprinkled into the bottom of the crust will help prevent the crust from becoming saturated with juicy filling as it bakes.

Why is my homemade quiche watery? ›

If your quiche appears too watery to serve it could be because it was overbaked or underbaked, the egg to dairy ratio was not correct, the ingredients have too much liquid or it was baked on the wrong rack in the oven.

Should I Prebake a pie crust for quiche? ›

You need a par-baked or fully baked crust if you're making quiche, no-bake pie, custard pie, cream pie, pudding pie, or simply want an extra-crisp pie crust. If you're making a pie that doesn't require a baked filling, you still need a baked crust.

Can you put too many eggs in a quiche? ›

The Kitchn cautions that using too many eggs can make the consistency of the quiche rubbery and tough, while using too few eggs can prevent the custard filling from setting properly, giving you a runny, soggy quiche. The recommended proportion is one egg to one-half cup of cream or milk.

What temperature should quiche be cooked at? ›

Place quiche on baking sheet. Bake uncovered in hot oven until quiche reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees, 20-25 minutes.

Why does my quiche always have a soggy bottom? ›

Wet pie fillings + raw dough are a tricky combination. If the bottom crust doesn't set before the filling soaks in, it's going to be gummy. A metal pie pan placed on a preheated surface will set the bottom crust quickest; once cooked, the liquids from the filling above won't soak in, and as a result: no soggy bottom.

Is milk better than heavy cream in quiche? ›

Heavy Cream and Milk – For the best tasting quiche, use a combination of whole milk and heavy cream. (Or simply use half-and-half.) Using just heavy cream produces an overly thick filling. Whole milk is great, but a combo of heavy cream and milk is better.

How do I know quiche is done? ›

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the custard turns a golden brown. To check doneness, insert a knife into the centre of the quiche. If it comes out clean it's done! Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

How to prevent wet quiche? ›

To prevent a soggy crust, blind bake it before adding the filling. Partially bake in the oven (see above) to firm up and form a barrier against moisture. You can also brush the crust with egg whites to create an additional layer of protection after blind baking.

How do you firm up a quiche? ›

Simply put, eggs do the thickening and cream creates richness. I use a ratio of 1 egg to 1/3 cup of cream to get a firm quiche with a lot of flavor. Make sure that whatever you're adding to the filling (veggies in particular) is free of any excess liquids.

Should I prebake crust for quiche? ›

And yes, as you'll see, you should always prebake quiche crust to avoid a gummy pastry. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Roll out your homemade or purchased refrigerated dough into a 12-inch circle.

Should quiche still be jiggly? ›

Baked quiche should be removed from the oven before the center is completely set. The center will jiggle slightly when cup or dish is gently shaken. Quiche will continue to “cook” after it's removed and center will firm up quickly. Over baked quiche may curdle.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Arline Emard IV

Last Updated:

Views: 6294

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (52 voted)

Reviews: 91% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Arline Emard IV

Birthday: 1996-07-10

Address: 8912 Hintz Shore, West Louie, AZ 69363-0747

Phone: +13454700762376

Job: Administration Technician

Hobby: Paintball, Horseback riding, Cycling, Running, Macrame, Playing musical instruments, Soapmaking

Introduction: My name is Arline Emard IV, I am a cheerful, gorgeous, colorful, joyous, excited, super, inquisitive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.