How Using Whole Milk Will Impact The Texture Of Your Quiche - Tasting Table (2024)

ByKatherine Beck/

When you slide your fork into a slice of quiche, you want it to give away like a hot knife to butter because it's so fluffy and moist. Made of eggs, milk, and other ingredients like ham and cheese, quiche should not be dense or dry. Some of the most common mistakes when crafting a quiche are for it to have a soggy crust, a watery filling, or, conversely, a dry and tough-to-chew custard, per The Wild Olive.

To achieve that delicious and perfectly-cooked quiche, the pan in which it's made is another important decision to make.The Wild Olive recommends using a heavy glass or ceramic pan that will distribute the heat evenly. How you cook it is also a key aspect to achieving that light and springy quiche. Real Simple advises cooking a quiche around 325 degrees F, which is lower than what many recipes call for which is setting the oven to be between 350 to 400 degrees F. By cooking it at a lower temperature and for a longer period of time, the filling will bake more consistently.

While the oven temperature and pan play important parts in making the quiche you crave, it's truly what is in the filling that sets up the dish to be a success or a disappointment. And look no further than one of the key components — milk.

Don't skip the fat

How Using Whole Milk Will Impact The Texture Of Your Quiche - Tasting Table (2)

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The French are known for using cream, whole milk, and butter when cooking, and making a traditional French quiche is definitely not the right time to deviate and opt for margarine or skim milk. By choosing whole milk over one with a lower fat content, the baked quiche will have a light texture, per The Kitchn.Milk plays an important role in helping quiche be the right consistency. In a separate article fromThe Kitchn, highlighting the fat content of the chosen dairy will determine how thick and firm the quiche will bake to be.

The higher the fat content of the dairy, the lighter it will be, advises The Recipe Critic. A combination of whole milk, cream, and half-and-half can also be used. In fact, Martha Stewart's recipe for a classic quiche filling lists equal parts whole milk and heavy cream (1 ½ cups of each). To determine the ratio of milk or cream to eggs that should be used in a quiche recipe, remember that it'sone egg to one-half cup of cream or milk. Once you have cracked the eggs and poured the milk into the bowl, it's time to add that other much-craved dairy item –- Cheese!

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How Using Whole Milk Will Impact The Texture Of Your Quiche - Tasting Table (2024)

FAQs

How Using Whole Milk Will Impact The Texture Of Your Quiche - Tasting Table? ›

By choosing whole milk over one with a lower fat content, the baked quiche will have a light texture, per The Kitchn. Milk plays an important role in helping quiche be the right consistency.

What is the function of milk in quiche? ›

The ratio of the fat content from the dairy and the protein from the eggs determine the custard's final texture. The egg proteins bond to form a soft gel-like texture, while the dairy gives the quiche a creamy flavor.

Why does the texture of the quiche filling change during baking? ›

When you bake a custard, the proteins in the egg coagulate and cause the custard to set. But if you bake it for too long, or at too high a temperature, the proteins become over-coagulated and force out liquid, creating that curdled appearance. That's syneresis.

Can you use whole milk instead of heavy cream in quiche? ›

While it is not as traditional for quiches such as quiche Lorraine, you can use milk instead of heavy cream for quiche. While the results are not *as* rich as if heavy cream is used, I find that by the time you factor in the cheese and eggs, the quiche is not at all lacking in indulgence.

How can I improve the flavor of my quiche? ›

Choose ingredients with lots of flavour and combine them with seasonal vegetables: onions, mushrooms, spinach and chard, leeks, candied or dried tomatoes... you have an infinite number of combinations that make quiche a pleasure that can be renewed without tiring.

What is the purpose of milk in baking? ›

Milk is used in baked products to improve texture and mouthfeel. The protein in milk also gives a soft crumb structure in cakes, and contributes to the moisture, colour and flavour of a baked product. Cakes that contain milk also tend to have a longer shelf life.

Does quiche contain milk? ›

Quiche is a savory egg custard baked in a flaky pie crust shell. Though you can certainly make a crustless quiche, too! The base of quiche filling are milk, cream, and eggs. The add-ins vary and can include meats, seafood, cheese, spices, and vegetables.

What happens if you use whole milk instead of heavy cream? ›

You can use whole milk or opt for skim milk to help slash the calories and fat content of your recipe. This substitute is especially useful in cooking, but it may alter the texture of baked goods and will not whip as well as heavy cream.

Can I use 2% milk in a quiche? ›

The Custard: For your custard to set properly in the oven, use this easy ratio: 1 part dairy to 2 parts eggs. Classic custards use heavy cream, but 2% milk contains a fraction of the saturated fat and is still plenty rich.

How do you make whole milk thick like heavy cream? ›

Melt 1/4 cup unsalted butter (that's 4 tablespoons or half a stick) and let it cool to room temperature. Then, whisk it together with 3/4 cup whole milk. This mixture is equivalent to 1 cup of heavy cream and can be used in almost any recipe that calls for heavy cream.

Why does quiche develop a rubbery texture? ›

Using the wrong egg-to-cream ratio

The eggs are essential in creating the custard's texture. Too many eggs will make your filling feel rubbery and tough, but too few eggs will leave you with a runny custard that won't set. So how many eggs should you use for quiche?

Why does my quiche taste watery? ›

If your quiche appears watery it may just need to set for a little longer. The recipe may also contain too much dairy, so make sure that the recipe you are following has the ratio of 4 eggs to 1 cup dairy. The added ingredients could also contain too much moisture, so it is important to cook or drain additions.

Why isn't my quiche creamy? ›

Too little dairy, and your quiche will be dry instead of creamy.

What is the purpose of putting milk in eggs? ›

Adding milk or plain water to scrambled eggs is an optional step that affects the texture of your finished dish. For creamy scrambled eggs, you'll add up to 1 tablespoon of milk for every egg. For fluffy scrambled eggs, you'll add up to 1 tablespoon of water for every egg.

What does milk do to pastry? ›

Milk encourages the browning reactions characteristic of baked goods like pastry crusts, cookies and biscuits. Milk contributes to the keeping quality of bread and gives it a soft crust. Additional protein and sugar (lactose) in milk adds more sweetness and a browner color to baked goods than water.

What is the ratio of milk to eggs in a quiche? ›

What Is the Best Eggs-to-Dairy Ratio for Quiche? The ratio maintains your custard's consistency. A good quiche custard typically features: 1 large egg to 1/2 cups of dairy.

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