Deep-Dish Bacon and Cheddar Quiche

Start the dough: In a large bowl, whisk the flour and salt until blended. Add the butter cubes to the flour and toss to separate and coat them. Between your thumb and index finger, squish and flatten each cube, and toss in the flour as you flatten them. Sally Vargas Sally Vargas Add the water and mix the dough: Drizzle 10 tablespoons of the ice water over the flour and butter and toss together like you toss a salad. Continue to mix with your hands until the dough clumps together. If the dough seems very floury and doesn’t clump together, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Form the dough into a disc: Tip the clumps onto the countertop gather them together with your hands, pressing and kneading briefly until the clumps come together to form a dough. Shape it into a round, flat disc that is about 7 inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic and chill for 10 minutes in the refrigerator, or for up to 3 days. You can proceed to roll the dough after 10 minutes, or when it is convenient. Sally Vargas Sally Vargas Roll the dough: If you’ve refrigerated the dough for more than 30 minutes, remove it from the refrigerator to soften slightly before rolling. On a generously floured surface roll the dough with a floured rolling pin into a 14- or 15-inch circle that is about 1/8-inch thick. Keep lifting the dough as you roll it to make sure it isn’t sticking to the work surface. If it starts to stick, sprinkle some flour underneath it. Line the pan: Roll the dough over the rolling pin to lift and drape it over and into the springform pan. Lift the edges as you press the dough into the bottom edge of the pan and up the sides; try to avoid stretching it. Once the dough is securely in the pan, roll the rolling pin over the top edge to “cut” away the excess. If you like, make a pattern with the tines of a fork all around the edge. Sally Vargas Sally Vargas Sally Vargas Sally Vargas Chill the dough: Cover the dough with plastic and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes. Blind bake the crust: Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Line the dough with aluminum foil and fill the pan to the brim with pie weights, dried beans, or rice. Set the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until the crust is golden brown. Let the crust rest for 5 minutes then remove the foil and pie weights. While the crust bakes cook the bacon and make the filling. Sally Vargas Sally Vargas Cook the bacon: In a skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon for 5 to 6 minutes, or until lightly browned but not quite crisp. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Make the filling: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until they are fully combined and homogenous. Whisk in the cream, salt, pepper, and parsley. Sally Vargas Sally Vargas Assemble the quiche: Spread 1 cup of the grated cheese over the bottom of the crust and sprinkle the bacon on top. Sprinkle with the scallions. Pour the filling over the ingredients and leave about 1/8-inch headspace. Do not overfill—you need to have room for the quiche to expand as it cooks. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup cheese on top. Alternatively: If you’re concerned about spilling the quiche, fill it halfway with the filling, pull the oven rack out partly, transfer the quiche to the oven, fill it the rest of the way and top it with cheese. Sally Vargas Sally Vargas Sally Vargas Sally Vargas Bake the quiche: Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 45 minutes. Check to see if the cheese on top has browned, and if so, cover loosely with foil. Continue baking for 25 to 30 additional minutes, or until the edges are set and the center is still a little wobbly. Total baking time is 70 to 75 minutes. The quiche is done when a knife inserted into the center of the quiche comes out clean. Remove from rack to cool for at least 2 hours before slicing. Sally Vargas Cool the quiche: Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for at least 2 hours before slicing.