Savory German Pastry Dough (Muerbeteig)

quiche in pan

romi / pixabay

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Refrigeration: 2 hrs
Total: 2 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 8 to 16 servings

Like a pie crust but made with egg and butter, this dough bakes up with a richer flavor. Use this dough for filled pastries such as chicken pot pie or Quiche Lorraine. Also known as Muerbeteig, this pastry crust is also essential in many savory German dishes.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups/250 grams flour
  • 9 tablespoons/125 grams butter (cold) 
  • 1 small egg
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons water

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Sift the flour into a mound on a work surface and make a well in the middle. Place the egg and salt in the well and small pieces of butter around the rim.

  3. Using cold hands, mix carefully and quickly from outside to the inside of the flour, incorporating the butter and egg as you go.

  4. When the ingredients are clumping up, add a bit of water until you can gather the dough into a smooth ball.

  5. Wrap the ball in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.

  6. Preheat oven to 350 to 390 F/180 to 200 C.

  7. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured board and use it to line pastry or pie tins. Prick with a fork if they are being pre-baked.

  8. If the pastry has a top crust, make sure you cut a hole or small slits to let steam escape.

  9. You can brush the dough with a little egg yolk mixed with water for a glaze.

  10. Bake pie shell or pastries for 20 minutes, or until crust is light brown.

  11. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Variations

Another way to work the dough is to cut the butter into the sifted flour and salt. Beat the egg with a tablespoon of water until smooth. Pour the egg over the crumbly flour mixture and mix lightly until the dough forms a ball. Add more water if necessary. The dough is flakier this way and the egg does not form little clumps. You can replace the water with white wine if you wish.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
125 Calories
8g Fat
10g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 16
Amount per serving
Calories 125
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 2g 8%
Cholesterol 56mg 19%
Sodium 258mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 10g 4%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Protein 5g
Calcium 36mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)