Egg and Bacon Pie

Classic egg and bacon pie, made from scratch with simple ingredients. It features a rich and creamy egg, smoky bacon and fresh herb filling, wrapped in gorgeously flaky homemade pastry. Dotted with whole eggs throughout, it makes a rustic meal that the whole family will love!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• So easy to make – no blind-baking required. And you can use store-bought shortcrust to save time, if preferred.
• Versatile – egg and bacon pie is a much-loved dish in Australia and New Zealand. It is delicious served hot or cold and is perfect for any occasion, including brunch, breakfast, light lunch, dinner, picnics or parties. It is also lovely served as part of an Easter brunch!
• Make ahead – once made, it will keep in the fridge for 5 days.
• Freezer friendly – it freezes well as a whole pie, or sliced into single serves.
• So delicious! It features perfectly flaky, buttery shortcrust pastry with delicious chunks of savoury eggs, smoky bacon and fresh herbs in every bite.
• Easy homemade pastry – although you can use store-bought pastry, I highly recommend making this homemade version if you can. Instructions for both are included below.

Ingredients you will need

** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. This photo is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!

• Eggs – 9 large eggs are required. Some are used in the egg mixture, some are kept whole and dotted throughout the pie and one egg is used to glaze the pastry before baking. Choose fresh, free-range eggs where possible.
• Bacon – A good quality bacon will make all the difference. I recommend thick-cut bacon for nice, streaky pieces throughout the pie. Streaky bacon or middle bacon are both good choices, but drain any excess fat to avoid a soggy pie base. Pancetta can also be used.
• Mascarpone – mascarpone gives the pie filling a rich, creamy flavour without making it soggy. Alternatively, cream cheese (softened at room temperature) or double cream can be used in equal quantities.
• Cheese – choose a vintage cheddar/tasty cheese or even swap for gouda, Swiss or gruyere.

For the shortcrust pastry;

• Butter – for that buttery flavour and flaky layers. It needs to be chilled, straight from the fridge to form a flaky, tender crust. I recommend using real butter, rather than margarine or butter substitutes. Use unsalted butter, as we are adding salt to the pastry separately.
• Plain flour – for the structure of the pastry. Use quality all-purpose flour.
• Egg yolks – 2 egg yolks act as an emulsifier in the pastry, keeping moisture in and helping to tenderise the crust. Keep the eggs chilled right up until adding them to the pastry.
• Ice water – liquid helps to bring the dough together and releases steam as it bakes, creating those flaky layers. Not much water is required and you need to use the coldest water you can find. (Keep it chilled in the fridge or even place some ice in it before use).

Tip: Alternatively, store-bought pastry can be used instead of homemade. I recommend one sheet of shortcrust pastry for the bottom of the pie, with one more sheet of either shortcrust of puff pastry for the top. Use frozen squares of pastry and make sure they are fully thawed and pliable before adding them to the baking tin.

Variations

While the basic ingredients (pastry, eggs) stay the same, there are a number of flavour variations that can be made. Here are some suggestions;

• Swap the brown onion for leeks or spring onions.
• Swap the bacon for pancetta, chorizo or smoky pork sausage.
• Change up the cheese and add your favourite. A sharp cheddar works great, but you can add gouda, tasty, Swiss or gruyere.
• Add a handful of chopped spinach leaves, sun-dried tomatoes or cherry tomatoes to the filling before baking.
• Add a pinch of nutmeg to the egg mixture before adding it to the pie.

Step by step instructions

Full ingredient notes and quantities can be found in the detailed recipe card below. But here is a brief overview of what you can expect;

Prepare the pastry;

Prepare the shortcrust pastry using this recipe, or use store-bought pastry if you’re short on time.

Add the flour, butter and salt to a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Alternatively, rub the butter into the flour with your fingers.

Add the egg yolks and just enough chilled water and mix just enough to form a soft dough. (Use as little water as possible, only enough to bring the dough together).

Don’t knead the dough. Once it has formed, shape it into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and rest it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

While the dough is resting, prepare the filling.

Make the filling;

1. Fry the bacon in a pan. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside to cool. Drain any excess oil.
2. Brown the onion and garlic in the same pan, with a little olive oil (or the excess bacon oil).
3. Mix *4 of the the eggs and the mascarpone together in a separate mixing bowl. *Keep the remaining eggs to be added to the pie whole.
4. Add the herbs, grated cheese and salt and pepper to taste.
5. Mix in the bacon, onion and garlic and stir to combine.

Assemble the pie;

1. Roll the pastry; use ⅔ of the pastry for the bottom of the pie and the remaining ⅓ for the lid. Roll the larger (⅔) portion between two sheets of baking paper until about 3mm thick. Place the pastry into a lined springform tin and trim the sides. Roll the remaining pastry and trim into a circle to fit the size of the tin.
2. Fill the pastry bottom with the bacon and egg mixture.
3. Press 4 small holes into the filling and gently place the whole eggs into the holes.
4. Top the pie with the pastry lid and press the edges to seal.
5. Glaze the top of the pie with a little beaten egg or milk.
6. Bake.

Expert tips

• Measure the pastry ingredients, for best results. Kitchen scales are recommended, for accuracy. Too much flour will make the pastry dry, where too much fat or water will make the dough crumbly and fall apart.
• Store the butter in the freezer before adding it the flour, to keep it as cold as possible.
• Keep the pastry cold at all times! Keeping the pie crust as cold as possible helps to prevent the butter from melting before the pie enters the hot oven. If the butter melts in the dough before baking, it won’t create those lovely, flaky layers. The colder the ingredients, the easier the dough is to work with and the better it will turn out.
• Keep the pastry in the fridge at all times, until ready to bake. It can be added to the tin and rested in the fridge while you prepare the filling.
• Don’t add too much water to the pastry. Add just enough to make the dough come together and don’t knead it. A brief squish to press it all together is all that is required. Too much water or movement develops gluten, which will make the pastry hard.
• I use a 23cm loose-bottom (springform) tin for easy removal of the pie. But any pie dish will work. Just make sure it is high enough to hold the pastry and filling.
• Don’t overcook the pie, or the pastry and the filling will dry out. It is cooked when the pastry is flaky and golden and the filling has firmed up, with the whole eggs being cooked through. Check it at the 40-minute mark and keep an eye on it from there.
• If the pastry is browning too much before the pie is cooked through, cover it loosely with some aluminium foil for the remainder.

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