Egg & Bacon Pie
Egg & Bacon Pie is a tasty traditional British cold pie. Perfect for picnics, lunch boxes and buffets, for my super-simple version, all you need for the filling are half a dozen eggs and some smoked bacon. Baked in crispy shortcrust pastry then cooled, this old-fashioned classic is surprisingly good.
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If you’re looking for something tasty but simple that only requires everyday ingredients, this Egg & Bacon Pie might be right up your street. It’s in the great British tradition of cold pies, the most famous of which is the pork pie.
Perfect for picnics, lunch boxes, buffets or dinner time, cold pies like egg and bacon (or my gorgeous Sausage & Onion Lattice Pie) are always a crowd pleaser.
EGG & BACON PIE
Whether you call it bacon and egg or Egg & Bacon Pie, it’s so satisfying to be able to make this tasty bake with just a handful of everyday ingredients. I think of Egg & Bacon Pie as being particularly British. But I’ve learned that versions are also found in Australia and New Zealand, presumably due to their colonial past.
There are different kinds of Egg & Bacon Pie though. Some are elaborate affairs of puff or flaky pastry, sometimes with a deep filling of beaten eggs plus milk or cream as well as whole eggs and bacon. But my version is all about simplicity.
You’ll find a recipe card at the end with ingredient amounts and full instructions. But I recommend you read the whole of this post first for extra tips and step-by-step images to guide you. For the best results you should use digital scales and metric measurements as these were used to test the recipe.
PLATE PIES
My delicious pie is an egg and bacon plate pie. Plate pies are shallow and particularly associated with the north and the Midlands. They’re traditionally baked on enamel plates which are good conductors of heat, creating a crisp base. I love the iconic white enamel plates with a dark blue rim, originally made in the 1920s.
But any 22 – 23 centimetre baking plate or ovenproof shallow dish can be used.
THE FILLING
Being shallow, plate pies can be a thrifty choice as you don’t need as much filling as for a deeper pie. Traditional fillings also tend towards the economical e.g. corned beef, Sausage Plate Pie or my Potato, Cheese and Onion Plate Pie. The only filling ingredients you need for my egg and bacon plate pie are 6 eggs, smoked streaky bacon plus pepper and salt.
Because there’s no extra ingredients added, it’s worth getting tasty bacon. I think streaky has more flavour and I love plenty of smokiness. Ready prepared smoked bacon lardons would be an alternative. To bring out its flavour and to remove excess fat, I first fry the chopped bacon in a little oil. When done, set aside on kitchen paper to cool and drain. The eggs don’t need any precooking.
EASY HOMEMADE SHORTCRUST PASTRY
Given their humble origins, I always think a simple shortcrust pastry is best for plate pies. While you could buy ready-made shortcrust, it’s easy to make in just a few minutes. In the recipe card I’ve given instructions for making the pastry by hand and in a food processor.
All you need are plain flour, salt, butter, and water. However, if you want to go the traditional (and cheaper) route of replacing half the butter with lard, I recommend it. I find this gives the perfect balance of crispness and flavour.
When you’ve made the pastry dough, divide it in two: roughly 60 per cent for the pie base and 40 percent for the lid. As I’m terrible at estimating, I use my scales. So it’s easier to roll out you should chill it in the fridge for thirty minutes.
ASSEMBLING EGG & BACON PIE
When you’re ready to roll out the pastry for the Egg & Bacon Pie, lightly flour your work surface. I first cover it with a silicone mat to reduce sticking and the need for extra flour which can make pastry hard rather than crisp. A mat also makes cleaning up easier.
Roll out the larger piece of pastry into a circle that will come just over the edge of your pie plate or dish, taking account of any dip in the middle. Place the pastry on and gently press down. Holding up in one hand, go around the edge with a knife to trim away excess.
Now roll out the smaller piece of pastry for the lid, a little bigger than your plate or dish, and set aside. I also cut a small hole in the centre to let out steam. I’d usually do this once a pie is assembled, but I don’t want to risk cutting into a yolk so now is best in this case.
If you want to, you can chill the cut-out pastry again. This helps reduce the likelihood of shrinkage during cooking. But if your pastry is still cool from its first chilling there’s no need.
ADD THE FILLING & LID
Scatter the cooked and cooled bacon over the pastry base, leaving a 2 cm border all around. Now crack the eggs, one at a time, into a small bowl then tip out on top of the bacon. I think it’s best to crack into a bowl first just in case you have a bad one which would spoil the pie. Unlikely, but better safe than sorry! Don’t worry too much if any happen to break. Grind or shake some black pepper over the eggs and, if your bacon isn’t overly salty, season with salt too.
So that the lid sticks to the base, brush over the bare border a little milk (or beaten egg if using one to glaze the pie). Now place the pastry lid on top, firmly pressing all around the border to stick it to the base then cut off any excess. To make a pattern around the edge, I go round again pressing down with the tines of a fork. Or you could make a wavy pattern by pinching with your fingers.
Instead of wasting the pastry trimmings, I gather and re-roll to decorate the top. Here, I used one of my mini cutters (vaguely egg-shaped, but possibly a bit more beany-looking!). You can stick them on with milk or beaten egg.
Eggs are best cooked as soon as they’re out of their shell, so I recommend you bake this pie straight away. I first brush with milk for a light glaze but, as mentioned above, you could use beaten egg if you want a glossier finish.
BAKING EGG & BACON PIE
To help quickly crisp the bottom of the pie, when preheating the oven to the temperature shown in the recipe card, I put in a baking tray to preheat too. When everything’s ready, transfer the Egg & Bacon Pie to the heated tray and bake for approximately 35 minutes or until the pastry is crisp golden brown and the eggs set.
Because my oven cooks unevenly, after the first 20 minutes I turn the pie around. At the same time I take the opportunity to add another layer of glaze (it’s easier to see bits you’ve missed once the pastry starts browning). If you find the steam vent blocked with cooked egg, reopen with a knife.
Transfer the cooked pie, still on its plate, to a cooling rack until just warm. You should then carefully remove it from the plate and put directly on the rack. Leave until completely cold, in a fridge if the room is warm, before slicing and eating.
EASY OLD-FASHIONED EGG & BACON PIE
This simple but tasty old-fashioned cold pie is perfect for picnics, lunch boxes and buffets. As it’s made in advance and cooled, it can make an easy dinner too.
Served with new potatoes and salad, or good old chips and baked beans, everyone will love it. Egg & Bacon Pie will keep in the fridge for up to three days and leftovers make a great snack.
VARIATIONS
If you want to ring the changes, here’s a few suggestions to turn my basic recipe into a range of different pies.
- Put a layer of sauteed then cooled onion or leek on the pastry base before adding the cooked bacon.
- Sprinkle grated cheese over the eggs before adding the lid.
- Scatter chopped chives or parsley over the bacon before adding the eggs.
- Make a deep dish Egg & Bacon Pie: follow the recipe but use a pie dish rather than a shallow plate. Before putting on the lid, crack 2 eggs into a jug and whisk with 275 – 300 ml of milk and/or cream, salt and pepper. Pour over and put on the lid. This pie will take longer to cook: check with a skewer that the filling is set.
If you’ve made my recipe, I’d love to know what you thought. Please do leave a comment and rating.
Egg & Bacon Pie
A simple but tasty old-fashioned British cold pie that's perfect for picnics, lunch boxes and buffets, or serve with new potatoes and salad or chips and baked beans for dinner. For the best results use well flavoured smoked bacon or lardons.
You will need an oven safe pie plate or shallow baking dish approximately 22 - 23 cm in diameter.
It's recommended that you read the accompanying blog post before starting.
Ingredients
For the shortcrust pastry
- 250 g plain/all-purpose flour (plus extra for rolling out)
- 1 large pinch salt
- 125 g cold butter (recommended: replace half with lard)
- 3 - 5 tbsp iced water
- 1 - 3 tbsp milk, for sealing and glazing (can be replaced with 1 small egg, beaten)
For the filling
- 10 ml (2 tsp) oil for frying
- 300 g smoked streaky bacon, rindless (or smoked bacon lardons)
- 6 med - large eggs
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Make the shortcrust pastry
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Using a food processor
Put the flour and salt into the machine and briefly process to combine.
Dice the butter (plus lard if using), add to the machine and process until the mixture looks like very fine breadcrumbs.
With the motor running add iced water, 1 tbsp at a time, until the mixture comes together into a smooth ball.
Making by hand
In a medium sized bowl, stir together the flour and salt.
Coarsely grate in the butter (plus lard if using): dip into the flour now and then to prevent sticking. Using your fingertips, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add 2 tbsp of cold water and stir in with a round bladed knife. Continue adding tablespoons of water and stirring until the mixture starts coming together.
Use your hands to bring together into a smooth ball.
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Using digital scales, divide the pastry in two: roughly 60 per cent for the pie base and 40 percent for the lid. e.g. if the dough weighs 420g divide into 250g for the base and 170g for the lid.
Flatten each piece into a disc then wrap in foil or put into a reusable polythene bag and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes: this makes it easier to roll out.
Tip: pastry can be chilled for longer if more convenient.
Prepare the filling
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Put the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
Chop or snip the bacon into small pieces with scissors.
Put into the hot oil and cook, stirring often until the bacon is cooked through, starting to turn crispy and its fat rendered.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked bacon to a piece of kitchen paper to cool and allow any excess oil to drain away.
Preheat oven
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Preheat your oven to 200°C / 180°Fan /Gas 6 /400°F.
Position a shelf in the middle with a large baking tray on it to preheat: this will help crisp the bottom of the pie.
Assemble the pie
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On a lightly floured work surface, ideally covered with a silicone mat to reduce sticking, roll out the larger piece of pastry into a circle that will come over the edge of your pie plate: remember to take account of any dip in the middle.
Place the pastry on the pie plate and gently press down. Holding up the plate in one hand, go around the edge with a knife to trim away excess pastry.
Roll out the smaller piece of pastry a little bigger than your pie plate and cut a small hole in the centre (e.g. using an apple corer or tiny cookie cutter) which will allow steam out.
Use up any pastry trimmings by re-rolling and cutting out circles, leaves, stars or other decorative shapes.
Tip: the cut-out pastry and decoration can be chilled again if you like. This will reduce shrinking during baking, but isn't necessary if it's still cool.
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Sprinkle the bacon over the pie base, leaving a 2 cm bare border all around.
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Crack the eggs, one by one, into a small bowl then carefully tip out on top of the bacon. Don't worry too much if any happen to break.
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Grind some black pepper over the eggs and if your bacon isn't too salty then season lightly with salt too.
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Brush some of the milk (or beaten egg) all over the border. Place the pastry lid on top then firmly press all around the edge to stick it to the base. Use a knife to cut off the excess pastry.
Go all around the edge and press down with the tines of a fork or pinch between two fingers to create a wavy pattern if preferred.
Stick any decorations onto the top of the pie with milk (or beaten egg) then brush more all over the top.
Bake and cool the pie
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Transfer the pie to the preheated tray in the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until the pastry is crisp golden brown and the eggs are set.
Tip 1. If your oven cooks unevenly, turn the pie around after the first 20 minutes.
Tip 2. After 20 minutes you can add another layer of milk or beaten egg if liked.
Tip3. If the steam vent has covered over with cooked egg, carefully use a knife to unblock it: if steam can't escape then the lid may rise and split.
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Transfer the pie, still on its plate, to a cooling rack until just warm.
Carefully remove from the plate and place back on the rack until completely cold (in the fridge if the room is warm) before eating or storing.
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Store in the fridge and eat within 3 days.
Not suitable for freezing.
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