Baked camembert in bread
The perfect warm addition to any cheeseboard, this tear-and-share baked camembert in bread is finished with toasted nuts for full-on festive flavours.
Ingredients
- 1 crusty cob loaf
- 2 heaped tbsp cranberry sauce
- 1 small orange, zest only
- 250g/9oz camembert, at room temperature
- 2 fresh rosemary sprigs, plus extra to decorate
- 1 garlic clove
- sea salt
- ½ tbsp rapeseed oil
- 85g/3oz mixed nuts
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Cut a hole into the loaf big enough to fit the camembert in snugly, reserving and setting aside the hollowed-out bread. Make 8–12 downward cuts around the edge of the loaf (this helps to pull the bread apart when serving).
Spoon 1 heaped tablespoon cranberry sauce into the well before grating in the zest of half the orange. Place the camembert into the hole on top of the zesty cranberry sauce. Make a small incision in the top of the cheese and press in 1 rosemary sprig and the garlic clove. Place the loaf on a large baking tray and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, break the reserved bread into large chunks and put in a bowl along with a pinch of salt and the oil. Finely chop the remaining rosemary and add to the bowl before tossing all the ingredients until the bread is well coated.
After 10 minutes, remove the bread from the oven. Scatter the chunks of bread onto the baking tray along with the mixed nuts. Return the baking tray to the oven and cook for 5–6 minutes, until the camembert is oozing and the bread chunks and nuts are golden and toasted.
Carefully transfer the camembert bread to a serving plate. Whilst still on the warm baking tray, grate the remaining orange zest over the bread chunks and nuts, then toss to coat.
Spoon the remaining cranberry sauce over the top of the camembert before scattering over the nuts and adding the toasted bread pieces to the plate. Garnish with more fresh rosemary.
Recipe Tips
The temperature and maturity of your camembert can drastically change the cook time. The colder the cheese, the longer the cook; the more mature the cheese, the shorter the cook. Ensure the camembert in just softening before you add the nuts and bread chunks, as an extra 5 minutes will result in the perfect melt.