Autumn and winter are my favorite seasons — the clothes, the weather, but especially the food. When the weather starts getting chilly, I love making warm and comforting meals that just hug you. This cheese fondue bread bowl is one of my most requested appetizers (though some have asked for it as a main course) when we get together with friends, and it’s a great way to have fondue without all of the bells and whistles.
Camembert (sounds like cam-em-bear) is a soft cheese that is not too dissimilar from brie. It’s actually not allowed in the US since it’s typically not pasteurized. However, many US cheese shops as well as Whole Foods and Publix carry a camembert alternative in their specialty cheese sections, which is as close as you can get to the real thing. I tried camembert fondue for the first time when I was studying abroad in London — it’s definitely a fragrant cheese in the fridge (so maybe pick it up the day you plan to make this), but this smells AMAZING when it comes out of the oven.
*For my gluten-free and anti-inflammation friends: If you’re looking for a gluten-free option for dipping, I would highly recommend Schar’s baguettes. You can cut it into strips or cubes and put them in the oven for about 5 minutes.
The best part about this fondue recipe is that you can eat the melted cheese with the smaller pieces from the inside of the bowl, but you also can tear from the top and eventually eat the entire bread bowl, which has happened in our house multiple times.
Check out more delicious and easy recipes at Driftwood and Iron here!
Melted Camembert Fondue Bread Bowl
Equipment
- Large pan
- Mixing bowl
- Cerated knife
Ingredients
- 1 loaf sourdough bread
- 250 grams camembert cheese (typically a whole)
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 dash rosemary
- 1 dash thyme
- 1 dash oregano
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 320 degrees F.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and oregano. Set aside.
- Using a cerated knife, cut a circle into the sourdough bread about 3/4ths of the way through the bread (hint – I like to use the cheese container as a guide so it fits perfectly)
- Pull the bread out of the cavity and tear into smaller pieces. Cut the top into strips
- Lower the camembert into the bread bowl and score small cuts into the cheese with a knife
- Transfer the bread to a pan, and place the smaller pieces around it
- Take the olive oil mixture and spread over the bread bowl on the outside, on top of the camembert, and over the smaller pieces
- Cook for 20-25 minutes until the cheese has melted — if the smaller pieces are done earlier, you can pull them out and place into a bowl and return the bread bowl to the oven
