Savory Baked Brie Recipe with Pesto, Artichokes and Sun-Dried Tomatoes (2024)

FAQs

Do you take the rind off brie before baking? ›

Do you take the rind off before baking? Keep the rind on, as it will help the cheese hold its shape so it doesn't all melt out. The rind is also edible, so you can enjoy it with the melted cheese, or simply remove the top layer after baking and dunk in crusty bread like a fondue.

When baking brie, remembering a few key things will encourage good melting. The first is to score or remove some of the top rind.

If you left the rind of the cheese on, the baked brie may seem like it is rubbery once heated, or the brie was overcooked by leaving it in the oven too long. To avoid the rubbery texture, remove the rind of the cheese and make sure to not overbake the brie in the oven.

Brie cheese is the perfect partner to jam! It pairs beautifully with jam varieties, such as: fig, apricot, blackberry, boysenberry or cherry jam.

Unwrap your Brie and place your wheel on a small piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Note: if you have the time, take the cheese out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for an hour before baking. This is optional but helps the cheese bake more evenly. Bake for 10-20 minutes in the oven.

Not only can you eat the rind, you should eat the rind. Technically, the rind is mold, usually Penicillium candidum, but it's good mold! The rind protects the cheese on the inside and helps to give the cheese its flavor.

The rind is, in fact, a white mold called Penicillium candidum, which cheesemakers inoculate the cheese with. This edible mold blooms on the outside of the paste and is then patted down, over and over again, to form the rind. This process gives Brie its distinctive taste.

It may be a turnoff but it's a consequence of aging, especially for bloomy-rind cheeses like Brie. As these cheeses ripen, their surface molds break down protein into amino acids and one byproduct of that breakdown is ammonia. When a Brie is aging at the creamery on a rack, the ammonia is evacuated through ventilation.

As Brie cheese ages, it develops a stronger flavor and becomes more complex, with earthy and nutty undertones. The rind of Brie has a slightly tangy and mushroom-like flavor that adds to the overall taste experience.

That marshmallowy white stuff on the outside of your brie is called a bloomy rind. These cheeses are coated with edible molds, such as Penicillium candidum. The cheeses ripen from the outside-inwards. Sometimes, a seductive gooey layer called the “creamline” forms around the fudgy interior.

How do the French eat brie? ›

If you want to serve cheese as the French do, you should serve it to your dinner guests as an individual course before your dessert. Doing this allows the Brie to have a moment in the spotlight. However, many people also serve Brie as an appetizer with fruit, meat, and crackers.

As mentioned, brie's mild, yet buttery and nutty flavor pairs well with so many things. Some examples are salami, prosciutto, pickles, apricots, apples, pears, dates, almonds, candied walnuts, and pecans.

What does brie cheese go well with? Seriously so much. You can pair it with something sweet like honey, jam, or berries, or you can go more savory with nuts, veggies, or red pepper jelly.

In this baked brie recipe, I do not remove the rind because I need the surface to spread my jam and to add my beautiful nuts and toppings. The rind keeps the wheel of cheese together, and once you take it out of the oven and slice into it, all the gooey deliciousness oozes out like a nice surprise!

Yes, you can. The skin, better known as the rind, on brie adds extra flavour and potency to the cheese. However, you don't need to if you find brie flavoursome enough on its own.

In most cases, you'll want to eat the rind because that's where a lot of the flavor is. If you're trying brie for the first time, definitely bake it.

Yes, the bloomy rind is completely safe to eat and even keeps the inside safe from any potentially unwanted microorganisms during production. The rind on Brie not only protects and encases the cheese – it also adds a subtle, earthy flavor. With a soft and tender texture, it is meant to complement the paste inside.