Camembert pull-apart bread is the kind of warm bake that has everyone reaching in straight away. Soft homemade rolls bake around a whole Camembert, and each one hides a little roasted garlic oil inside. Pull off a roll, dip it into the melted cheese, and dinner can wait a minute.
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Why You'll Want to Make This
This is one of those party recipes that looks like you planned a lot more than you did. The bread bakes in two rings around the cheese, so it comes out of the oven looking like a proper centerpiece all on its own.
I also love how the flavors build here. The garlic is roasted first, so it turns soft and sweet instead of sharp. That goes into the rolls, while the Camembert gets rosemary on top. You end up with warm bread, mellow garlic, and gooey cheese in one bite, which is a very good place to be.
It is also easier to serve than baked Camembert with crackers. Everything is already there in one dish, ready to pull apart and pass around.
What you'll need
- Garlic: roasted first, so it turns soft, sweet, and mild. This gives the rolls flavor without that harsh raw garlic bite.
- Olive oil: mixes with the roasted garlic to make the filling smooth and easy to spoon into the dough.
- Eggs: enrich the dough and help make the rolls soft and tender.
- Milk: adds moisture and helps bring the dough together. Whole milk is best.
- Flour: Plain all-purpose flour works well here
- Yeast : Use instant yeast. It helps the dough rise and keeps the rolls light.
- Sugar: Helps the yeast get going.
- Salt: seasons the dough and balances the rich butter and cheese.
- Cinnamon: adds a tiny bit of warmth in the background.
- Nutmeg: gives the dough a soft, warm depth. Freshly grated tastes best.
- Unsalted butter: makes the dough rich and soft.
- Camembert: the molten center of the whole dish. Use a ripe one that melts well. You could substitute it with Brie cheese.
- Rosemary: goes on top of the cheese for a flavorful, savory finish. Thyme can work too.
- Poppy seeds (optional): for a little crunch and a nice finish on top.
- Beaten egg: brushed over the rolls so they bake up shiny and golden.
How to make it
- Step 1: Roast the garlic until soft.
- Step 2: mix and knead the dough. Cover and chill it overnight.
- Step 3: Mix the roasted garlic with olive oil, divide the dough into 25 pieces, and shape each one around a little filling.
- Step 4: Set the balls in two rings around the center ramekin and let them rise for 45 minutes. Top the Camembert with rosemary, brush the rolls with egg, add poppy seeds if using, and bake until golden and melted in the middle.
Top Tips
- Roast the garlic until it is really soft, or the filling will not spread nicely inside the rolls and the garlic tastes sharp and not sweet.
- Make a deep hole in each dough ball, but keep the bottom closed so the filling stays inside.
- Use a ripe Camembert so it melts well in the oven.
- Serve this warm, while the cheese is still soft enough for dipping.
What to Serve With It
- This can absolutely hold its own as the appetizer.
- If you want to turn it into a bigger spread, add olives, charcuterie, grapes, or a crisp green salad on the side. Keep the extras simple, because the bread and cheese are already doing plenty of heavy lifting.
📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Camembert pull-apart bread is a warm homemade bread appetizer with roasted garlic rolls and melted cheese in the center.
Recipe Help
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Ingredients
Garlic oil
- 1 bulb garlic
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Bread dough
- 5 eggs, size L
- 4 teaspons whole milk
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons yeast, instant
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, grated
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, grated fresh
- 1⅔ stick butter , unsalted, sliced into cubes
Dip and break bread with cheese
- 1 camembert
- 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds, optional
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
1 day before
Garlic oil
- Preheat the oven to 350 ℉.
- Cut the top off the garlic bulb, drizzle with a little olive oil and salt, wrap in foil, and roast for 1 hour. Let it cool.1 bulb garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon sea salt
Bread dough
- Mix the eggs and milk in one bowl.4 eggs, 4 teaspons whole milk
- Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in another.4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons yeast, instant, 3 tablespoons sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and knead while adding the butter.1⅔ stick butter
- Knead for 13-15 minutes, cover with plastic foil, and refrigerate overnight.
Day of serving
Garlic oil
- Squeeze the roasted garlic into a bowl and mix with 2 tablespoons olive oil.2 tablespoons olive oil
Bread dough
- Line a baking sheet with parchment and place a ramekin in the center.
- Divide the dough into 25 equal pieces.
- Press a deep hole into each piece, spoon in about ½ teaspoon garlic filling, pinch closed, and shape into a ball.
- Arrange the balls around the ramekins in two rings: 10 in the inner ring and 15 in the outer ring.
- Cover with plastic foil and let the bread dough rise for 45 minutes.
Topping and baking
- Heat the oven to 380 °F.
- Finely chop the rosemary, cut the top rind off the Camembert, and sprinkle the cheese with rosemary.1 camembert, 2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- Brush the rolls with beaten egg and add poppy seeds if using.1 eggs, 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden and hot. Serve warm, so the cheese stays soft for dipping.
Notes
1. Can I make the dough the day before? Yes. This dough is meant to rest overnight in the fridge.
2. Why roast the garlic first? Roasting makes it soft, sweet, and mild, so the filling does not taste sharp.
3. How much filling should go into each roll? About ½ teaspoon. Too much can leak out during baking.
4. Do the dough balls need to touch before rising? No. Leave a little space between them. They will puff up as they rise and bake.
5. When should I serve it? Serve it warm from the oven, while the Camembert is still soft and melty.
6. Storage
This bread is best the day it is baked. If you have leftovers, let them cool completely and store them covered in the fridge for up to 1 day. Reheat in a warm oven until the bread is heated through and the cheese softens again.
Nutrition
Calories: 199kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 6gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 280mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 310IUVitamin C: 0.02mgIron: 1mg
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