Starters
Baked Camembert
A whole Camembert baked in its own wooden box until the middle turns to molten fondue, studded with garlic and rosemary, splashed with white wine and served with crisp baguette toasts for dunking.
- Serves 4
- Hands-on 10 min
- Bake 15–20 min
- Serves 2–4 to share
- Use a cheese in a stapled wooden box
- French / British
Method
Heat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C, gas 6). Take the cheese (250 g) out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead so it melts evenly.
Unwrap the cheese, discard any plastic or paper and sit it back in the base of its box. If the box is not stapled, use a small ovenproof dish that fits snugly instead. Put it on a baking tray.
With the tip of a small knife, cut a shallow criss-cross over the top rind, or make 8–10 small slits. Push the slivers of garlic (1 clove) and tufts of rosemary (a little) into the cuts.
Spoon the wine (1 tbsp) over the top, scatter on the chilli (pinch) and grind over some black pepper. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until the top is puffed and the centre wobbles when you shake the tray.
Meanwhile toss the bread (250 g) with the oil (2 tbsp) and a pinch of salt on a second tray and bake for the last 8–10 minutes, turning once, until golden and crisp.
Drizzle with the honey (1 tsp), peel back or cut away the top rind and serve straight away with the toasts for dunking.
Tip: tap a step to tick it off as you cook.
Rate this recipe
Tried it? Rate it.
The readers’ average appears here once 5 readers have rated it.
One vote per recipe per browser, and you can change it. We keep only the stars: no name, e-mail or IP address. How ratings work
See also
Chef’s notes
- Brie works the same way but is more delicate; bake a 250 g Brie for 12–15 minutes.
- Cranberry sauce, chutney or a few walnuts on the side cut through the richness; Jamie Oliver scatters dried cranberries and nuts over his.
- Do not bake the cheese in plastic or in a glued box. If in doubt, use a small ramekin or dish.
- Allow about 60 g of cheese a head as a starter; one cheese serves two as a light supper with salad.
How this recipe was developed
We compared the baked Camembert on BBC Good Food (its highest-rated version and the Christmas sharing version) with Jamie Oliver’s.
- In its box. BBC Good Food bakes the cheese in its own box with the top scored; we do the same and add a warning about glued boxes.
- Garlic and rosemary. Jamie Oliver studs his with garlic and rosemary; we push both into small slits so they flavour the middle.
- A splash of wine. BBC Good Food adds a spoonful of vermouth, white wine or kirsch; we made it optional.
- Toasts for dunking. Jamie Oliver bakes torn bread alongside; we use baguette fingers so everything is ready together.
Sources we compared (ratings as shown on each site on 1 November 2026):
- BBC Good Food (Good Food team): Baked camembert (4.65/5, 35 ratings)
- Jamie Oliver: Beautiful baked Camembert
- BBC Good Food (Good Food team): Baked camembert with bacon-wrapped breadsticks (4.75/5, 15 ratings)
This is an original Cookeryonline recipe written in our own words. Ingredient choices and techniques are credited above; no source text has been copied.