The bread is an small round sourdough, small enough for two to share as a generous starter or the centerpiece of a casual evening, large enough to hold the cheese snug so it does not spread before the oven does its work. The Brie goes in with its rind either removed or scored deeply through the top and sides, which determines how much the cheese penetrates the bread during baking. Olive oil on the inside of the cavity, sage and black pepper on top of the cheese, the bread lid goes back on, and the whole thing bakes first wrapped in aluminum foil and then uncovered at high heat for the crust to come back to life.
A good Brie matters here; a cheap one has very little flavor and will not produce the result the recipe is capable of. With the right cheese, this is one of the most compelling things to put in front of two people at the start of a meal, or at the center of one. The bread that comes out of the cavity can be toasted and used for dipping alongside the pulled pieces of crust.
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Key Ingredients in This Recipe
You’ll find the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities in the recipe below.
- Round sourdough bread
- Brie cheese – I know I say this often, but when you have a few ingredients in a recipe, make sure you buy quality. In this case a good quality Brie. Unfortunately, many cheap Brie cheeses have very little flavor and will not result in a delicious outcome. I used Green Hill cheese, a delicious small Brie-Camembert type cheese made in Georgia. I love to support the local artisan cheese makers.
- Olive oil
- Fresh sage – other fresh herbs, like rosemary, thyme, basil, tarragon or a combination.
How to Make an Easy Baked Brie in Bread with Sage
Step 1 – Cut the top off a small, 8 oz. round sourdough bread, and hollow the inside out. Not everything, but just enough that you can fit the cheese into it while leaving enough bread that the cheese fits snug. Whatever comes out of the bread can be used for dipping, toasted or not. Sprinkle the inside of the bread with some olive oil.
Step 2 – You can cut the rind off the cheese, or leave it on. If you decide to cut it off, please do it as thin as you can; you don’t want to throw away any cheese. Cut the top and the sides; no need to cut the bottom rind off. Cutting off the rind means that you have maximum penetration of cheese into the bread. Alternatively, you can leave the rind on, but score the rind (top and sides) in various places. This will allow the cheese to ooze out.
Step 3 – Place the cheese inside the bread hole you created. Chop a few leaves of sage, sprinkle over the top of the cheese as well as a little bit of salt and black pepper. Replace top of bread.
Step 4 – With a knife, score the crust of the bread, about 1.5 inches apart, all around the bread. This will make it easier to tear the pieces off the bread when the baking is done. Just cut through the crust on the side, don’t cut the bottom.
Step 5 – Wrap the entire bread in aluminum foil and place it in a warm oven of 350°F for 15-30 minutes. Unwrap the bread and heat the oven to 450°F and bake the bread for another 5-10 minutes.
Place the bread on a board, pull one of the pre-cut pieces of the bread and enjoy. Writing the recipe for this Easy Baked Brie in Bread with Sage makes my mouth water.
Alternative Flavor Combinations
- Cranberry and pecan: Sprinkle dried cranberries and chopped pecans over the melted brie cheese when it comes out of the oven.
- Fig and balsamic vinegar: add sliced figs or fig jam and drizzle with balsamic vinegar, when the bread comes out of the oven.
- Caramelized onion, bacon and rosemary: saute chopped onions and bacon until caramelized. Add rosemary before baking and onion and bacon after baking preserving the caramelized flavor.
- Any type of fruity jam: strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, or peach jam. Bake with the bread.
- Garlic: roasted or minced. Bake with the bread.
Easy Baked Brie in Bread with Sage
Pin Recipe Facebook Share by TextIngredients
- 8 ounces round sourdough bread, small round boule
- 8 ounces Brie cheese
- 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sage
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cut the top off the bread and place the cheese on the bread, so you know how much to cut out of the center of the bread out. Peel out just enough that you can fit the cheese into it snug. Whatever comes out of the bread can be used for dipping, toasted or not.
- Sprinkle the inside of the bread with a little bit of olive oil.
- Cut the rind off the cheese, as thin as you can as you don't want to throw away any cheese. Cut the top and the sides; no need to cut the bottom rind off. Place the cheese in the hole of the bread. (NOTE 1)
- Chop a few leaves of sage, sprinkle over the top of the cheese as well as a little bit of black pepper. Replace top of bread
- Wrap the entire bread in aluminum foil and place it in the oven for 15-30 minutes.
- Unwrap the bread and heat the oven to 450°F and bake the bread, uncovered, for another 5-10 minutes.
Notes
- You can leave the rind on, but then score the rind (top and sides) in various places. This will allow the cheese to ooze out.
- Cranberry and pecan: Sprinkle dried cranberries and chopped pecans over the melted brie cheese when it comes out of the oven.
- Fig and balsamic vinegar: add sliced figs or fig jam and drizzle with balsamic vinegar, when the bread comes out of the oven.
- Caramelized onion and bacon: saute chopped onions and bacon until caramelized. Add after baking preserves the caramelized flavor.
- Any type of fruity jam: strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, or peach jam. Bake with the bread.
- Garlic: roasted or minced. Bake with the bread.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.