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Camembert rôti is the kind of dish that looks extravagant but actually takes almost no effort. It’s a whole wheel of oozy, molten Camembert baked until soft and golden, flavoured with honey, herbs and, in this version, nestled into a warm cob loaf with a bed of caramelised red onions. As you can imagine, it is so incredibly delicious and perfect for a festive nibble.
This post will show you exactly how to make this crowd-pleasing camembert rôti, how to prepare it ahead, avoid the common pitfalls, store leftovers, and serve it in the most delicious way possible.
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe:
- This Camembert Rôti is a gooey, shareable cheese centrepiece that’s simple to assemble.
- Beautiful sweet–savory balance from caramelised red onion, honey and pancetta.
- Uses an everyday loaf of bread – no special equipment or pastry needed.
- Perfect for parties: impressive presentation, minimal effort, easy to scale.
Ingredients:
Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down!
Camembert – this is a soft ripened cheese from Normandy, France. It has a creamy texture and buttery flavour. When ripened, it has a beautifully soft texture. Once baked, it becomes even more gooey.
Cob loaf – this may have a different name where you are but essentially, you want a white crusty loaf, in a round shape so that the camembert can sit nicely in the bread. Sometimes this type of loaf is called a ‘boule’.
Pancetta – I like to finish this camembert rôti with crispy pancetta to balance the sweet honey and complement the creamy cheese, but this is entirely optional.
Substitutions and Variations:
Cheese – you can swap the Camembert for Pié d’Angloys or Brie. They just need to be soft and round.
Herbs – I use rosemary, but finely chopped fresh thyme is great too in this camembert rôti recipe.
Serving suggestions
- Fresh fruit: crisp apple slices, grapes or figs
- Pickled things: cornichons or pickled onions
- Charcuterie: salami, prosciutto or extra pancetta
- Drinks: dry cider, light red wine (like Pinot Noir), or a floral white
- Salad: peppery rocket to cut through the richness
Here’s how to make easy oven roasted Camembert:
Here’s a step by step guide for what you need to do, but you can find the full recipe at the bottom of the page for detailed instructions.
ONE: Preheat the oven to 180°C fan / 200°C conventional / 400°F. Cut a circle in the top of the cob, slightly larger than the camembert.
TWO: Lift off the “lid”, then hollow out some of the bread inside to create a snug cavity. (Keep the torn-out bread for dipping later.)
THREE: Spoon the caramelised onions into the bottom of the cavity.
FOUR: Remove the camembert from any plastic wrapping and the wooden base. Sit the cheese on top of the onions.
FIVE: Score the camembert in a cross-hatch pattern, drizzle generously with honey, and sprinkle over the dried thyme.
SIX: Place the stuffed loaf on a baking tray and bake for 25 minutes, or until the cheese is molten and the bread is lightly crisp. Top with crispy pancetta cubes.
Cooking Tips:
Cheese is greasy or split – This usually means the heat was too high. Lower the oven temperature slightly and bake for a few minutes longer next time.
Adjust cooking time if needed – larger wheels of camembert need extra time. Add 5–10 minutes, checking every few mins.
If you are worried the bread will go soggy, you can toast the inside lightly before filling. This should help it stay crisp, but I haven’t found soggy bread an issue when making it myself.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can assemble the loaf up to 4 hours ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Add honey and score the cheese just before baking.
This happens when the cheese is overheated. Stick to 180c fan/200c oven temperatures. Make sure to also score the rind as instructed, as it helps it melt evenly.
Yes, to make this roasted camembert vegetarian, just skip the pancetta. You could swap it for garlicky fried mushrooms if you do want something extra.
For gluten-free, swap the cob loaf for a gluten-free boule or serve the cheese on its own with gluten-free dippers.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
If you liked this recipe for camembert rôti, you will also like my deep fried brie recipe, camembert en croute recipe or my spinach feta filo bows.
Christmas Recipes
Nut Roast Wellington
Smoked Salmon Recipes
Smoked Salmon Pâté with Dill and Lemon
Christmas Recipes
Poached Pear Christmas Pavlova
Christmas Recipes
Easy Pesto Tarte Soleil (Puff Pastry Sun)
If you tried this Camembert Rôti or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a rating or comment and let us know how it went!
Oven Roasted Camembert (Camembert Rôti)
Ingredients
- 1 knob of butter
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp soft brown sugar
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 large white cob loaf, also called a boule
- 1 whole camembert, approx 250g
- Runny honey, for drizzling
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 100 g pancetta cubes
- Extra rosemary, or thyme, to finish
- Extra honey, to drizzle at the end
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan / 200°C conventional / 400°F.
- Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the sliced red onion and cook gently for 5-7 minutes until softened.
- Sprinkle over the brown sugar and continue to fry for another 2 minutes.
- Pour in the red wine vinegar and let it bubble until the onions turn glossy and sticky. Remove from the heat.
- Cut a circle in the top of the cob, slightly larger than the camembert. Lift off the “lid”, then hollow out some of the bread inside to create a snug cavity. (Keep the torn-out bread for dipping later.)
- Spoon the caramelised onions into the bottom of the cavity.
- Remove the camembert from any plastic wrapping and wooden base. Sit the cheese on top of the onions.
- Score the camembert in a cross-hatch pattern, drizzle generously with honey, and sprinkle over the dried thyme.
- Place the stuffed loaf on a baking tray and bake for 25 minutes, or until the cheese is molten and the bread is lightly crisp.
- Whilst it’s baking, fry the pancetta cubes over medium-high heat until golden and crisp, around 10 minutes.
- Remove the camembert from the oven. Top with crispy pancetta cubes, an extra sprinkle of rosemary or thyme, and another drizzle of honey. Serve immediately, letting everyone tear off pieces of bread and dip into the melted cheese.
- The video below will help with this recipe.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This oven roasted camembert is so simple and so good, served in a loaf of bread with crispy pancetta and caramelised red onions. You need to make it!