A festive baked brioche ring surrounding a melted, creamy camembert cheese topped with fresh thyme. The golden brioche buns are sprinkled with poppy seeds, and some show fillings of roasted garlic, quince, chestnuts, cranberry sauce, and mushroom pâté. The scene is adorned with Mexican-inspired textiles, pottery, rosemary sprigs, and fresh cranberries, with warm lighting enhancing the oozing cheese and golden brioche, creating a cozy holiday atmosphere.

Festive-Filled Brioche Centerpiece with Baked Camembert

A stunning brioche centerpiece with festive fillings and a warm baked Camembert, perfect for holiday gatherings!
Portions:8
(including chilling and rising time) 1 hour 50 minutes
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Equipment

  • baking sheet
  • Kitchen mixer with dough hook
  • foil
  • Baking parchment
  • Cling film

Ingredients

Brioche Dough

  • 4 large eggs
  • 20 ml milk
  • 350 g strong white bread flour
  • 7 g sachet fast-action dried yeast
  • 30 g caster sugar
  • ½ tsp mixed spice
  • 200 g unsalted butter cubed and softened

Camembert

  • 1 whole 250g vegetarian Camembert in a wooden stapled carton
  • 2-3 sprigs thyme
  • 1 egg beaten with a pinch of salt
  • Poppy seeds for scattering

Fillings

  • 1 garlic bulb
  • 1 tbsp quince paste membrillo, mashed
  • 5 cooked chestnut halves
  • ½ tbsp dried chopped cranberries mixed with 1/2 tbsp cranberry sauce
  • 1 tbsp mushroom pâté

Decoration

  • Fresh rosemary sprigs or bay leaves
  • 30 g fresh cranberries

Instructions

  • The Day Before: In a jug, whisk together the eggs and milk.
  • In the bowl of a kitchen mixer with a dough hook, combine bread flour, yeast, caster sugar, salt, and mixed spice.
  • On a medium setting, slowly pour in the egg mixture to form a very soft, wet dough.
  • Add the butter and increase the speed, kneading for 8-10 minutes until the dough clings to the dough hook.
  • Cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight.
  • Prepare the Garlic: Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6.
  • Line a baking sheet with foil.
  • Cut off the top of the garlic bulb, drizzle with olive oil, and season.
  • Wrap the garlic in foil to create a sealed parcel and bake for 35-45 minutes until softened.
  • Remove from the oven, cool, and squeeze out the cloves, mashing them with a fork.
  • On the Day: Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
  • Remove the Camembert from its wooden carton and place the carton in the center of the tray.
  • Divide the Dough: Tip the chilled dough onto a floured surface and divide it into 5 equal pieces.
  • Make Filled Brioche Buns: Take one piece of dough and divide it into 5 smaller pieces.
  • Roll each piece into a ball, make a small indent, fill with 1/2 tsp of the roasted garlic, and pinch the dough to seal.
  • Place the sealed side down on a floured surface, cupping and rotating to form a round shape.
  • Repeat Step 5 for each filling (quince paste, chestnut, cranberry mixture, and mushroom pâté) to create 25 filled buns in total.
  • Arrange the filled buns around the wooden Camembert carton on the baking tray, placing 10 in the inner ring and 15 in the outer ring with 0.
  • 5cm space between each for rising.
  • Cover with oiled cling film and let rise in a warm place for 30-40 minutes or until almost doubled in size.
  • Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas 5.
  • Cut a small circle of rind from the top of the Camembert, sprinkle with thyme leaves, and place the cheese in the carton, cut side up.
  • Brush the buns with beaten egg and scatter with poppy seeds.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes until the buns are golden brown.
  • Decorate with rosemary or bay leaves and fresh cranberries before serving.

Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:

Wine Advice
Serve with a light, fruity wine such as Beaujolais or a chilled Chardonnay to complement the richness of the cheese and the buttery brioche.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 516 kcal | Carbohydrates: 32 g | Protein: 18 g | Fat: 51 g | Fiber: 7 g | Sugar: 12 g | Salt: 0.5 mg
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Course Appetizer / Bread / Cheese / Tapas
Cuisine French
Holliday Christmas
Diets Vegetarian