Cranberry Brie Pull-Apart Bread Recipe
This Cranberry Brie Pull-Apart Bread is a perfect appetizer or snack featuring a fresh boule bread crosshatched and stuffed with creamy Brie cheese and sweet-tart whole-berry cranberry sauce. It’s infused with fragrant fresh thyme and rosemary, brushed with melted butter, and baked until the cheese melts and the bread is warm and toasty, making it irresistibly gooey and flavorful for holiday gatherings or cozy nights.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
For the Bread
- 1 large boule loaf
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Filling
- 1 (8-oz.) wheel Brie cheese, cut into thin strips
- 1 (15-oz.) can whole-berry cranberry sauce
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare the bread: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a serrated knife to carefully crosshatch the boule bread by slicing every inch horizontally and vertically, making sure not to cut all the way through the bottom of the loaf to keep the bread intact.
- Mix the herb butter: In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, fresh thyme leaves, and freshly chopped rosemary. Season the mixture with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. This will infuse the bread with aromatic herb flavors and add moisture.
- Brush the bread and stuff it: Generously brush the butter and herb mixture inside each crosshatch cut and all over the surface of the boule. Then, carefully insert thin strips of Brie cheese and spoon in whole-berry cranberry sauce into each crosshatch, making sure the fillings are evenly distributed throughout the bread.
- Wrap and bake: Wrap the stuffed bread completely in aluminum foil to help the cheese melt evenly and keep the bread soft. Place the foil-wrapped bread on the prepared baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes until the cheese is melty and the bread feels warm and toasty.
- Serve warm: Remove the bread from the oven, let it cool for 5 minutes to allow the cheese to set slightly, then unwrap and serve warm as a festive and shareable appetizer or snack.
Notes
- To make slicing easier, ensure your knife is sharp and use gentle sawing motions when crosshatching the boule.
- If fresh herbs are not available, dried thyme and rosemary can be used, but reduce the quantity by half to avoid overpowering the flavors.
- For best results, use a good-quality whole-berry cranberry sauce to provide texture and flavor contrast.
- Leftover pull-apart bread can be reheated wrapped in foil at 300°F for 10 minutes to melt the cheese again.
- This recipe pairs beautifully with a glass of sparkling wine or a light white wine for holiday entertaining.