How to Take Off Skin When Baking Brie Cheese

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Things You'll Need

  • Wheel of brie

  • Paring or cheese knife

  • Chef's knife

  • Ice water

  • Plastic wrap

  • Cutting board

Charlemagne, Henri IV and Charles of Orleans are all famous leaders who loved brie cheese.

The rind on brie cheese occurs during the aging process. Bacteria and mold grows on the edges of the cheese into something that actually looks like cat fur. Before packaging, the hair-textured bacteria and mold is rubbed away, leaving the white rind you are accustomed to seeing. Some people really enjoy the taste of the rind, although others find the texture bland and unpleasant. If you are using brie cheese in a recipe, such as baked brie, it might be wise to remove it before baking so all of your friends and family will enjoy the dish.

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Step 1

Place the brie in the freezer for about 20 minutes. You do not want the brie to freeze, but you want it to become cold enough that the soft texture of the cream that makes up the brie stays hard while slicing.

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Step 2

Place your paring or cheese knife and chef's knife in ice water. Keeping the blades as cold as possible will help keep the cheese cold as you make the cuts.

Step 3

Remove the brie from the freezer. Place it onto a cutting board on top of a piece of plastic wrap.

Step 4

Insert your paring or cheese knife into the rind of the cheese along the edge. The knife should be perpendicular to the cutting board. Many baked brie recipes call for a small wheel of brie, but if you are using a smaller triangle, you may place the knife along the back edge.

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Step 5

Move your knife up and down, cutting the rind of the brie as you work your way around the entire wheel of cheese. Remember to stay as close to the rind as possible so you do not discard excess brie. Additionally, after several cuts, you may need to pull the rind that is being separated away. Dip your blade back in the ice water as needed to keep the blade cold. When you have completely removed the side of the brie, place the knife aside to be washed.

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Step 6

Hold your chef's knife horizontally so that it is parallel to the cheese rind on top of the brie. Slice across the entire surface of the brie, keeping the blade as close to the rind as possible. You are using a chef's knife because of the wider surface of the blade. It may take three or four cuts to remove the top.

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Step 7

Lift the plastic wrap, and flip over the cheese onto the cutting board. Handling the plastic wrap will help keep the shape of the cheese intact. Discard the plastic wrap once it has been flipped.

Step 8

Repeat the cutting technique with your chef's knife on what is now the top of the brie. (It was previously the bottom.) Focus on cutting as close to the rind as possible. Discard pieces as you reach the other side of the cheese wheel, and continue until the entire rind has been removed.

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