You’re Slicing Your Baked Brie the Wrong Way.
The baked brie serves as a kind of cheese ball; instead of air, the inside is full of sticky melted cheese (and a promise). When that first guess hits the brie, popping the balloon, everything starts to fall apart. Suddenly, it’s a crazy dash to catch the liquid cheese before it cascades off the cheese board, leaving the crust empty and lonely. Stop chasing cheese and slice the brie on top instead.
Baked brie goes through two stages of life: hot and melted, then room temperature and frozen. Exposing the inside of the brie on top helps the cheese hold its integrity during these changes. Whether you’re serving the brie in a bowl or on a flat surface, poke a slice through the side of the circle and the cheese oozes out, leaving a weird, abandoned cheese-free crust next to a puddle of cured cheese. The skin is good . That’s where all the mushroom funk lives, and with cheese inside it’s even better. Storing hot cheese in one place allows it to stay warm a little longer. Even if it’s just a few minutes, it’s high-quality immersion time that you don’t want to waste.
Bake the brie as usual. Just before serving, take a small serrated knife and cut out a circle from the top. It’s like cutting a hole in the ice for ice fishing. (I’ve never actually been ice fishing, but you know what I’m talking about.) I prefer to keep the “cap” about ¼” inside the top edge. I think this creates a stronger barrier for the liquid cheese, but you can cut all the way around the edge if you want to expose more of the melted inside. You don’t need to cut deep, just cut through the peel and be careful. The cheese will be very soft, so use the notched combs to your advantage and avoid pressing and pulling; try using sawing motions. When you free the top circle of peel, use a knife to remove it.
Instead of a ball of cheese, you now have a bucket of sticky cheese. Instead of chasing cheese around the plate, you can leisurely dip and spread it. Once the cheese has cooled, which won’t take long, cut it into the sides to finish off the remaining cheese and peel the skins together as they are meant to be enjoyed.