Baked Camembert Dough Ball Platter

• unsalted butter115 г g

  cut

• strong white bread flour↗600 г g
• instant dry yeast↗7 г g

  plus another ½ tsp

• golden fine sugar↗2 ч. л. tsp
• olive oil↗дрібка

  or rapeseed oil, for greasing

• fine polenta↗2 ст. л. tbsp

  or corn grits

• camembert↗3 × 250 г коробки g
• egg↗1

  beaten

• poppy seeds↗3 ст. л. tbsp
• sesame seeds↗3 ст. л. tbsp
• add‑ins

  for the cheese (optional) – use aromatic herbs such as rosemary and thyme

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat 350 ml of water in a saucepan until it begins to steam; remove from heat, add the butter and let the liquid cool to a temperature you can feel with your finger. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, yeast, sugar and 1 tsp salt. Add the cooled liquid and knead a soft dough. Knead for 10 minutes by hand or 5 minutes in the mixer until the dough becomes elastic and smooth. Return it to a clean, oiled bowl, cover with oil‑filled plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm, draft‑free place for 1½–2 hours or until doubled in size.

2. 2

   Grease and line the largest baking sheet with parchment (in our case 42 × 33 cm). Also grease the parchment, then sprinkle the polenta. Remove the camembert from its packaging and place it on the sheet, leaving space between pieces. Brush each piece with a little oil, score the top several times with a sharp knife, and optionally insert fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme).

3. 3

   Pour the beaten egg into a shallow dish, the poppy seeds into another, and the sesame into a third. Beat air into the dough and knead again for a few minutes. Separate a small piece of dough (about the size of a walnut) and shape it into a ball. Dip it in the egg, then in poppy or sesame seeds, and place it on the sheet with the seeds facing up. Continue shaping and coating the dough, leaving every third ball unseeded, filling the sheet while leaving a little space between them. When the dough runs out, you may need to rearrange some balls for even spacing.

4. 4

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C (160 °C with convection or gas mark 4). Cover the sheet with several sheets of oil‑filled plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour until the dough rises and the balls touch each other. Bake for 25–30 minutes until the balls are golden and the camembert melts into a fluid sauce. Let cool for 5 minutes, then serve.