Equipment
Ingredients
Yeasted Dough Base
- 100 ml whole milk, warm
- 7 g active dry yeast
- 5 g granulated sugar
- 250 g all-purpose flour
- 4 g fine sea salt
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 50 g unsalted butter, softened
Topping
- 250 g maroilles cheese, rind on, thickly sliced
- 100 ml crème fraîche
- 1 egg
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 g nutmeg, freshly grated
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
In a mixing bowl, combine the warm milk at around 38 C (100 F), active dry yeast, and sugar. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes until the mixture becomes foamy and aromatic.
Add the flour, fine sea salt, one egg, and softened butter to the yeast mixture. Knead vigorously for about 5 minutes until you form a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not over-add flour.
Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and leave in a warm, draft-free place to rise until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour.
Punch down the dough and press it evenly into the bottom and slightly up the sides of a greased 26cm tart pan. Cover and let it puff up for another 30 minutes.
While the dough proofs in the pan, whisk together the crème fraîche, the remaining egg, black pepper, and nutmeg in a small bowl until smooth.
Preheat your oven to 200 C (400 F). Pour the cream mixture evenly over the proofed dough base. Arrange the thick slices of Maroilles cheese on top, ensuring mostly even coverage.
Bake in the preheated oven at 200 C (400 F) for 25 minutes. The crust should be deeply golden and the cheese incredibly bubbly, melted, and slightly browned in spots.
Remove the tart from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. This resting period lets the molten cheese set slightly before you slice and serve.
Chef's Notes
- Maroilles has a notoriously strong aroma when raw, but do not be intimidated; the flavor mellows significantly during baking, becoming rich, buttery, and profoundly savory.
- Always leave the washed rind on the Maroilles cheese. It provides structure to the melting cheese and adds authentic, pungent depth to the final flavor profile.
- For the softest brioche-like base, resist the urge to add too much extra flour during kneading. The dough should remain slightly tacky to ensure a pillowy crumb.
- Traditional AOC Maroilles is made with animal rennet. Since this recipe is tagged vegetarian, strict vegetarians should seek out a washed-rind alternative made with microbial rennet, though it will lack strict authenticity.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Wrap tightly in foil or store in an airtight container.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze individual slices; reheat straight from frozen.
Reheating: Reheat in a 175 C oven for 10 minutes until cheese is bubbly again.
