Mont d’Or is a soft, washed-rind cow’s-milk cheese from the Haut-Doubs in France. It is wrapped with spruce and packed in a spruce box, which is part of what gives the cheese its woodsy character. The official Mont d’Or organization describes it as a seasonal cheese made from August 15 through March 15 and sold from September 10 through May 10. It is wonderful at room temperature, but baking turns it into an easy, shareable “hot box.”
Our version was simple: garlic tucked into the top, then the warm cheese served with torn crusty bread, prosciutto, and sharp little cornichons. The salty ham and pickles keep every bite from feeling too rich.
What you need
- 1 Mont d’Or cheese in its wooden box, about 500 grams
- 2 garlic cloves, cut into thin slivers
- 3 tablespoons dry white wine, optional
- Crusty bread, cut into bite-size pieces
- Prosciutto or another cured ham, for serving
- Cornichons, for serving
- Boiled small potatoes, optional
How to bake Mont d’Or in its box
- Heat the oven. Set it to 425°F (220°C). Remove the lid and every piece of plastic or paper packaging. Put the cheese back into its wooden box.
- Support the box. Place the wooden lid underneath the box. Wrap foil around the outside and bottom, leaving the top of the cheese uncovered, then set the box in a small baking dish in case it leaks.
- Add the garlic. Make small openings across the surface and tuck in the slivered garlic. Do not cut away the rind; it helps hold everything together.
- Add wine if you like. Make a shallow hollow in the center and slowly pour in about 3 tablespoons of dry white wine. The official boîte chaude recipe uses Jura Savagnin, but the cheese is also delicious without wine.
- Bake until molten. Bake for about 25 minutes. It is ready when the center looks glossy and gives a pronounced wobble when the dish is moved. Give it a few more minutes if you want a more deeply browned top.
How to eat it
Put the hot box in the middle of the table on a heat-safe trivet. Scoop the molten cheese onto bread or potatoes, or dip sturdy pieces directly into the center. Add a fold of prosciutto and a cornichon for a rich, salty, tangy bite. The rind is edible, although it tastes stronger than the center; scrape toward it if you enjoy that deeper washed-rind flavor. The spruce band and wooden box are not edible.
Helpful notes before you bake
- Check the package before heating. If its box is damaged or the maker says it is not oven-safe, transfer the cheese to a snug oven-safe dish.
- Never put plastic wrap, a plastic liner, or paper packaging in the oven.
- Mont d’Or firms as it cools, so prepare the bread, ham, pickles, and potatoes before the cheese comes out.
- French Mont d’Or AOP is made with raw milk. Anyone who is pregnant, age 65 or older, or immunocompromised should follow current food-safety guidance and check the milk statement on the label.
- Allergens: this dish contains milk; bread contains wheat unless you choose a gluten-free option.
Authoritative references: the official Mont d’Or boîte chaude method, the French INAO product specification, and FDA soft-cheese guidance.
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