Cheese Fondue in Bread

Ingredients

• 0.5 garlic clove
• 200 g Gruyère cheese (45% fat in solids)
• 200 g Vacherin cheese (45% fat in solids)
• 200 g Appenzeller cheese (48% fat in solids)
• 300 ml alcohol‑free white wine
• 1 tsp starch
• nutmeg
• 1 sourdough whole‑grain loaf (500 g)
• 0.5 bunch chives (10 g)
• 500 g mixed pickles (drained; jar; e.g., cornichons, pickled beetroot)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Peel and finely chop the garlic. Remove seeds from the cheeses, grate the Gruyère, and cut the other cheeses into small cubes.

2. 2.

   Pour the wine into a pot. Add the Gruyère, Appenzeller, and garlic, then slowly stir over low heat. When the cheese starts to melt, gradually add the remaining cheeses while stirring until the fondue simmers gently. Dissolve the starch in 40 ml water, stir it into the cheese mixture, adding more water if needed. Finish with a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg.

3. 3.

   Turn on the oven's grill function. Cut off a lid from the loaf and scoop out the interior leaving about a 2 cm thick crust; cut the removed dough into cubes.

4. 4.

   Wash, dry, and slice the chives into thin rings. Fill the bread with the cheese fondue and place it under the oven grill for about 5 minutes to gratinate. Serve the cheese fondue in bread topped with chive ribbons, mixed pickles, and bread cubes.