Bloomy Rind Cheeses
You’ll recognise bloomy rind cheeses straight away, because they’re the white rounds and flat wheels that turn up on almost every French cheese board. Under that soft, velvety bloomy rind there’s a paste that starts out firm and chalky, then slowly turns creamy from the outside in, picking up mushroomy, buttery flavours as it ripens. Yum!
They also never stop changing. From the day they’re made, they ripen a little more every day, so the fairly firm cheese you bring home won’t stay that way for long. That’s why you will see me and other French people open the box of Camembert at the supermarket to see roughly how firm (young) or soft (old) they are before purchasing! It moves from mild and gentle to fully ripe and complex and, if you leave it too long, to something with a very sharp smell. My husband loves his very ripe and runny, while I prefer mine younger, with a chalky line still in the middle, and neither of us is wrong, so the fun is finding the point on that curve that makes you happiest.
So what is a bloomy rind cheese, exactly? It’s a soft cheese covered in a thin, white, velvety rind of mould, grown on purpose during ageing. That mould slowly softens the cheese from the outside in, which is why a young one has a chalky centre and a ripe one is creamy, even runny, all the way through.
Table of Contents
What is a bloomy rind cheese?
In French, these are fromages à pâte molle à croûte fleurie, which translates literally as “soft paste cheeses with a flowered rind”. I love that name, because it’s so French and poetic, and it’s quite accurate when you look closely at the fine white fuzz on the surface. In English you’ll see them called bloomy rind cheese, bloomy cheese or white rind cheese, which all mean the same thing.
The white rind comes from moulds added on purpose, mainly Penicillium camemberti (often sold to cheesemakers as Penicillium candidum), usually helped by a yeast-like fungus called Geotrichum candidum that gives the rind a thinner, more wrinkled look and a gentler flavour. The spores are either mixed into the milk or sprayed onto the young cheeses, and within a couple of weeks they cover the outside in a soft white coat.
Most bloomy rind cheeses are made with cow’s milk, though there are goat’s milk ones and a few made with sheep’s milk. Some are protected by an AOP, which fixes where and how they’re made, while many others are dairy or brand-name cheeses. A few bloomy cheeses have extra cream added, which makes them richer still. You’ll find the individual cheeses in their own articles, linked in the collection section further down.
Why is the rind white and fluffy?
The white coat is the mould itself, growing in the cool, damp ripening rooms. Each fine white thread is part of the fungus spreading over the surface, and on a young cheese you can sometimes see it standing up like the pile on velvet before it’s patted down by wrapping and handling.
The mould also needs the right conditions to stay white. In the ripening room, it’s helped along by high humidity and regular turning, and the cheesemaker keeps other moulds and bacteria in check with salt and careful hygiene. As the cheese ages, the rind can pick up a few reddish or brownish speckles, which are normal and come from other harmless microbes joining in.
Why do bloomy rind cheeses ripen from the outside in?
The mould on the rind produces enzymes that break down the proteins and fats in the paste, and because the mould lives on the outside, that’s where the work starts. The layer just under the rind softens first, turning creamy and slightly translucent, and cheesemakers call this the creamline.
As the days go by, the enzymes work their way deeper and the creamline moves towards the middle, until the chalky core disappears and the whole cheese is soft. The flavour changes along the same path, starting mild and milky, becoming more mushroomy and earthy, and ending up buttery with a slightly funky edge when it’s fully ripe.
This is also why these cheeses are always on the small side, usually somewhere between 250 g and 3 kg (9 oz and 6½ lb). The ripening has to reach the centre before the outside goes too far, so a bloomy rind cheese is either small and round or wide and flat, and you’ll never see one in a huge, deep wheel.
Explore the soft bloomy rind cheeses collection
This guide covers the basics. For a closer look at individual cheeses, our collection articles each feature five varieties, with tasting notes and where to find them:
The defining characteristics
What makes bloomy rind cheese distinct?
- Rind: Thin, white and velvety, sometimes slightly wrinkled, and meant to be eaten.
- Aroma: Fresh mushroom, cream and damp cellar, becoming stronger and earthier with age, and turning to ammonia when overripe.
- Texture: Firm and chalky in the centre when young, creamy under the rind as it ripens, and soft or runny throughout when fully ripe.
- Flavour: Mild, milky and slightly tangy at first, then buttery, mushroomy and savoury.
- Making: Soft curd, drained without pressing, salted, and ripened for a few weeks under a white mould rind that softens the cheese from the outside in.
How French bloomy rind cheeses are made
What makes this family different is a very soft curd that’s handled gently, and a mould that does the ripening.
1. Preparing the milk
Most bloomy rind cheeses use cow’s milk, raw, thermised or pasteurised depending on the cheese and the producer. The milk is gently warmed to around 30 to 37°C (86 to 99°F).
2. Setting the milk
Lactic cultures are added to acidify the milk slowly, along with the white mould spores if they’re going into the milk. Rennet sets it into a soft, delicate curd, usually over an hour or more.
3. Moulding
The curd is cut into large pieces or ladled whole into perforated moulds. For some traditional cheeses, it’s ladled in several passes, letting each layer drain a little before the next goes in, which keeps the paste supple.
4. Draining without pressing
The cheeses drain under their own weight, never pressed, and are turned several times during the first day so the whey runs out evenly. The aim is to remove just enough whey for the cheese to hold its shape while keeping it moist and soft.
5. Salting
Usually the next day, the cheeses are taken out of their moulds and salted, mostly with dry salt sprinkled or rubbed over the surface, sometimes in a quick brine.
6. Growing the rind
The cheeses go into ripening rooms kept cool and very humid, roughly 10 to 14°C (50 to 57°F) with humidity around 90%. If the mould wasn’t added to the milk, it’s sprayed on now. Within about a week the first white fuzz appears, and by around two weeks the whole cheese is covered.
7. Ripening
Once the rind has formed, the cheeses are wrapped, often in paper and a wooden or card box, and continue to ripen as the creamline moves inwards. Most are ready to sell after three to five weeks, but they carry on ripening in the shop and in your fridge.
The stages of a bloomy rind cheese
Because these cheeses change so much, it helps to know the stages, and French cheesemongers will often ask you when you’re planning to eat it before choosing one for you.
- Young: The rind is fresh and white, the cheese feels firm all over, and when you cut it there’s a thick chalky core with only a thin creamline under the rind. The flavour is mild, milky and a little tangy.
- Ripe (or à cœur): The rind may show a few speckles, the cheese gives under a gentle press, and the creamline has reached or nearly reached the middle. The French say a cheese is fait à cœur, “ripe to the heart”, when the chalky centre has gone and the paste is soft and supple all the way through. This is when the mushroom and butter flavours are at their best.
- Very ripe: The cheese bulges or runs when cut, the rind darkens and the smell gets stronger. Some people love it at this stage, while others find it too much.
- Overripe: The rind turns sticky, brown or grey, and there’s a strong smell of ammonia. Unless that’s what you like, it’s gone past its best.
The spectrum of soft bloomy rind cheeses
Even with the same white rind, bloomy cheeses can be very different from one another.
By size and shape
Large, flat wheels
Wide and thin, these have a lot of surface compared with their volume, so the mould reaches the centre quickly and they ripen evenly. When fully ripe they become very soft and are better spread than sliced. They’re usually sold by the slice, as a whole wheel is a lot of cheese for a small household.
Small, thick rounds
About the size of a saucer, these take a little longer to ripen to the centre and hold their shape better when ripe. They’re easy to buy whole, and one round serves two to four people.
Tall cylinders and small logs
With more depth for the ripening to travel through, these often keep a chalky core even when the outside is creamy, so you get two textures in one bite.
By richness
Standard
Made with whole milk, these have a classic balance of creaminess and mushroomy flavour.
Double cream
With cream added to the milk, these must contain at least 60% fat in the dry matter under French rules, which gives a richer, smoother, more buttery cheese.
Triple cream
With even more cream, at least 75% fat in the dry matter, these are almost like a firm, salted butter with a white rind, very rich and fairly mild, because the fat softens the mushroomy notes.
By milk
Cow’s Milk
Most bloomy rind cheeses, with mild, buttery, mushroomy flavours and a reliably creamy texture when ripe.
Goat’s Milk
Less common, with a whiter paste, a brighter, tangier flavour and a texture that stays slightly chalky and holds its shape even when ripe.
Sheep’s Milk
Rare, but rich and nutty when you find them.
How to buy French bloomy rind cheese
With bloomy rind cheeses, buying well is mostly about choosing the right stage for when you want to eat them.
What to look for
- The rind: It should be white to cream, evenly covered and soft. A few reddish or brown speckles are normal on a riper cheese, but avoid a rind that’s sticky, grey, cracked or pulling away from the paste.
- The feel: In the shop, I always give the cheese a gentle press to see where it is. If it feels firm all the way through, it’s still young. If the outside feels soft but there’s a little resistance in the middle, it’s nicely ripe, and if it gives easily from edge to centre, it’s fully ripe and the flavour will be quite strong.
- The inside: If it’s cut, look for a creamy layer under the rind and, depending on how you like it, a small chalky centre or none at all. The paste should be ivory to pale yellow, not grey or watery.
- The smell: Fresh mushroom and cream are good signs. A strong whiff of ammonia means it’s overripe.
- The date: Bloomy cheeses carry a date, so check it. A cheese a long way from its date is likely to be young, and one close to it is probably ripe, so you can buy it young and let it ripen at home, or pick one that’s already close to its best if you’re eating it that weekend.
Reading the labels
AOP: The cheese is made in a defined area under strict rules on the milk, the method and the minimum ageing, which is a good sign you’re getting the real thing rather than an imitation.
Lait cru: Raw milk. Raw-milk bloomy cheeses usually have more depth and complexity in the flavour, and they’re worth hunting down if you can. Raw-milk and soft cheeses are generally advised against during pregnancy and for vulnerable people, so check your local health advice.
Fat content: It’s printed on the label, either per 100 g of cheese or as a percentage of the dry matter. Double cream and triple cream on the label mean the cheese is richer than a standard one.
Fermier: Farmhouse made, on a small scale with the farm’s own milk, and in my experience it’s almost always worth choosing. Laitier means it was made in a larger dairy.
Buying in the US and the UK: In the US, raw-milk cheeses aged under 60 days can’t be sold, and since most bloomy rind cheeses are eaten well before then, the French ones you’ll find there are mostly made with pasteurised or thermised milk. In the UK, raw-milk French bloomy cheeses are available from good cheese shops.
How to store bloomy rind cheese
Bloomy rind cheeses never stop ripening, so storing them is mostly about controlling how fast that happens, so you can eat them at the right moment.
The fridge slows everything down. A young, firm cheese can take a couple of weeks to ripen in the cold, while the same cheese left at room temperature might be fully ripe in a couple of days. You can use that to your advantage: if your cheese is too firm and you want it riper, leave it out for a day in a cool room, and if it’s close to perfect but you’re not ready to eat it yet, put it straight back in the fridge.
Bloomy rind cheese needs to breathe without drying out, so keep it in its original paper and box, or wrap it loosely in cheese paper or baking paper (parchment paper sheets). Avoid cling film (plastic wrap), which traps moisture and ammonia, speeds up overripening and makes the flavour go off. Once you’ve cut into it, press a piece of paper against the cut face to stop it running or drying.
How long does it keep?
That depends on where it’s at. A young, firm cheese will keep for two to three weeks in the fridge, slowly ripening. A medium-ripe one gives you about five to seven days, and a fully ripe, soft cheese should be eaten within two or three days before it goes too far. Always go by the date on the pack too.
Can you freeze bloomy rind cheese?
I really wouldn’t. Freezing ruins the texture, so once thawed it goes grainy and watery and loses all its creaminess. If you really need to avoid waste, you can freeze it for cooking, but don’t expect much from it.
How to serve bloomy rind cheese
The most important thing with bloomy rind cheeses is to take them out of the fridge in time, at least an hour before serving and ideally longer. Cold, they taste flat and the texture feels waxy, but once they’ve come to room temperature the paste softens, the flavours come through and you get that buttery, mushroomy richness these cheeses are known for.
A wooden board and a cheese knife are really all you need, and if your cheese is very ripe, don’t even bother with a knife, just put a spoon next to it. Cut small rounds into wedges like a cake, and slices of large wheels into long thin pieces from the point to the rind, so everyone gets a bit of the creamy edge and the centre.
Bread is the classic partner, along with apple, pear or grapes. For wine, a light red, a dry cider or a Champagne all go well, as the bubbles and acidity cut through the creaminess.
If you’d like to go further with pairings, my cheese and wine tasting e-book walks you through it.
Can you eat the rind?
Yes, the white rind is completely edible and meant to be eaten. It adds an earthy, mushroomy flavour and a nice contrast with the soft paste. On a very ripe cheese the rind can taste bitter or of ammonia, and in that case it’s fine to leave it on the side of the plate.
Cooking with bloomy rind cheese
Bloomy rind cheeses are wonderful to cook with, because the creamy paste melts beautifully and adds a richness that’s hard to get from other cheeses.
Baked in pastry
A whole bloomy cheese wrapped in puff pastry, with jam, nuts, herbs or caramelised onions inside, then baked until the pastry is golden and the cheese is molten. You slice it like a pie to serve, and it always goes down well at a party.
Quiches and tarts
We use bloomy rind cheese a lot in quiches and tarts, either sliced and laid on top or diced through the filling, where it melts into little pockets of creamy, mushroomy richness. It goes very well with leeks, mushrooms or spinach.
Pasta, risotto and soup
Stir cubes of bloomy rind cheese into pasta or risotto just before serving, and it melts into a creamy sauce while keeping a little texture. A few pieces melted into a bowl of mushroom soup work beautifully too.
Sandwiches
Slices of bloomy rind cheese with apple and a little honey make a lovely lunch, and if you grill it as a toasted sandwich, even better.
Tips for cooking with washed rind cheese
- Cook with it a little firm: A cheese that’s just ripe holds its shape better in a tart or sandwich than a very runny one.
- Cut it cold: It’s much easier to slice or dice straight from the fridge.
- Keep the rind on: It melts along with the paste and adds flavour, so there’s no need to remove it.
- Don’t overheat: Add it at the end of cooking, as too much heat makes it oily.
FAQ
What is a bloomy rind cheese?
A bloomy rind cheese is a soft cheese covered in a thin, white, velvety rind of mould, grown on purpose during ripening. The mould, mainly Penicillium camemberti, softens the cheese from the outside in, so a young one has a chalky centre and a ripe one is creamy all the way through. In French they’re called fromages à pâte molle à croûte fleurie, “soft cheeses with a flowered rind”.
Is the rind on a bloomy rind cheese safe to eat?
Yes, the white rind is made of moulds grown on purpose for cheesemaking, and it’s meant to be eaten along with the paste. It adds a mushroomy flavour and a little texture. If the rind on a very ripe cheese tastes bitter or of ammonia, you can leave it on the side of the plate, and if a cheese grows fuzzy coloured spots or turns slimy, throw it away.
How do you know when a bloomy rind cheese is ripe?
Press it gently in the middle. A young cheese feels firm all over, a ripe one gives under your finger while still holding its shape, and a very ripe one feels soft right to the edges. When cut, a ripe cheese has a creamy layer under the rind that reaches, or nearly reaches, the centre, with little or no chalky core left.
Can you freeze bloomy rind cheese?
It’s best not to, because freezing ruins the texture. Once thawed, a bloomy rind cheese turns grainy and watery and loses its creaminess, so it’s only worth freezing if you’d otherwise throw it away, and then only for cooking in a sauce, a tart or a soup.
What’s the difference between bloomy rind and white rind cheese?
There’s no difference: bloomy rind, white rind and bloomy cheese are just different names for the same family. They all describe soft cheeses covered in a white mould rind, called croûte fleurie in French. The name “bloomy” comes from the way the white mould blooms over the surface during the first couple of weeks of ripening.
Explore all the cheese families
Final thoughts
Bloomy rind cheeses are French cheese at its most approachable, because they don’t need months of ageing to be special, and they’re a lot gentler than a strong blue or a washed rind. What makes them fascinating is how alive they are: buy one today and it tastes one way, check it in three days and it’s already different, and a week later it has changed completely!
If you’re just starting, buy one that’s still firm with a chalky centre, leave it out for an hour before eating, and taste a little each day for a few days so you can see how it changes and where you like it best. Then, when you’re ready, let one go all the way to soft and runny, at least once, so you know the whole story.
Do you like your bloomy rind cheese young and chalky or ripe and runny? Tell me in the comments!
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