How to make Adjaruli Khachapuri (Georgian Cheese Bread)

January 18, 2021. Cold sunny winter day. Adjaruli Khachapuri (Georgian Cheese Bread).

It’s MLK day and the kids don’t have school today. So, it’s a busy day making and feeding the family more delicious stuff. We started off with our favorite Colorful and Happy Veggie Blossom Tart for brunch and then made an absolutely delicious awesome Cheese Bread call Khachapuri (pronounced hatch-ah-poo-ree) to wrap up the day.

The first time I heard of this absolutely delicious bread was probably an article by Benjamin Kemper published in Saveur called “A Field Guide to Khachapuri, the Indomitable Cheese Bread of Georgia” that introduced the readers to 9 types of khachapuri. The article mentioned that khachapuri is the Georgian catch-all word for bread filled with cheese, and it’s similar to pizza and perhaps naan.

Briefly, this particular cheese bread is called Adjaruli Khachapuri, it’s distinguishable from the other Georgian Cheese bread by its fun boat-shape, plus it get an egg in the middle, which makes a delicious ooey gooey dip once stirred with the melted cheese.

Traditionally this bread is made with the oozy elastic sulguni cheese. Since it’s not easily available locally, I used a combination of feta cheese and shredded mozzarella. I think saying the name khachapuri is as much fun as eating it!

It’s relatively easy to make – similar to pizza, first you make the dough, top with filling and then bake. The results are so worth the effort. Let’s get baking!

Ingredients for Adjaruli Khachapuri (Georgian Cheese Bread)

You’ll need these items, roughly listed in the order used.

Dough
3 1/2 cup (448g) all-purpose flour, and a more for dusting work space
1 tsp (6g) salt
1 tsp (3g) dry active yeast
¾ to 1 cup (180 to 240g) warm water
1 Tbsp. (13g) sugar
½ cup (123g) warm milk
1 Tbsp. (13g) olive oil, and more for greasing

Filling or Topping
2 cups (226g) shredded Mozzarella cheese (or sulguni cheese)
1 ½ cup (226g) crumbled Feta cheese (or goat cheese)
4 large eggs for topping room temperature
1 egg for egg wash
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter sliced for topping optional
Fresh minced herbs of choice

You will need a stand mixer, large bowl for proofing the dough, rolling pin, and 2 parchment or silicone lined baking pans.

Making the Khachapuri Dough

Start by whisking to combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in stand mixer bowl. Next, pour warm milk and 3/4 of water into the bowl of dry ingredients. Start the stand mixer and mix the ingredients with the dough hook attachment. Slowly adding more water until it comes together about 2 to 3 minutes. You might not need to use all the water. Mix until dough pulls from the sides and looks smooth, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the olive oil into the dough and knead for another minute.

Remove from bowl and form into a round. Place in lightly greased bowl. Cover and place in a warm place to proof for about an hour or until dough doubles in size. Deflate air from dough. Reshape into a round. Cover and let it rest for another 30 minutes.

Shaping, filling and baking the Khachapuri (Georgian Cheese Bread)

While waiting, combine the cheese and set aside. Optional: I added a quarter cup of shredded cheddar cheese into the mixture for additional flavor (and color!).

Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C).

When ready, remove the dough from the bowl. Cut it into 4 equal pieces.

Roll out into approx. 10” (25cm) in diameter rounds. Roll 2 opposite sides of the circle towards the center, creating an oval, boat-like shape. (The rolled edges will keep the melting cheese securely contained.) Pinch the corners together to seal.

Optional: pinch the edges of the rolled dough to give it a wavy design.

Transfer the khachapuri onto a silicone or parchment lined baking sheet. Carefully spoon the cheese mixture onto each of the shaped dough. Brush egg wash on the dough. (Beat 1 egg with a teaspoon of water.) Pop the trays into the preheated oven for about 15 minutes.

Putting the signature Egg on Adjaruli Khachapuri

After the cheese has melted, remove from oven and quickly make a deep well in the center of each khachapuri with the back of a large spoon and drop 1 egg into each well. Optional: stick a slices of butter into the cheese.

Then, pop the the khachapuri back into the oven and bake for another 5-6 minutes (or longer depending on your oven) At this point, the egg white should be white, and still pretty runny. You want the yolk to be jammy and should avoid over cooking.

Finally, remove from oven, top with your favorite herbs (I used green onions), mix the cheese and runny egg and serve promptly.

Let’s eat!

Notes:

For a non vegetarian twist, add bacon bits for a pop of saltiness.

If you are short on time, you can use store bought pizza dough to make an ooey cheesey bread boat. However, the texture will be slightly different. Simply pick up from step 8 of recipe.

Adjaruli Khachapuri (Georgian Cheese Bread)

Jessica Lai Perez

A delightful ooey melted cheese bread shaped like a boat with a silky egg in the middle. Simply delicious and unforgettable. This recipe uses easier-to-find mozzarella in place of the brined Georgian sulguni cheese.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Dough proofing 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course Bread, Brunch, dinner, Snack

Cuisine European, Georgian

Servings 4 large cheese boats

Ingredients

  

Dough

• 3 1/2 cup (448g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp (6g) salt
• 1 tsp (3g) dry active yeast
• 1 Tbsp. (13g) sugar
• ¾ to 1 cup (180 to 240g) warm water
• ½ cup (123g) warm milk
• 1 Tbsp. (13g) olive oil more for greasing

Filling or Topping

• 2 cups (226g) shredded Mozzarella cheese (or sulguni cheese)
• 1 ½ cup (226g) crumbled Feta cheese (or goat cheese)
• 4 large eggs for topping room temperature
• 1 egg for egg wash
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter sliced for topping optional
• Fresh minced herbs of choice

Instructions

 

• Whisk to combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in stand mixer bowl.
• Pour warm milk and 3/4 of water into the bowl of dry ingredients.
• Mix the ingredients with the hook attachment, slowly adding more water until it comes together, about 2 to 3 minutes. You might not need to use all the water.
• Mix until dough pulls from the sides and looks smooth, about 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add the olive oil into the dough and knead for another minute.
• Remove from bowl and form into a round. Place in lightly greased bowl. Cover and place in a warm place to proof for about an hour or until dough doubles in size.
• Deflate air from dough. Reshape into a round. Cover and let it rest for another 30 minutes.
• While waiting, combine the cheese and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C).
• Remove the dough from the bowl. Cut it into 4 equal pieces.
• Roll out into approx. 10” (25cm) in diameter rounds.
• Roll 2 opposite sides of the circle towards the center, creating an oval, boat-like shape. (The rolled edges will keep the melting cheese securely contained). Pinch the corners together to seal.
• Transfer the khachapuri onto a silicone or parchment lined baking sheet.
• Carefully spoon the cheese onto each of the shaped dough.
• Brush egg wash on the dough (Beat 1 egg with a teaspoon of water.)
• Bake in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes.
• Remove from oven and quickly make a deep well in the center of each khachapuri with the back of a large spoon and drop 1 egg into each well. Optional, stick a few small slices of butter into the cheese.
• Pop the the khachapuri back into the oven and bake for another 5-6 minutes (or longer depending on your oven) At this point, the egg white should be white, and still pretty runny. You want the yolk to be jammy, and avoid over cooking.
• Remove from oven, top with your favorite herbs (I used green onions), mix the cheese and runny egg and serve promptly.

Notes

As an option, I added about a scant quarter cup of shredded cheddar to the cheese mixture for additional flavor and color.

For a non vegetarian twist, add bacon bits for a pop of saltiness.

If you are short on time, you can use store bought pizza dough to make a gooey cheesy bread boat. However, the texture will be slightly different. Simply pick up from step 8 of recipe.

 

 

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Keyword Adjaruli Khachapuri, Cheese Boat, Cheese Bread, Khachapuri, Vegetarian