Khachapuri Recipe: Learn to Make Georgian Cheese Bread
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Feb 5, 2022 • 3 min read
Equally popular as a personal street food snack or a shared appetizer, the Georgian pastry khachapuri (pronounced hatch-ah-poo-ree) is a celebrated centerpiece of everyday life.
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What Is Khachapuri?
Khachapuri, or Georgian cheese bread, is a style of leavened flatbread formed into various shapes and topped with melted cheese. Stemming from the Georgian words khacho, meaning cheese curds, and puri, or bread, khachapuri has been a cornerstone dish of Eastern Europe for centuries. There are many regional variations of the cheesy bread appetizer. Some versions of khachapuri incorporate additional ingredients like a potato, while others swap the pizza dough-style bread for flakier layers of puff pastry.
3 Regional Variations of Khachapuri
There are various regional styles of khachapuri, which is considered Georgia’s national dish:
- 1. Adjaruli: Adjaruli khachapuri has an open-faced, oblong boat shape in a nod to the coastal culture of the Adjara region along the Black Sea: The raised edges of the bread are torn off and used to dip into hot cheese, melted butter, and a runny egg yolk, meant to represent the sun and waves.
- 2. Imeruli: This variation of khachapuri features an enclosed flatbread stuffed with sulguni cheese, a salty, brined cheese from the Samegrelo region of Georgia—a flavor reminiscent of feta with a consistency similar to mozzarella.
- 3. Khabizgina: This khachapuri variation from South Ossetia features a mixture of potatoes, cheese, and kefir, enclosed in a flatbread topped with an egg yolk.
Khachapuri Recipe
makes
2prep time
2 hrtotal time
2 hr 20 mincook time
20 minIngredients
- 1
In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, sugar, salt, and warm water. Sprinkle the yeast over the surface and let stand for 5 minutes to activate, and the mixture will become foamy.
- 2
Add the flour to the bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until the dough just comes together. Let stand while flour hydrates for 5–10 more minutes, then continue kneading until the dough is smooth.
- 3
Grease a second large bowl with olive oil, and transfer the dough, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place. Let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- 4
While the dough is proofing, prepare the cheese mixture. Combine the torn mozzarella with the feta and ricotta, and divide into two portions. Crack the eggs into two separate small bowls.
- 5
Preheat the oven to 500°F. Once the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface, and divide into two even dough balls.
- 6
Place one dough ball on a piece of parchment paper, and roll into a circle about 10 inches in diameter. Spread half of the first cheese portion over the center of the dough, leaving a 1-inch border.
- 7
Roll one side of the dough 3 or 4 times towards the center, and repeat with the opposite side. (There should still be an exposed center well between the two sides.)
- 8
Pinch the ends of dough together and twist to seal, creating an oblong, boat shape. Top the center well with the remaining cheese. Repeat with the remaining dough ball.
- 9
Carefully slide each parchment paper side by side onto a large baking sheet or stone. Let proof for 10 more minutes.
- 10
Bake until bread is slightly golden and the cheese is melted, about 10–12 minutes. Transfer one egg to the surface of each khachapuri and return to the oven for another 3 minutes or so, until the egg whites are set with runny yolks.
- 11
Remove from the oven, top with a tablespoon of butter apiece, and serve hot.
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