Khachapuri – Georgian Cheese Bread

Ramadan Kareem to you all!

Yes, HGAT recipes are back and this time, we’re starting the month with this deliciously cheesy, buttery khachapuri. Khachapuri is a traditional Georgian dish that consists of a bread (puri) that is topped with plenty of cheese (khacho) and in some regions, eggs and butter. There are many variations of this staple Georgian dish and this boat shaped one that we’re making in this recipe is known as the Khachapuri Adjaruli. It’s most definitely a hearty one and although they eat it typically as a side dish, each khachapuri is more than sufficient for iftar and probably suhoor the next morning given how much of a food coma you’ll be in after eating it.

This dish does require you to be more hands-on and it needs some time to rest before cooking but that means you can get other things done like having a snooze or praying before baking it in the oven.

Khachapuri Recipe

The recipe below is for 4 small khachapuri but you can either make it into two large ones or 3 medium sized ones.

Ingredients

For the dough:
375g plain flour
1.5 tsp salt
7g instant yeast or active dry yeast*
12g granulated sugar
180ml warm milk
40g butter, melted
1 egg, beaten for egg wash

For the Filling:
1 block feta, crumbled
1 bag of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 small handful of flat parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp chilli flakes, optional
3-4 eggs
3-4 tbsp butter

Notes

* If you are using active dry yeast, mix together the yeast and sugar in the warm milk and let it become frothy. Add this to the flour mixture with salt.

Method

1. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, instant yeast, sugar and salt. Add in the melted butter and then add in half of the warm milk. Mix the flour mixture with a wooden spoon or spatula and if it is too dry, keep adding a little bit of the milk until it comes together. You may not need to use all of the milk.
   
2. Knead the dough by hand or in a stand mixer until it is not sticky anymore, form into a ball and then place in a well-oiled bowl. Cover the bowl and leave in a warm place for the dough to double in size – this should take about 1-1.5 hours.
   
3. Whilst the dough is rising, make the cheese mixture. In a bowl, mix together the crumbled feta, mozzarella cheese, parsley, chilli flakes, salt and pepper. Refrigerate this until you need it.
   
4. Knead the risen dough lightly and split into 3-4 balls. Roll each dough ball out into an oval shape and place on a baking tray with parchment paper. Place the cheese filling in the middle of each oval and slowly roll up the sides twisting the ends to keep it closed. Leave this to rest for 20-30 minutes and preheat the oven to 180C fan/Gas Mark 6 in the mean time.
   
5. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash over each of the bread boats and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes to cook. Once you notice the khachapuri becoming golden, remove from the oven and make a well in the middle of each one using the back of a spoon. Crack an egg open into each divet and add 1 tbsp of butter to each khachapuri before placing them back in the oven to cook.
   
6. Bake the khachapuri for a further 5-7 minutes. The egg should just about be cooked and will continue to cook in the hot cheese once you remove it from the oven.
   
7. Serve immediately. To eat the khachapuri, you should start by ripping off the end and mixing together the egg, cheese and melted butter.