Adjaruli Khachapuri

Khachapuri is special. Real special. If you are unfamiliar with this Georgian staple then allow me to explain what is going on here. We have fresh bread stuffed with cheese and baked to golden brown perfection and then topped with an egg and a little butter.

I’ll just let that sink in for a bit…

The traditional way to enjoy this beauty is to pull it out of the oven while the egg yolk is still nice and runny, add a few pieces of butter and then use a fork to mix the egg, the butter and the molten cheese into a thick, creamy sauce. It’s quite delicious and there are no utensils necessary for this dish. Simply tear off some of the surrounding bread and scoop up as much of the cheesy sauce as you can.

There are several different versions of khachapuri and today we are making the adjaruli version, which originates from the region of Adjaria in Georgia. This version looks like a little bread boat filled with cheese, but there are actually 11 different types of khachapuri ranging from cheese and other fillings baked completely enclosed in bread to flaky layered versions using a bread dough that is closer to puff pastry than pizza dough.

Khachapuri can be enjoyed all day long and pairs well with anything from coffee and orange juice to an ice cold beer. It is definitely filling enough to be the main course, but also makes a great appetizer or a shared table snack during game night.

Let’s get started…

Begin by making the dough. This dough is really easy to work with and if you happen to have a kitchen scale to weigh the flour out, its pretty fool proof.

Gather 1 cup of whole milk, 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar, 1 envelope of active dry yeast (7 grams), a teaspoon of salt, 1/3 cup of olive oil and 375 grams of bread flour, which is about 2 1/2 cups spooned and leveled.

Note: The amount of flour that you add into bread dough is surprisingly important. Weighing the flour may sound like an unnecessary step, but if you are unfamiliar with exactly how dough should feel, adding the correct amount of flour should give you confidence that you are headed in the right direction.

If you do not have a kitchen scale, use a spoon to fluff up your flour and then fill your measuring cups by scooping flour into the cups with a spoon instead of dragging the measuring cup into the flour. This will help prevent the flour from becoming to compact in the measuring cup, which can lead to too much flour being worked into the dough. Too much flour will cause the dough to be tough and potentially not rise properly.

Now that we have the ingredients for the dough ready to go, the first step is to prepare the yeast…

If you have never worked with yeast before, it is really easy and actually tells you when it is ready to go, which is nice right? Yeast needs 2 things to “bloom” or wake up. It needs warmth and a snack, so whisk a 7 gram envelope of active dry yeast into a cup of warm milk with a tablespoon of granulated sugar. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes and as soon as you see foamy bubbles form over the surface of the milk, the yeast is ready to get to work.

Note: The ideal temperature for the milk is between 100-100 degrees fahrenheit or it should feel like warm bath water. If the milk is too cold, the yeast won’t wake up, but if it is too hot, it can kill the yeast, so just keep it nice and warm.

If foamy bubbles never form, your yeast may not be healthy and you should start the process again.

This is exactly what you are looking for your yeast mixture to look like before moving on to the next step. This mixture should also smell yeasty and similar to freshly baked bread.

Now that the yeast is ready to go, add your carefully measured bread flour into a large bowl along with a teaspoon of salt, 1/3 cup of olive oil and all of the bloomed yeast mixture.

Use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to combine the dough ingredients into a shaggy dough.

Lightly flour your hands and begin kneading the dough in the bowl until all of the flour has been fully incorporated. Transfer the dough out onto a flat surface and continue kneading until it feels elastic and smooth. This should take about 5 minutes.

If the dough feels really sticky, lightly dust a bit more flour into the dough, but only do this if it is completely necessary.

Form the dough into a round ball by pulling the edges in toward the middle to form a smooth round side.

Transfer the ball of dough into a glass bowl that has been lightly oiled or sprayed with a non-stick cooking spray. The oil will help the dough not stick to the bowl as it rises.

Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let it rest for about 25 minutes in a warm place. We are looking for the dough to roughly double in size. This could take longer if your kitchen is cold, so you can either give the dough more time to rise or create a warmer environment for it to rest in…

• • • • • You can toss a bath towel into the dryer for a few minutes and then wrap the bowl in the warm towel.
        • You can heat a glass of water in the microwave for 2 minutes and then place the bowl of dough into the microwave and close the door quickly to trap the steamy warmth. Do not turn the microwave on while the dough is inside.
        • If your oven happens to have a “proof” setting this is the ultimate way to rest your dough.

While the dough is resting, mix up your cheese filling.

Authentic khachapuri is filled with 2 Georgian cheeses, sulguni and imeruli, but both are nearly impossible to find in the United States. Luckily, we have some fabulous substitutes that are easily acquired in local grocery stores.

You can technically use any combination of your favorite cheeses. We need about 16 ounces total. I love using freshly shredded low moisture mozzarella as a substitute for the imeruli cheese and a soft farmers cheese or ricotta as a substitute for the sulguni cheese.

Mix these cheeses with a whisked egg and a big pinch of salt and black pepper and then set the mixture aside.

Once the dough is nice and puffy, transfer it onto a flour dusted surface, so we can begin shaping our little cheese boats…

Use a dough scraper or sharp knife to divide the dough into 2 or 4 equal portions. This recipe can make 2 large khachapuri or 4 smaller sized ones.

The larger size is best for sharing, but it is a little tougher to shape and transport the larger ones, so if this is your first time or if you prefer your own individually baked khachapuri then shoot for 4 smaller portions.

When it comes to shaping khachapuri, don’t stress about the measurements or uniformity too much. These little cheese boats are shaped free hand, so each one will look a little different and thats ok.

Starting with one portion of dough, form it into a round ball and use your finger tips to press the ball of dough out into an oval.

The next step is working the dough out into a larger and evenly thin oval. This can be done with a floured rolling pin or if you happen to have sweet pizza dough tossing skills, feel free to use them to stretch your dough out.

If you are making 2 large khachapuri, this oval should be about 12 inches in length and if you are making 4 smaller portions, your ovals should be about 8-9 inches in length.

Now, roll the long sides of the oval in 2-3 times to begin forming the boat shape.

Roll the ends in towards themselves and cross them over each other and pinch the 2 together to seal the ends (see photo above).

I like to transfer the shaped dough onto sheets of parchment paper, but khachapuri can be baked directly on a good quality non-stick baking sheet.

Not that the dough is shaped, divide the cheese filling mixture evenly between the portions and press it all the way to the boarder that we shaped.

Cover the khachapuri with a light kitchen towel and let it rest in a warm place for another 25 minutes.

Once the dough around the edges are nicely puffed, whisk an egg in a small dish and brush it over all over the boarder.

Bake the khachapuri in a 350 degree oven for 18 minutes.

After 18 minutes, carefully transfer the baking sheet onto a heat proof surface and close the oven door to maintain the 350 degree temperature.

The next step is adding the eggs. You have a few options here. Today, I am adding 1 whole egg onto each khachapuri, but these larger portions definitely have enough room for 2 eggs if you prefer.

You could also only add egg yolks. The yolks are really what we need in order to create that luscious sauce and if you don’t want to wait for the whites to cook, this would be your best option.

Once you’ve added the eggs, brush the dough with the remaining egg wash once more and return the khachapuri into a 350 degree oven and cook until the white are cooked to your liking. Technically, the cheese is hot enough to cook the egg white once they are mixed in, so if you are using fresh eggs, you don’t need to cook the eggs for longer than 2-3 minutes.

If you prefer your whites fully cooked, cook for about 8 minutes or until the whites look fully set when you wobble the baking sheet a bit. I highly recommend taking the khachapuri out of the oven while the yolks are still runny, because a runny yolk is one of the best elements of the cheese sauce, but it is all up to your personal preference.

Transfer the khachapuri onto a cutting board and take a second to marvel at how beautiful it is.

While it is still hot, add a tablespoon or 2 of butter onto the hot cheese and use a fork to combine the melted cheese, runny egg yolk and melting butter into a creamy sauce.

Although it is not traditionally garnished, I add a little fresh parsley, some red pepper flakes, a little garlic salt and some grated parmesan just to add a few more layers of deliciousness to this whole situation.

As the khachapuri rests, the cheese filling will start to set up a bit, so this beautiful cheese bread is best enjoyed while still nice and hot.

While khachapuri stands well on its own, I like pairing it with some lightly dressed greens and a few olives, but it can really be paired with anything! A full on salad, some pesto, spicy marinara, cured meats… cheese and bread go with everything, so pair away!

If you are looking for a simple khachapuri recipe or just love a good cheese bread, I would love to have you give this Georgian classic a try. It may become a staple in your kitchen too…