Khachapuri
Khachapuri — literally cheese bread — is the national food of Georgia, present at every family table and street stall from Tbilisi to Batumi. The dish has several regional variations. Adjarian khachapuri, the boat-shaped form from the Black Sea coast, is the most internationally recognisable, distinguished by a raw egg cracked into the molten cheese at the moment of serving. The dough is yeasted and bread-like rather than pastry-thin — it bakes to a soft, chewy crust that becomes the vessel for the filling. Sulguni is the traditional Georgian cheese: a brined, semi-firm cheese with a mild tang. The correct way to eat Adjarian khachapuri is to tear strips of the bread border and stir them into the egg and cheese, the heat of the filling cooking the egg as you eat.
Slow simmered
Low and slow cooking
Rich in protein
Filling and nutritious
Traditional recipe
Authentic taste
Ingredients 4 servings
- 500 g plain flour (all-purpose), plus extra for dusting
- 7 g instant yeast (1 sachet)
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 250 ml warm water (about 40°C / 105°F)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 400 g sulguni or mozzarella, coarsely grated
- 200 g feta cheese, crumbled
- 4 large eggs (1 per khachapuri)
- 40 g unsalted butter, cut into 4 equal pieces
How to make it
- 1Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl, add the warm water and olive oil and stir to a rough dough, then knead on a lightly floured surface for 8-10 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky.
- 2Shape into a ball, place in an oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and leave in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled in size.
- 3While the dough rises, mix the grated sulguni (or mozzarella) and crumbled feta together in a bowl; heat the oven to 250°C (230°C fan) with a heavy baking tray or pizza stone inside.
- 4Divide the risen dough into 4 equal pieces and roll each on a lightly floured surface into an oval about 25 x 15 cm.
- 5Fold the long edges inward by 3 cm and roll them up into a thick raised border, then pinch both short ends firmly together to form a boat shape.
- 6Arrange the boats on baking parchment, fill each cavity completely with a quarter of the cheese mixture, then slide onto the hot tray and bake for 12-14 minutes until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling and lightly browned.
- 7Remove from the oven, press a small hollow in the centre of each cheese filling, crack 1 egg into each hollow, and return to the oven for 3-4 minutes until the white is just set but the yolk remains runny.
- 8Place a piece of butter on top of each egg and serve immediately — tear strips of the border and dip into the melted cheese and yolk.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
