Khachapuri (Georgian Cheese Bread)

Name: Khachapuri (Georgian Cheese Bread)
Prep time: 1 h 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 500 g all-purpose flour; 7 g instant dry yeast; 1 tsp sugar; 1 tsp salt; 250 ml warm water; 100 ml plain yogurt or kefir; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 300 g sulguni cheese; 200 g feta cheese; 4 pcs eggs; 40 g unsalted butter; to taste freshly ground black pepper

Khachapuri is the iconic Georgian cheese-filled bread — a pillowy, golden boat of dough loaded with a molten blend of salty cheeses, finished with a runny egg and a knob of butter. Rich, indulgent, and utterly irresistible, it's comfort food at its finest.

Ingredients

500 g all-purpose flour
7 g instant dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
250 ml warm water
100 ml plain yogurt or kefir
2 tbsp vegetable oil
300 g sulguni cheese
200 g feta cheese
4 pcs eggs
40 g unsalted butter
to taste freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Make the dough: In a large bowl, combine warm water, sugar, and yeast. Stir gently and let stand for 5–7 minutes until frothy. Add the yogurt, vegetable oil, and salt, then gradually mix in the flour. Knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky. Shape into a ball, place back in the bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Prepare the cheese filling: In a medium bowl, combine the grated sulguni and crumbled feta. Mix well with a fork until evenly combined. The mixture should be slightly crumbly and cohesive. Taste and adjust saltiness — feta varies in salinity, so additional salt is rarely needed.
Preheat the oven to 240 °C (460 °F), or as high as your oven will go. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Shape the khachapuri boats: Punch down the risen dough and divide it into 4 equal portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into an oval roughly 30 cm × 18 cm. Divide the cheese filling evenly among the four ovals, spreading it across the centre and leaving a 3 cm border all around. Roll and twist the long sides of each oval inward to form a boat shape, pinching and twisting the two ends firmly to seal them so the cheese cannot leak out during baking. Gently press the filling down to level it.
Beat one egg lightly and brush it over the exposed dough edges and ends of each boat for a golden glaze. Transfer the shaped boats to the prepared baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for 12–14 minutes, until the dough is puffed and golden and the cheese is melted and starting to bubble.
Remove the khachapuri from the oven. Working quickly, use the back of a spoon to create a small well in the centre of each cheese-filled boat. Carefully crack one egg into each well — keeping the yolk intact for the classic presentation. Return to the oven for 3–4 minutes, until the egg whites are just set but the yolk remains runny.
Immediately top each khachapuri with a few small pieces of cold butter and a grind of black pepper. Serve at once while the cheese is molten and the yolk is still runny. To eat the traditional way, stir the egg and butter vigorously into the hot cheese filling, then tear off pieces of the bread border to scoop it up.