Adjaruli Khachapuri

A boat-shaped bread with a golden, supple crust filled with melted, stretchy cheeses. The runny egg yolk in the center mingles with fresh butter to create a rich sauce for dipping the bread crust.

• Prep time: 30 min
• Cook time: 20 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 1473
• Protein: 75 g
• Carbs: 95 g
• Fat: 88 g

Ingredients

• 500 g Wheat flour ( sifted )
• 300 ml Mineral water ( lukewarm )
• 20 g Fresh baker's yeast ( crumbled )
• 1 pinch White sugar
• 10 g Gray sea salt
• 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 300 g Buffalo milk mozzarella ("di bufala") ( grated )
• 300 g Emmental cheese ( grated )
• 4 piece Egg ( yolks only )
• 40 g Minimum butter sweet ( in knobs )
• 200 g Sulguni Cheese ( coarsely grated )
• 200 g Imeruli Cheese ( crumbled )

Instructions

1. Dough preparation

   In a mixing bowl, combine 500g of wheat flour, 300ml of warm mineral water, 20g of crumbled fresh baker's yeast, a pinch of white sugar, and 10g of grey sea salt. Knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides. Add 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil at the end of kneading.

2. First rise

   Cover the dough with a damp cloth. Let it rise in a warm place for about 1.5 hours. The dough should double in volume and be elastic to the touch.

3. Cheese mixture

   Coarsely grate 300g of mozzarella, 300g of emmental, and 200g of sulguni cheese. Crumble 200g of imeruli cheese. Mix all the cheeses in a container. The mixture should be homogeneous to ensure even melting and a balance between acidity and elasticity.

4. Shaping the boats

   Divide the dough into 4 portions. Roll each portion into an oval. Roll the long edges towards the center, then pinch the ends to form a point, creating a boat shape. Place them on a baking sheet.

5. Filling and baking

   Generously distribute the cheese mixture in the center of the boats. Bake at 220°C for 15 minutes. The crust should be golden brown and the cheese should bubble and lightly brown.

6. Egg finish

   Remove the boats from the oven, make a small well in the cheese with a spoon, and place an egg yolk (or the whole egg) inside. Return to the oven for 2 minutes: the white should just set, while the yolk remains runny.

7. Serving

   Add a knob of unsalted butter onto the hot cheese. Serve immediately. Mix everything together at the table before eating.

Chef's tips

• Don't overwork the dough after the rise to keep the air bubbles intact.
• The secret is in the cheese blend: if you can't find Georgian cheese, a mix of mozzarella and feta (or emmental) mimics the texture well.
• Eat it Georgian style: tear off a corner of the bread and use it to swirl the egg, cheese, and butter in the center.

Storage

Best enjoyed immediately out of the oven. Reheating will overcook the egg and the bread will lose its softness.