Adjarian Khachapuri

About This Recipe

Adjarian khachapuri is Georgia's edible love letter: a yeasted dough shaped into an open boat, filled with a mix of tangy, melting cheeses, baked until bubbling, then crowned at the last moment with a raw egg yolk and a thick pat of butter. At the table you swirl the yolk and butter into the molten cheese with the upturned tip of the bread, then tear off pieces of the crust and dip. It comes from Adjara, on Georgia's Black Sea coast — the boat shape echoing the fishing vessels, the yolk the rising sun. It is celebratory, communal, and absolutely indulgent.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 400 gbread flour
• 7 ginstant yeast (1 packet)
• 1 tspsugar
• 1 tspsalt
• 240 mlwarm whole milk
• 1 largeegg
• 2 tbspneutral oil
• 250 glow-moisture mozzarella, grated
• 200 gfeta or sulguni cheese, crumbled
• 100 gricotta or imeruli (optional, for creaminess)
• 4egg yolks (one per boat, very fresh)
• 60 gunsalted butter, cut into 4 cubes
• 1egg, beaten (for brushing)

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix dough

   Combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Whisk warm milk with the egg and oil, then pour into the flour. Knead 10 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky. Cover and rise 1.5 hours until doubled.

2. 2

   Mix cheeses

   Toss mozzarella, feta, and ricotta together. Taste — the mixture should be salty-tangy. If too salty, add more ricotta.

3. 3

   Shape boats

   Divide dough into 4 pieces. Roll each into an oval about 25×15 cm. Roll each long side inward to form a thick rope, pinching the ends together to make a pointed boat shape. The center hollow should be wide and deep.

4. 4

   Fill

   Place boats on parchment-lined trays. Pile the cheese into the hollows, mounding it generously. Brush the crusts with beaten egg.

5. 5

   First bake

   Bake at 240°C for 12–15 minutes until the crust is deep gold and the cheese is bubbling and lightly speckled brown.

6. 6

   Crown each boat

   Pull the trays out. Carefully drop a raw egg yolk into the center of each boat (use the half-shell trick to keep it intact) and tuck a butter cube beside it.

7. 7

   Finish briefly

   Return to the oven for 60–90 seconds, just to warm the yolk — it should stay runny and glossy.

8. 8

   Serve and swirl

   Bring boats to the table. Using a fork or the bread's pointed end, swirl the yolk and butter into the cheese until creamy. Tear off pieces of the crust and dip immediately.

Variations

• •

  Imeruli khachapuri: closed round version filled with cheese, no egg.

• •

  Add a handful of fresh dill or tarragon into the cheese filling.

• •

  Vegan-leaning twist: cashew ricotta plus shredded vegan mozzarella, skip the yolk (no longer Adjarian, but tasty).

Storage

Eat immediately — leftovers lose the magic. If you must, refrigerate up to 1 day and reheat in a hot oven; the yolk will of course set firm.

Frequently Asked Questions