Khachapuri Adjaruli (Georgian Cheese Boat Bread with Egg)

About This Recipe

Khachapuri Adjaruli is a real, traditional Georgian dish, known as Georgian Cheese Boat Bread with Egg. Boat-shaped yeasted bread filled with molten cheese and topped with a raw egg yolk and butter, stirred together at the table.\n\nKhachapuri Adjaruli takes its name from the Adjara region on Georgia's Black Sea coast, its distinctive open boat shape designed specifically to hold the egg and butter that's stirred into the molten cheese right before eating.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Georgian home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 500 gall-purpose flour
• 7 ginstant yeast
• 1 tspsugar
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 300 mlwarm water
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 500 gImeretian cheese or a mix of mozzarella and feta(shredded or crumbled)
• 4eggs
• 4 tbspbutter

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   Mix flour, yeast, sugar and salt, then stir in warm water and olive oil until a soft dough forms. Knead for 8 minutes, then rise covered for 1 hour.

2. 2

   Shape the boats

   Divide the dough into 4 portions and shape each into an oval, pinching and rolling up the edges into a canoe or boat shape.

3. 3

   Fill with cheese

   Fill each boat generously with shredded cheese.

4. 4

   Bake

   Bake at 220°C (425°F) for 12 to 15 minutes until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling.

5. 5

   Add egg and butter

   Remove from the oven, immediately crack an egg into the center of each hot khachapuri, and add a pat of butter.

6. 6

   Finish and serve

   Return to the oven for just 1 to 2 minutes to slightly set the egg white while the yolk stays runny, then serve immediately, stirring the egg and butter into the cheese at the table.

Variations

• •

  Use a mix of mozzarella, feta and a bit of cream cheese if Imeretian cheese isn't available, for a similar salty-milky flavor.

• •

  Some households skip the egg for a simpler cheese-only khachapuri.

• •

  Add a sprinkle of fresh herbs on top before serving for extra freshness.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions