Khachapuri Adjaruli (Georgian Boat-Shaped Cheese Bread)

About This Recipe

Khachapuri adjaruli is the showstopper of Georgian cuisine — a glossy, boat-shaped yeasted bread filled to overflowing with a salty, stretchy blend of Georgian cheeses, brought to the table still bubbling and crowned with a raw egg yolk and a generous knob of cold butter. The diner stirs the yolk and butter into the molten cheese with a fork, tears off a piece of the boat's curled edge, and dips it into the rich, eggy interior. Originating in the Black Sea region of Adjara, the boat shape is said to evoke a fisherman's vessel with the egg as a setting sun — though the more practical story is that the open shape allows the cheese to brown beautifully under high heat. Authentic versions use sulguni (a brined, stretchy cheese similar to mozzarella) and imeruli (a fresher, saltier Georgian cheese), but a mix of low-moisture mozzarella, feta and a little sour cream gives an excellent home substitute. The dough is enriched with milk and a touch of butter, soft but sturdy enough to hold pools of melted cheese. Once you've torn into your own khachapuri at a Tbilisi restaurant or made one at home for a Sunday brunch, the dish becomes one of those foods you cannot believe you ever lived without.

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 300 gbread flour, plus extra for dusting
• 180 mlwhole milk, lukewarm
• 1 tspinstant dry yeast
• 1 tspsugar
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tbspolive oil
• 250 glow-moisture mozzarella, coarsely grated
• 150 gfeta, crumbled (or 200 g sulguni if you can find it)
• 2 tbspsour cream or Greek yogurt
• 1egg, beaten (for egg wash)
• 2egg yolks (one per boat), at room temperature
• 30 gcold unsalted butter, cut into 2 knobs

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dough

   In a bowl, whisk together the lukewarm milk, sugar and yeast and let stand 5 minutes until foamy. Add the flour, salt and olive oil and mix to a shaggy dough.

2. 2

   Knead

   Turn onto a floured surface and knead 8 minutes until smooth and elastic — the dough should be soft but not sticky. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and rise in a warm spot 60–90 minutes until doubled.

3. 3

   Make the cheese filling

   In a bowl, mix the grated mozzarella, crumbled feta and sour cream until well combined. Taste — if very salty (depending on feta), add an extra spoon of sour cream. The mixture should be salty, tangy, slightly creamy.

4. 4

   Preheat the oven

   Heat your oven to 240°C (465°F) with a pizza stone or heavy baking sheet inside for at least 20 minutes. High, dry heat is essential for the cheese to bubble and the crust to crisp.

5. 5

   Shape the boats

   Divide the dough in two. Roll each piece into an oval about 25 cm long and 18 cm wide. Pile half the cheese mixture down the center of each, leaving a 4 cm border all around. Fold the long sides up and over the cheese to form a thick lip, then pinch the two ends tightly together and twist into pointed 'horns' so each oval becomes a stretched boat with an open cheese center.

6. 6

   Egg wash and bake

   Brush the exposed dough rim with beaten egg. Slide the boats onto the preheated stone or sheet (use parchment for easy transfer). Bake 12–15 minutes until the crust is deeply golden and the cheese is bubbling, blistered and starting to brown.

7. 7

   Add the yolk and butter

   Pull the boats from the oven. Working quickly, make a small well in the center of each molten cheese pool and slip in one raw egg yolk. Drop a knob of cold butter beside the yolk. The residual heat will lightly warm the yolk but keep it runny.

8. 8

   Serve immediately

   Bring to the table at once and instruct each diner: stir the yolk and butter into the cheese with a fork, then tear off a piece of the boat's rim and dunk into the molten center. The bread is meant to be eaten with hands.

   If you're nervous about raw yolk, slip the egg in 3 minutes before the boat finishes baking — the yolk will set lightly into a runny custard.

Variations

• •

  Khachapuri imeruli — a flat, round, closed-top version, easier for everyday baking.

• •

  Khachapuri megruli — like imeruli but with extra cheese baked into the top crust as well.

• •

  Lobiani — bean-filled version with spiced kidney beans instead of cheese, a popular winter dish.

• •

  Mini boats — bake six small boats instead of two large for parties; reduce baking time to 9 minutes.

Storage

Best eaten the moment it comes out of the oven. Leftovers (without yolk) keep 1 day refrigerated; reheat in a 220°C oven 6 minutes. The egg-yolk version cannot be stored.

Frequently Asked Questions