Georgia's beloved cheese boat — pillowy yeasted bread shaped into a vessel, filled with melted sulguni and imeruli cheese, and topped at the table with a raw egg yolk and a knob of butter.
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.
Serves 2
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Use a pizza stone if you have one — it gives the bottom crust the crispness the dish needs.
The cheese mix is key: too much mozzarella and it's bland, too much feta and it's painfully salty. The 5:3 ratio with sour cream is reliable.
Pasteurized egg yolks are ideal for the topping. If using regular eggs, only use the freshest from a trusted source.
Don't skip the butter — Georgians say the butter is what makes khachapuri 'sing'.
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.
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.
Khachapuri dates back at least 1,000 years in the Caucasus, with regional variations across Georgia. The Adjaran boat-shaped version originated along the Black Sea coast and may have been inspired by ancient Greek pita breads carried east by traders. The dish remains an unofficial symbol of Georgian hospitality.
Use pasteurized eggs or extremely fresh eggs from a trusted source. Or slip the yolk in 3 minutes before baking ends to lightly cook it.
Freeze unbaked, shaped boats (with cheese) on a tray, then bag. Bake from frozen at 240°C for 18 minutes. Don't freeze with raw egg.
A 60/40 mix of low-moisture mozzarella and feta is the standard substitute. If you can find Mexican queso fresco, mix that in too — it gets closer to imeruli.
Probably under-kneaded — you need a strong gluten network. Knead 8–10 minutes until the dough passes the windowpane test (a small piece stretches thin without tearing).
Per serving (380g / 13.4 oz) · 2 servings total
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