Round, sealed cheese-filled bread with a single slash on top — the everyday khachapuri of central Georgia.
While the boat-shaped Adjaruli khachapuri gets the Instagram glory, Imeruli khachapuri is the daily bread of Georgian households: a flat round disc of yeasted dough sealed with a salty cheese filling, baked or pan-cooked until the dough is golden and the cheese melts within. Cheaper, faster and just as beloved, it is the breakfast and tea-time bread of Imereti, the central Georgian region.
Serves 4
Combine flour, yeast, sugar, salt. Add warm milk, the egg (white + yolk minus the reserved yolk), oil. Knead 8 min into a soft, smooth dough. Cover and rise 1 hour.
Combine mozzarella, feta and 1 tbsp milk.
Divide dough into 2 pieces. Roll each into a circle 25 cm wide.
Place half the cheese filling in the centre. Pull the dough edges up around it like a bag, pinch closed at the top.
Turn the bag over, pinched-side down. Gently roll out into a flat disc 22 cm wide. Make a 5 cm slash in the centre top.
Brush with reserved egg yolk mixed with 1 tsp water.
Bake at 240°C/465°F for 12–14 minutes until deep golden brown.
Brush with melted butter while hot. Slice into wedges. Serve immediately.
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The slash in the centre lets steam escape and prevents the bread from puffing into a balloon.
Don't overfill — too much cheese will burst through the dough.
Mingrelian (megruli) khachapuri: top with extra cheese before baking
Penovani: use puff pastry instead for a flaky version
Pan-cook on a flat skillet 6 min per side covered if no oven
Best fresh. Reheat in oven 180°C for 4 min.
Each Georgian region has its khachapuri: Imeruli (round, central Georgia), Adjaruli (boat-shaped, Black Sea coast), Megruli (round with cheese on top), and Penovani (flaky). Imeruli is the most home-cooked version — every household has one in the oven on weekends.
The dough is enriched with milk and egg, the cheese is sealed inside, and there's no tomato.
Yes — wrap shaped khachapuri before final proof, freeze. Bake from frozen +5 min.
You can, but the feta's salty tang is what balances the richness — a splash of extra salt won't fully replace it.
Wrap loosely in foil and reheat at 180°C for a few minutes — unwrapped reheating dries the crust and toughens the cheese.
Per serving · 4 servings total
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