Lobiani (Georgian Bean-Filled Bread)

About This Recipe

Lobiani (ლობიანი, from lobio — beans) is Georgia's most rustic bread, associated with the mountainous Racha region where winters are long and beans are the primary protein. Where khachapuri (cheese bread) is the urban showpiece, lobiani is the countryside staple — dense, satisfying and deeply earthy. The filling is cooked kidney beans mashed with fried onion, garlic, blue fenugreek and coriander — the characteristic Caucasian spice combination. Some versions add smoked pork fat (lard) to the filling, giving it a deeper, smokier character. Lobiani is sold at Georgian bakeries alongside khachapuri and eaten for breakfast or lunch.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 300 gplain flour(plus extra for dusting)
• 7 ginstant yeast
• 1 tspsalt
• 1 tspsugar
• 180 mlwarm water
• 2 tbspvegetable oil
• 400 gtinned kidney beans(drained)
• 2onions(finely diced)
• 3garlic cloves(minced)
• 1 tspdried coriander
• 0.5 tspblue fenugreek or ground fenugreek
• 0.5 tspground cumin
• 0.5 tspchilli flakes
• 3 tbspbutter(for brushing)
• 2 tbspvegetable oil(for frying onions)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make dough

   Combine flour, yeast, salt, sugar. Add water and oil. Knead 8 min. Cover and rest 1 hour until doubled.

2. 2

   Make filling

   Fry onions in oil 10 min until golden. Add garlic and spices, cook 1 min. Add kidney beans and mash coarsely — the filling should be chunky, not smooth. Season with salt. Cool completely.

3. 3

   Shape

   Divide dough into 4 balls. Flatten each into a 15cm circle. Place a quarter of the filling in the centre. Gather the edges up over the filling and pinch to seal. Flatten gently with the palm to a 12cm round.

   The filling must be completely cool — warm filling makes the dough soggy and difficult to seal.

4. 4

   Bake or pan-fry

   Either: preheat oven to 220°C and bake on a preheated baking stone 12–15 min until golden. Or: cook in a dry heavy frying pan over medium heat 4–5 min per side.

5. 5

   Butter and serve

   Brush warm lobiani generously with butter immediately out of the oven. Serve hot.

Variations

• •

  Add crumbled smoked bacon or lard to the filling for a meat version

• •

  Spinach and bean filling: a popular variation

• •

  Serve with Georgian tkemali (plum sauce) instead of butter

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Keeps 2 days at room temperature. Reheat in the oven at 180°C for 8 min or in a dry pan.

Frequently Asked Questions