Georgian Cheese Bread Recipes

KHACHAPURI (GEORGIAN CHEESE BREAD)

Steps:

• Combine milk, water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Let stand until yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes. Add olive oil, 2 cups flour, and salt. Mix until a sticky dough comes together.
• Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead for about 3 minutes, adding in remaining flour as needed, until dough is very soft but still workable. Form into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in volume, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). Combine Monterey Jack, mozzarella, and feta cheeses in a bowl. Toss together and refrigerate until needed.
• Punch down dough and turn out onto a floured surface. Flatten slightly and cut in half. Dust a large sheet of parchment paper with flour. Place 1 dough half on top and roll out into a square about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick, stretching out the corners as needed. Arrange 1/4 of the cheese in 2 rows, 1 to 2 inches from the longest sides. Roll sides up tightly over the cheese, forming a canoe shape around the dough. Pinch and twist ends to seal.
• Cut off excess parchment around the dough; lift dough onto a baking sheet. Repeat shaping and stuffing the other dough half. Fill the canoe with the remaining cheese mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Form a well in the center of each khachapuri using a spoon; crack an egg inside each well.
• Return to oven and bake until eggs are mostly set, 3 to 4 minutes. Place 2 pats of butter over each filling and sprinkle salt and cayenne on top. Plate khachapuri; tear off one end and use it to stir the butter into the egg.

GEORGIAN CHEESE AND EGG BREAD (ADJARULI KHACHAPURI)

Steps:

• For the dough: Lightly oil a medium bowl. Heat the milk with 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan over low heat to between 110 and 115 degrees F. Transfer it to a small bowl and stir in the sugar, then sprinkle over the yeast and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. (Cover the bowl if the room or the yeast is cold.)
• Put a pizza stone on the lowest rack in your oven, removing the second rack if there is one. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Cut two 10-by-7-inch pieces of parchment paper.
• Put the flour in a medium bowl and whisk in the salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the yeasty mixture and the oil. Stir with a wooden spoon until the flour is incorporated and the mixture forms a shaggy ball -- it will be soft and sticky. Flour your work surface, scrape the dough onto it and knead until smooth, elastic and still slightly sticky, about 5 minutes. Put the dough in the oiled bowl, turn it to coat with oil and cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap. Set the bowl in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• For the filling and topping: Work the mozzarella and feta together with a fork in a medium bowl. Make a little well in the center and add 1 egg. Beat the egg a bit with a fork, and mix and mash well to combine with the cheeses.
• Lightly flour your work surface. Turn the dough onto the floured surface and cut it in half. Round the halves gently back into rough rounds. Put 1 piece of parchment paper on your work surface and flour it lightly. Press and use a rolling pin to roll 1 piece of dough into a round 1/8-inch thick and 10-inches across. Slide it onto the paper -- it will hang over the long edges -- and then slide it, paper and all, onto the back of a baking sheet. (Alternatively, use a pizza peel.) Repeat with the other piece of dough, transferring it to the back of a second baking sheet.
• Spoon half of the cheese mixture on the first round, spreading some 1/2-inch from the edge and mounding the rest in the middle (there will be a big mound). Roll the sides up tightly to make a shape like a cheese-filled canoe -- it should be about 10 inches long and 4 inches wide. Pinch the ends together and twist to seal tightly. Repeat with the other piece of dough and remaining cheese. Let rest 10 minutes.
• Slide the khachapuris on their papers onto the pizza stone, leaving a few inches of space between them. Bake, turning them 180 degrees after about 8 minutes, until golden and crisp, about 12 minutes total. Crack 1 egg in each khachapuri and continue to bake until the white is just set around the edges, but some of the white and the yolk are still a bit raw, about 3 minutes. Remove to a serving platter, dot each khachapuri with 1 tablespoon butter and stir the eggs into the hot cheese¿they will continue to cook. Serve immediately, tearing off pieces of bread to scoop up the hot, buttery, eggy, gooey cheese.

KHACHAPURI ADJARULI (GEORGIAN CHEESE BREAD BOAT)

Steps:

• Make the dough (but if you're using store-bought, proceed to Step 2): In a small saucepan over low, heat 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons/150 milliliters water until hot but not simmering. Turn off heat. In a large bowl, with your hands or a wooden spoon, stir together flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Check the temperature of reserved, warmed water; it should be warm to the touch, between 105 and 110 degrees. Add it to the flour mixture and, with your hands, knead mixture into a smooth dough, about 5 minutes.
• Pour olive oil into a medium bowl. Holding dough with one hand, use it to coat the inside of the bowl with the oil. Set the dough in the bowl, oiled portion facing up. Cover bowl with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until it doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees (or 425, if using a convection oven). Line a half sheet tray with parchment paper; set aside. On a lightly floured surface, stretch and roll dough into a circle, 1/4-inch thick, 10 to 12 inches across. Brush off excess flour, then lay the dough on the sheet tray. Using your fingers, roll, press and pinch two opposite sides of the circle a few inches into the center, building sides up, then press and pinch the narrow ends together to form two points. Continue to pinch and press the sides to create a raised rim and form the dough into an oval boat with an eye-like shape. Let rest in a warm place while you prepare the filling.
• In a medium bowl, combine mozzarella, goat cheese and feta with 3 tablespoons water. Stir with a fork until the mixture is thoroughly blended. Scrape the cheese mixture into the center of the dough boat, spreading it into an even layer.
• Bake khachapuri until the crust begins to brown and the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven, leaving oven on. Brush sides of khachapuri generously with melted butter. Return khachapuri to the oven for an additional 5 minutes until the crust is extra crisp and the cheese just starts to brown around the edges.
• Using a spoon, make a shallow, 2-inch-wide well in the center of the cheese. Add the egg yolk and cold butter (if using), and serve immediately. To serve, hold down one pointed end of the hot khachapuri with a fork; using another fork, quickly stir the egg and butter (if using) into the cheese mixture until it's smooth and stretchy. Rip pieces of the bread boat off to dip in the cheese while it's still hot.

GEORGIAN CHEESE BREAD

Steps:

• Sprinkle yeast over warm water and stir in 1 tablespoon flour. Let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes. (If yeast does not activate, start over with new yeast.).
• Stir together salt and remaining flour in a large bowl, then stir in egg and yeast mixture to form a dough.
• Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and turn to coat with flour, then knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Form into a ball and dust with flour. Let dough rest in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap, punching down with a wet fist every hour, at least 2 hours and up to 3.
• Preheat oven to 500°F with rack in middle.
• Turn out dough onto floured pizza pan, turning to coat, then flatten with your fingers into a 7-inch disk.
• Toss together cheeses and press into a compact 3-inch ball with your hands.
• Place ball in middle of dough, then gather dough up around ball of cheese, squeezing excess dough into a topknot.
• Press down on topknot with a damp fist to press cheese out from center. Continue to flatten dough and distribute cheese evenly, pressing outward from center, until dough is an 11-inch disk.
• Cut a 6-inch X through top of dough to expose cheese.
• Bake until pale golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Brush surface of dough with butter and bake until golden and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes more.
• Serve cut into wedges.
• Their cook's note: Dough can be made 1 day ahead and chilled in bowl (for a slow rise), covered with plastic wrap. Punch down and bring to room temperature before proceeding with recipe.

KHACHAPURI (GEORGIAN CHEESE-FILLED BREAD)

Steps:

• To make the dough, mix the yeast with the sugar, water, flour, and salt in a bowl. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and either leave in the refrigerator overnight or somewhere in your kitchen for an hour or so until doubled in size.
• For the filling, mix the cheeses with the single egg yolk and use a fork to mash well.
• Preheat the oven to its highest setting and heat a couple of baking sheets-or a pizza stone if you have one.
• Flour your work surface really well. Cover your hands in flour and scrape the dough on to your work surface. Knead it in the flour a little if it's too sticky. Divide the dough into 6 pieces (each piece should be about 100 g (3½ oz). Roll out each piece of dough on a lightly floured work surface into a 18 cm (7-inch) round. Stretch either side of each round to elongate and then pile 100 g (3½ oz) of filling in the centre, leaving a 5 mm (¼ inch) border around the edge. Bring two sides of the dough up to meet in the middle and pinch a seam together to seal, similar to a Cornish pasty. Press down with the flat of your hand to flatten it, then flip it over so the seam is face down. With a sharp knife, make a slash along the middle of the dough and push the sides open to expose the filling. Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling to make 6 khachapuris.
• Slide the khachapuris on to the hot baking trays and bake for 10 minutes until the sides turn golden. Crack an egg into the centre of each, then bake for a further 2-3 minutes. To eat, pinch the dough from one end and use it to dip and mix the runny egg yolk into the filling.

GEORGIAN CHEESE-FILLED FLATBREAD

Steps:

• Place an oven rack at the lowest position. Preheat to 450 degrees.
• To make the cheese filling, blend all the ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix together 1 cup of the flour, the baking powder and salt. Add the yogurt, and stir well. Continue stirring in more flour until the dough has lost its stickiness and can be worked with your hands. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 3 to 4 minutes, until soft and slightly elastic.
• Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. (Keep the remaining pieces covered with a cloth while you work with one piece of dough at a time.) Flatten a piece of dough with the lightly floured palm of your hand. Then, either stretching the dough or using a small rolling pin, flatten it out to a round 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the cheese filling in the center.
• Pinch the edges of the dough between your thumb and forefinger. Fold each side in, still leaving the center of the filling uncovered. Then, pinch around the new outer edge of the dough. Stretch the flaps inward so that the filling is covered completely, pleating excess dough as necessary. Pinch the pleats closed, and then, with the lightly floured palm of your hand, gently press down on the top of the mound to flatten it. Turn the bread over, and gently press down again on the bottom. This will push the filling out into the edges of the bread; it should be 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick and 7 to 8 inches in diameter.
• Lightly oil the baking sheets. Place a filled bread on a prepared sheet, and continue making breads until the first baking sheet is full. Bake the breads for 5 to 6 minutes, then remove from the oven, slide into a basket lined with a cloth, and cover to keep warm. Prepare the remainder of the breads while the first batch bakes, and then bake in the same fashion.

KHACHAPURI (GEORGIAN CHEESE BREAD)

Steps:

• Dough: Combine water and yeast in a bowl; let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add flour, salt, and sugar; stir until a ragged dough forms. Transfer to a lightly floured surface; knead with floured hands until smooth, elastic, and tacky but no longer sticky, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl brushed with oil, turning dough to evenly coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 to 3 hours; or refrigerate until doubled in volume, at least 12 hours and up to 3 days (return to room temperature before using, 1 to 2 hours.)
• Filling: Preheat oven to 500 degrees, with center rack lined with a pizza stone or baking sheet. Divide dough in half. Place one half of dough on a lightly floured 8-by-13-inch sheet of parchment. Roll into a roughly 7-by-12-inch oval. Stir together feta and mozzarella. Pack half of cheese mixture into center of oval, leaving a 1-inch border. Fold edges of dough over cheese mixture; pinch ends together and twist to create a boat shape. Repeat with remaining half of dough and cheeses.
• In a small bowl, whisk egg white with a fork. Brush over crusts. Slide breads (still on sheets of parchment) onto stone. Bake until cheeses are melted and crusts are well browned, 16 to 20 minutes. Drop 1 egg yolk into center of each bread. Bake until just warmed through, about 1 minute. Using a large flat spatula, remove breads from oven and transfer to a wire rack. Brush crusts with melted butter and divide remaining 2 tablespoons room-temperature butter between fillings; let melt. Sprinkle with flaky salt and pepper. Let cool slightly; serve.

GEORGIAN CHEESE BREAD

Steps:

• Sprinkle yeast over warm water and stir in 1 tablespoon flour. Let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes. (If yeast does not activate, start over with new yeast.)
• Stir together salt and remaining flour in a large bowl, then stir in egg and yeast mixture to form a dough.
• Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and turn to coat with flour, then knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Form into a ball and dust with flour. Let dough rest in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap, punching down with a wet fist every hour, at least 2 hours and up to 3.
• Preheat oven to 500°F with rack in middle.
• Turn out dough onto floured pizza pan, turning to coat, then flatten with your fingers into a 7-inch disk.
• Toss together cheeses and press into a compact 3-inch ball with your hands. Place ball in middle of dough, then gather dough up around ball of cheese, squeezing excess dough into a topknot. Press down on topknot with a damp fist to press cheese out from center. Continue to flatten dough and distribute cheese evenly, pressing outward from center, until dough is an 11-inch disk.
• Cut a 6-inch X through top of dough to expose cheese. Bake until pale golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Brush surface of dough with butter and bake until golden and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes more.
• Serve cut into wedges.

NANA'S HACHAPURI OR GEORGIAN CHEESE BREAD.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Place flour in bowl then in a separate bowl mix the yogurt and egg then mix in softened oil [or butter] using a fork or mixer. Add the baking soda and salt.
• Add the flour, a little at a time, until you have a very soft dough. If dough is too soft, add a little more flour. Place into a floured bowl, cover and let rest for at least 20 minute.
• To make filling:
• Crumble feta then add ricotta, grated mozzarella into bowl and mix. Now add egg and mix again. Set aside.
• On a heavily floured surface, take half the dough and roll it out to fit a 13-15 inch pizza pan. Place it onto pan. Spread cheese mixture onto it, leaving a small border around the entire edge.
• Roll out the other half of dough to fit on top. Place it over the cheese mixture. Fold in the edges to seal the cheese mixture inside, rolling to form an edge. Press all around with fork to seal.
• Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool until warm before you cut it.
• NOTE THE HALVED VERSION:.
• dough:.
• 350 g flour.
• 250 g low fat yogurt.
• 1 egg.
• 25 g extra virgin olive oil.
• 1/2 teaspoon salt.
• 1 teaspoon baking soda.
• filling:.
• 200 g feta cheese.
• 200 g ricotta.
• 125 g (1) mozzarella.
• use whole egg.
• Note: If using egg beaters for the filling half the amount called for to make 1 egg.