Stuffedgeorgiancheesebreads 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.

ALMOST-FAMOUS STUFFED CHEESY BREAD

Steps:

• Make the dough: Whisk the sugar and 3/4 cup warm water (about 105 degrees F) in a bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top and set aside until foamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in the vegetable oil. Whisk the flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center, pour in the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to make a shaggy dough. Turn out onto a generously floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, dusting with more flour as needed. Form into a ball. Brush a large bowl with vegetable oil; add the dough, turning to coat with the oil. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature until doubled in size, about 1 hour, 30 minutes.
• Make the filling and topping: Toss 1/2 cup mozzarella, the cheddar, pecorino, garlic salt, granulated garlic and dried parsley in a bowl. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Put an inverted baking sheet in the oven; preheat for 10 minutes. Line another inverted baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle with the cornmeal. Cut the dough in half; transfer 1 piece to the parchment-lined baking sheet and stretch into an 8-inch square (keep the other piece of dough covered). Sprinkle 1 side of the square with 1/2 cup of the remaining mozzarella, then fold the dough in half to enclose the cheese, pressing to seal. Slice the dough crosswise at 1-inch intervals, stopping just before the folded edge. Sprinkle with half of the cheese-garlic mixture. Move the dough to 1 side of the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, mozzarella and cheese-garlic mixture on the other side of the baking sheet. Slide the bread on the parchment onto the hot baking sheet in the oven. Bake until the dough is cooked through and the cheese is golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool slightly, then pull apart into breadsticks.

MY OWN FAMOUS STUFFED GRAPE LEAVES

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, saute the rice, onion, dill, and mint for about 5 minutes, or until onion is soft. Pour in 1 quart of broth, reduce heat to low and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until rice is almost cooked. Stir in 1/2 of lemon juice and remove from heat.
• Take one leaf, shiny side down, and place 1 teaspoon of the rice mixture at the bottom (stem) end of the leaf. Fold both sides of the leaf towards the center, roll up from the broad bottom to the top, and place into a 4-quart pot. Repeat with all leaves, leaving no gaps as leaves are placed in pot (to prevent from opening while cooking). Sprinkle with remaining lemon juice and with olive oil.
• Pour chicken broth over all to cover grape leaves. Cover pot and simmer for about 1 hour (do not boil, because this will make the stuffing burst out of the leaves). Remove from heat, remove cover and let cool for 1/2 hour. Transfer to serving dish and serve.

GREEK-STYLE STUFFED PEPPERS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place green and red bell peppers in a bowl with enough warm water to cover, and soak 5 minutes.
• Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place pork and onions in the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook until pork is evenly brown. Drain grease, and mix in wine and tomato puree. Continue cooking 10 minutes.
• Transfer skillet mixture to a large bowl, and mix in feta cheese, cooked rice, raisins, pine nuts, and parsley. Stuff peppers with the mixture, and arrange in a baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove foil, and continue baking 10 minutes, until stuffing is lightly browned. May be served hot or cold.

CRISPY STUFFED SHELL BITES

Steps:

• Heat a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil, then the turkey sausage, and cook, breaking up the sausage into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until it is beginning to brown and fully cooked, about 5 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic and continue to cook until the sausage has browned and the shallots are soft, about 4 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a large bowl, using a rubber spatula, mix together the cheeses, tomatoes, basil, chives, salt and pepper. Fold in the cooled sausage mixture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package instructions. Strain the pasta well and spread it on paper towels in one layer to dry completely.
• In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat to 350 degrees F. In small batches, fry the dried shells until golden brown and crispy, stirring occasionally so they don't stick to one another. Remove the shells with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Continue with the remaining pasta.
• Fill each shell with about 1 teaspoon of the filling.

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.

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.

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.

TURKISH STUFFED FLATBREAD (GOZLEME)

Steps:

• Place lukewarm water, shortening, salt, sugar, bread flour, and yeast in a bread machine in the order listed. Run Dough cycle. Remove dough from the machine at the kneading, 20 minutes.
• Divide dough into 5 pieces and roll them into balls. Place on a floured surface, cover with a slightly damp cloth, and leave to rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt oil and butter for filling in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until onions soften, about 10 minutes. Add spinach and garlic and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Roll dough circles into flat rounds, 5 to 6 inches in diameter. Fill one half each circle with spinach mixture, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, then fold the other half over and seal the edges.
• Preheat a griddle or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Brush one side of each gozleme with oil and place on the hot pan; cook until base is golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Brush top side with olive oil, turn, and cook until golden, another 2 to 3 minutes.

SIMPLE STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS

Steps:

• In boiling salted water, cook peppers for 3-5 minutes. Remove and set aside. In a skillet, cook beef, onion and is tender. Drain any fat. Add seasonings and soup; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir in cheese; cook and stir until melted. Stir in rice. Fill peppers; place in a shallow baking dish. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.

STUFFED GEORGIAN CHEESE BREADS

Steps:

• Make the filling by combining all the filling ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
• Sift 1 cup of the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.
• Add the yoghurt and stir until combined.
• Add the remaining flour and mix until a dough forms.
• Lighty flour a board or bench and knead the dough for 5 minutes, adding a little extra flour if the dough is sticky.
• Divide the dough into 8 portions.
• Cover with a damp tea towel so they don't dry out while you are working.
• Take one piece and, on a lighty floured surface, roll dough out to a 15cm round.
• Place 1 tablespoon filling in the centre, then gather the sides and twist the top to seal edges together so the filling is encased in dough.
• Gently roll out again to a round shape, then place aside on a baking-paper lined tray and cover with another tea towel.
• Repeat until all of the breads are done.
• Heat a heavy based frypan over a medium heat and spray with oil spray.
• Cook breads in batches for 1 minute on each side.
• Then place breads in a single layer on 1 0r 2 large oven trays and cook at 220 degree C for 10 minutes or until puffed and golden.
• Serve immediately.