Khachapuri Adjaruli | Georgian Cheese Bread Boat
Elevate your brunch game and savor Khachapuri, a gourmet twist on the egg, cheese, and toast classic. This distinctive dish with its unique boat shape, crowned with a perfectly cooked egg in the center, looks as exquisite as it tastes.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 590kcal
Equipment
- 1 Large mixing bowl
- 1 Medium sized bowl
- 1 wooden spoon or Danish dough hand whisk
- 1 dough scraper
- 1 whisk or fork
- 1 basting brush optional
- 2 parchment paper rectangles 12 x 15 inches each
- 1 baking sheet
- 1 Rolling Pin
Ingredients
For the dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 250 grams, plus more for dusting
- ⅓ cup warm water 70 milliliters
- ½ cup warm whole milk 120 milliliters
- 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar 4 grams
- 1 teaspoon table salt 6 grams
- 1 teaspoon instant dry yeast 3 grams
- 2 teaspoon olive oil 10 milliliters
For the cheese blend
- 3 ounces mozzarella cheese low moisture
- 3 ounces Monterey Jack cheese
- 6 ounces feta cheese
For the rest
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon cold butter sliced into 4 pieces
- ½ teaspoon sea salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- 1 teaspoon fresh cilantro optional, sliced
- 1 teaspoon fresh chives optional, sliced
Instructions
Make the dough
- Mix the dough: Add the warm water, instant dry yeast, and sugar to a bowl. Mix vigorously with a whisk. Add warm milk, olive oil, flour, and salt. Mix with a wooden spoon or Danish dough hand whisk until no dry dough is visible. The dough will be shaggy and wet. Knead the dough (3 minutes): Using a dough scraper or a large spoon, scrape the shaggy dough into a ball and transfer it to a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle some flour on the dough ball and knead the dough for about 3 minutes by pulling out long bits from the side and pressing it into the center. Once the dough is smooth and silky, tighten is into a ball by pressing it with both hands in a rotating motion. Proof the dough: Place the smooth dough ball into a mixing bowl. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Smear the olive oil all over the dough ball including the bottom. Cover and proof for about 1 to 1 ½ hours in a warm place or until the dough doubles in size.
Prep while the dough proofs
- Mix the cheese: Mix the shredded feta, Monterey Jack cheese and mozzarella in a medium sized bowl. Set aside and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Prepare the parchment: Cut some parchment paper into two 12x15 inch rectangles. Sprinkle the parchment rectangles with a little flour.
Shape and stuff khachapuri
- Preheat the oven at 475°F: Once the dough has doubled in size, begin preheating the oven. Set the oven rack in the middle. Roll out the dough: Using a plastic dough scraper or a large spoon, loosen the proofed dough from the sides of the large mixing bowl and pour onto a well-floured surface. Shape the dough into a circle and cut the dough into two pieces using the dough scraper. Take one dough ball and press into a rectangular shape. Pick up the dough rectangle and place it on one of the floured parchment rectangles. Press the dough into a larger rectangle. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a rectangle until it is about ⅛ inch thick.Add the cheese and shape the dough into boats: Divide the cheese into two portions* so that half goes into each khachapuri. Take half of the cheese from one portion and spread it across the top and bottom in parallel lines about an inch from the long side of the dough. This is the crust of the dough which will ultimately form the cheese-stuffed crust. Roll one side of the dough down so that the melted cheese is completely trapped in the dough. Really press down against the seams so that when the cheese melts while baking, it stays inside the crust. Repeat with the other side. Press the two sides together on the short side, twist several times and tuck the end underneath so that the twist does not unravel. Take the remaining portion of the cheese and place it in the middle hollow of the Khachapuri. Pick up the dough by lifting it up the parchment and transfer to the baking sheet. Cut around the edges of the parchment so that the parchment of the two khachapuri does not overlap. Repeat this process and make the second Khachapuri.* If you want to make four khachapuri's so that each person has their own khachapuri, simply adjust the recipe accordingly.
Bake the Khachapuri
- Bake the khachapuri: Bake at 475°F until the dough is golden brown - about 15 minutes. Make room for the egg: Remove the khachapuri from the oven and press down the melted cheese in the middle portion of the khachapuri with a spoon to make room for the egg. Bake the egg: Pour the egg into each khachapuri. Bake for 3-4 minutes or until the egg is just set. At this point the egg will look like it is still raw, - this is deliberate – the eggs continue to cook even after they are removed from the oven. They will be perfectly done by the time the dish is ready to eat. Garnish: Once the Khachapuri is done, tuck in some butter, sprinkle with salt, cayenne pepper and chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
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- Parchment really helps when rolling and shaping the dough. Khachapuri is a very wet dough so it can get sticky and messy. Using parchment as a base helps you to move it around more easily.
- Make the indentation for the egg wide and shallow. This allows the egg to spread out and helps the yolk cook more quickly.
- Do not overbake the egg. The eggs continue to cook even after they were removed from the oven. They will be perfectly done by the time The dish is ready to eat.