Khachapuri (Georgian Cheese Bread) and Imeruli khachapuri (Georgian Cheese Naan/Pita)

Across Georgia, many khachapuri styles take their inspiration from the west-central region of Imereti. Imeruli khachapuri resembles simple pita or naan and can be filled with either imeruli cheese or an imeruli-sulguni mixture. It is always served as a part of a supra, the traditional Georgian feast spread; the filling, savory pastry is generally treated as a side dish and is meant to be eaten alongside a full meal.This baked bread is stuffed with 3 different cheeses (You can choose your own cheeses as well and really delicious put a runny egg in the center. In some variants the the egg is plopped in at the end of the baking process so it’s slightly cooked but still runny. This way it cooks a little more but doesn’t turn into a scramble. Georgians tend to prefer it over pizza.

The typical cheeses used in khachapuri are Imeruli and Gulguni. Imeruli is a fresh, crumbly, mountain cheese from the Imereti region. It is made with a mixture of cow's milk and the whey leftover from making firmer cheeses. Sulguni, from the coastal Samegrelo region, has a firmer and more elastic consistency and a briny tart flavor. When combined and melted, they become a filling that is creamy and stretchy, with a feta-like taste but gentler. These cheese can be difficult to purchase so yes you can take your mix of cheeses. Mozarella, Feta, Gouda etc. Aim to use cheese that have moderate "moisture and less juices" to avoid getting a soggy result. Again, you can whatever you want. Experiment or stay traditional. With a bit of practice shaping, you can adapt these recipes into dozens of traditional Georgian breads/pizzas, or fill them with your own original stuffings. Read the whole recipe as this offers the possiblity to make different types of Khachapuri.

From a filled pita naan to boat shaped variations with an egg in the centre or filled with your fantasy filling.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 220 ml water
• 125 ml full fat milk
• 450 grams of flour
• 100 grams of cubed butter
• 2 Tbspn olive oil or more to taste
• 1 tspn sugar
• 1 tspn yeast
• 1 tspn salt to taste
• 350 grams of different cheeses for the filling grated/cubed and mixed. Get Sulguni and Imeruli if you can for the filling if you want to go traditional.If you find it take: Sulguni, Imeruli, Gulguni cheeses
• Optional 1 -2 fresh eggs

Preparation

1In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the salt, yeast, sugar, and flour.

2Heat water and milk to about 40 degrees Celcius (Important do not make it to warm otherwise the yeast is not able to perfom its magic). Then pour it into the bowl of dry ingredients. Begin kneading the dough with the hook until it’s close to being smooth and elastic. Takes around 2 - 4 minutes depending on your equipment. Add the oil into the dough and knead for one more minute.

3Drizzle some olive oil onto the bottom and sides of a deep bowl. Place the dough inside the bowl and cover with a cloth and set the bowl in a warm place until the dough doubles in size, about 1-2 hours.

4Combine the different cheeses together

5Once the dough has doubled in size devide in 4 equal portions. Spread each piece of the dough into a circle about 20 cm in diameter. Then roll 2 opposite sides of the circle towards the center so it ends up have a boat like shape. Then pinch the corners together. Use a little water as glue if need to ensure the sides are closed. Alternatively you can make a Imeruli khachapuri cheese filled naan/pita. Make two circles for each 2 -3 milimetres thick and fill with the cheese and closely fold the edges.

6Fill each khachapuri with the cheese. But a little under the top of the edge.. Beat 1 egg yolk with a little of water, then brush the dough with egg wash.

7Bake in a preheated 245 degrees celcius oven for about 15 minutes or until the crust becomes golden brown and the cheese has melted. Make a well in the center of each khachapuri with the back of a spoon and drop 1 egg into each well. Then stick a few small pieces of butter into the cheese.

8Return the khachapuri back into the oven and bake for another 5-6 minutes. Cooking time may vary depending on your oven. The egg white should be white but still pretty runny. It will cook further as it is surrounded by the cheese. Tell your guests to mix the cheese and egg with their fork.

Inspired by http://www.saveur.com/khachapuri-style-guide a great guide to Georgian cooking and baking of Khachapuri