Adjarian Khachapuri — Georgian Boat-Shaped Bread with Cheese, Egg and Butter

Adjarian khachapuri is the most famous dish of Georgian cuisine and comes from the Adjara region on the Black Sea coast. The name comes from the words “khacho” (curd/cheese) and “puri” (bread). It is a boat-shaped baked bread, filled with melted cheese, topped with an egg and butter that are mixed in at the moment of serving — eaten with hands, dipping pieces of dough into the creamy filling.

Ingredients (for 4 boats / 4 servings)

Dough:

• 500 g flour
• 7 g active dry yeast (1 packet)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 250 ml lukewarm water
• 60 ml lukewarm milk
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Filling:

• 300 g sulguni cheese (or a mix of mozzarella + salted feta)
• 200 g salted white cheese (feta)
• 4 eggs (for topping)
• 60 g cold butter, in pieces

Preparation steps

1. Activate the yeast: mix the yeast with the sugar and lukewarm water and leave for 10 minutes until foamy.
2. Prepare the dough: in a large bowl mix the flour with the salt, add the activated yeast, milk and olive oil. Knead the dough for 8–10 minutes until soft and elastic. Cover and let it rise in a warm place for 1–1.5 hours, until doubled in volume.
3. Prepare the filling: grate the cheeses and mix well in a bowl.
4. Shape the boats: divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each part into an oval (about 20 cm). Spread the cheese filling in the middle, leaving about 2 cm of empty edges. Roll the edges inward toward the middle and seal the tips, forming the “boat” shape.
5. Bake: place the boats on a tray lined with baking paper and bake in a preheated oven at 220°C for 12–15 minutes, until the dough turns golden.
6. Add the egg: remove the tray from the oven, carefully crack an egg into the middle of each boat over the hot cheese, and return to the oven for another 2–3 minutes — the white should set, but the yolk stay runny.
7. Serve: place a piece of cold butter on top of each khachapuri. At the table, mix the egg with the melted cheese with a fork and dip the crispy dough pieces into the filling. Serve immediately, while hot.

Preparation time: 30 minutes (+ 1–1.5 hours dough rising). Baking time: 15–18 minutes. Servings: 4.

Photo: Eugene Krasnaok / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA).