Today I come to you with a delicious Adjarian Khachapuri recipe. Khachapuri is one of the dishes that is very, very popular both in Georgia and all over ex-soviet Union countries. If there is one thing that all Soviet countries shared and treasured, that would be their love for each other’s food and culture. Trust me, where there is food being shared, everything else must be in order.
Could you imagine sharing your meal with someone and not being empathetic for those people one bit? Well, I can’t. I share food with those I love :) This is the reason we grew up knowing so much about our neighbors and still call each other dear friends. Khachapuri is one of those meal that everyone love. It is one of the foods which unites. The original, clay oven version of this particular Adjarian (Ajaruli) khachapuri is so good, I haven’t met a single person who didn’t like it. The recipe I am presenting today is adopted to be made in the regular house oven. It is, nonetheless, delicious and I hope you enjoy it.
There are several types of Khachapuri one might encounter throughout Georgia. There is Imeruli, Megruli, Guruli, Osuri, Svanuri, Rachuli, Penovani, etc. Each one of these are made in slightly different variations. Adjarian khachapuri will also remind you of Turkish Pide. Turkish pide can be made with lots of savory toppings, where Khachapuri is strictly a cheese and a thicker crust thing. Some variations can be made with the addition of an egg.
Since it is only a two part dish (cheese and crust) both are important in making khachapuri a success. Sulguni is a Georgian cheese used in the making of Khachapuri. If you cannot find it where you live, you can use a combination of cheeses to have a great dish. In this recipe I’ve used a combination of Mozzarella and Sulguni. Lately, I switched to using Mexican Oaxaca cheese. It is absolutely divine and a very close relative to Sulguni. You can make a blend of cheeses to see if you would like that better. Modify this recipe to your liking and see if you can come up with your own staple. This recipe is pretty easy to follow. Don’t let the photos scare you. There are so many of them to make it easier for you to follow the process.
Please click here to follow the directions for the dough.
Ingredients for the topping:
- 5-6 cups of shredded cheese of your choice. I used Sulguni and Mozarella. You can also increase the cheese amount if you like it cheesy :D
- 1 egg yolk for a wash
- 1/2 Tbsp of water for the egg wash
- Use extra eggs if you want to crack it on the khachapuri mid baking. (optional)
- 1 Tbsp cold butter, cut in pieces
Shred all the cheese. If you are using different varieties of cheese, mix everything well once shredded.
When the dough is well rested, add a little flour to the surface you will be working on. Place the dough on the surface and cut it to 5 even pieces.
My daughter decided to be my partner for this recipe :) Cover the dough with a plastic wrap and let it rest for about 5 minutes. Once the time is up start rolling the dough one by one, creating an oblong shape, which is about 8 inches wide and 12 inches long. You can roll the dough pretty thin as it will rise in the oven again, creating a thicker crust.
Once the dough is rolled out transfer it to the baking sheet. This dough is very easy to work with. Transferring it should not be a problem. My trick is to roll the dough gently, move it on the baking sheet and unroll right away.
Place a cup of cheese (or more, if you prefer) on the dough and spread evenly. Gently tuck the sides of the dough inwards, creating a small roll (as if creating a stuffed crust pizza. Don’t worry if you can’t do it right away, it is ok to mess this one up. This recipe is quite forgiving. Follow the oblong shape of the dough. Once both sides are tucked, pinch the top and the bottom of the dough, or simply tuck one corner over the other, as pictured.
Cover the khachapuri with a towel and let them rest 10 minutes before they go into the oven. If you are in a rush you can skip this step.
Set the oven to 420F. Make and egg wash using the egg yolk and a table spoon of water. Brush the sides of the khachapuri with the egg wash. Place small pieces of butter on top of the cheese and place the khachapuri in the oven and bake until golden brown. It should take no more than 30 minutes.
If you would like to try cracking an egg on the khachapuri, take the baking sheet out of the oven right before the khachapuri is done baking. Crack one egg right in the middle of it and place the khachapuri back in the oven until completely baked.
You are ready to enjoy this simple yet very delicious dish. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns regarding this recipe. I will make sure to get back to you in a timely fashion.
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5 from 2 votes
here are several types of Khachapuri one might encounter throughout Georgia. There is Imeruli, Megruli, Guruli, Osuri, Svanuri, Rachuli, Penovani, etc. Each one of these are made in slightly different variations. Adjarian khachapuri will also remind you of Turkish Pide. Turkish pide can be made with lots of savory toppings, where Khachapuri is strictly a cheese and a thicker crust thing. Some variations can be made with the addition of an egg.
Prep Time30 minutes mins
Cook Time30 minutes mins
Total Time1 hour hr
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Georgian Cuisine
Servings: 5 khachapuri
Author: Lola Elise
Ingredients
- NGREDIENTS FOR THE DOUGH:
- 1 Tbsp of active dry yeast
- 1 cup of warm milk
- 1 tsp of sugar
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1 egg
- 3 Tbsp of vegetable oil
- 3 cups of all purpose flour
- TOPPING:
- 5-6 cups of shredded cheese of your choice. I used Sulguni and Mozarella. You can also increase the cheese amount if you like it cheesy :D
- 1 egg yolk for a wash
- 1/2 Tbsp of water for the egg wash
- Use extra eggs if you want to crack it on the khachapuri mid baking. optional
- 1 Tbsp cold butter cut in pieces
Instructions
DIRECTIONS TO MAKE THE DOUGH:
Having the milk warm helps the dry yeast activate faster, which in terms helps the dough rise well. Sugar also aids in this process, which feeds yeast. Place warm milk in a medium bowl and add sugar, yeast and salt. Give the mixture a stir and cover it with a plastic wrap or a plate. Wait for about 5-10 minutes until you see some froth forming on the surface of the mixture. Add oil and the egg. Give it a stir with a fork and add the flour. Be careful adding the flour. Consistency of the flour is different depending on the brand of the flour you might be using. Always leave a cup to incorporate it at the end, as needed. Chances are you will still use all of it. But if you notice that the dough is getting harder, it might be time to stop adding more flour. The opposite might be true, too. If you add all the flour and your mixture is still a little wet, add a little more flour than listed on the recipe. After you have added the flour kneed a nicely soft dough.
Grease the dough with just a little bit of oil, put a damp cloth over it and cover with another towel. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes. It should double in size before you can use it. It is a very pliable dough and should not give you any trouble rolling once rested well.
Shred all the cheese. If you are using different varieties of cheese, mix everything well once shredded.
When the dough is well rested, add a little flour to the surface you will be working on. Place the dough on the surface and cut it to 5 even pieces.
Cover the dough with a plastic wrap and let it rest for about 5 minutes. Once the time is up start rolling the dough one by one, creating an oblong shape, which is about 8 inches wide and 12 inches long. You can roll the dough pretty thin as it will rise in the oven again, creating a thicker crust.
Once the dough is rolled out transfer it to the baking sheet. This dough is very easy to work with. Transferring it should not be a problem. My trick is to roll the dough gently, move it on the baking sheet and unroll right away.
Place a cup of cheese (or more, if you prefer) on the dough and spread evenly. Gently tuck the sides of the dough inwards, creating a small roll (as if creating a stuffed crust pizza. Don’t worry if you can’t do it right away, it is ok to mess this one up. This recipe is quite forgiving. Follow the oblong shape of the dough. Once both sides are tucked, pinch the top and the bottom of the dough, or simply tuck one corner over the other, as pictured.
Cover the khachapuri with a towel and let them rest 10 minutes before they go into the oven. If you are in a rush you can skip this step.
Set the oven to 420F. Make and egg wash using the egg yolk and a table spoon of water. Brush the sides of the khachapuri with the egg wash. Place small pieces of butter on top of the cheese and place the khachapuri in the oven and bake until golden brown. It should take no more than 30 minutes.
Notes
If you would like to try cracking an egg on the khachapuri, take the baking sheet out of the oven right before the khachapuri is done baking. Crack one egg right in the middle of it and place the khachapuri back in the oven until completely baked.
