Name: Georgian Khachapuri
Prep time: 1 h 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Central Asian
Ingredients: For dough: 2.5 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp instant yeast, 1 tsp sugar, 3/4 tsp salt, 3/4 cup warm water, 2 tbsp plain yogurt, 1 tbsp olive oil; For filling: 300g sulguni cheese (or sub: 200g low-moisture mozzarella + 100g feta); 2 whole eggs (for the topping); 2 tbsp cold butter, cut into small cubes; 1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp water (egg wash); Extra butter for the table

A boat-shaped bread filled with molten sulguni cheese, finished with a raw egg and knob of butter that you stir tableside. Georgia's most beloved comfort food — addictive on the first bite.

The Cultural Story

Georgia sits at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, where the Caucasus mountains catch clouds coming off the Black Sea and the wine has been fermenting in clay qvevri buried underground for 8,000 years. Georgians have a word — "feast" — that translates directly to "supra," which is not just a meal but a sacred hospitality ritual with a toastmaster (tamada) and prescribed order of toasts that can last eight hours. Khachapuri is the bread that anchors every table, every time. "Khacho" means cheese curds; "puri" means bread. The Adjarian version — the one shaped like a boat, from the Black Sea region — is the showstopper: a thick-rimmed dough vessel holding a pool of melted cheese, with a raw egg cracked in and a cube of cold butter dropped on top just before service. You receive it still bubbling. You break off the boat's ends, dip them into the molten center, stir the egg into the cheese until the whole thing becomes an obscene yellow-orange custard. It is deeply, unashamedly indulgent. It is also one of the greatest foods on earth.

Ingredients

For dough: 2.5 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp instant yeast, 1 tsp sugar, 3/4 tsp salt, 3/4 cup warm water, 2 tbsp plain yogurt, 1 tbsp olive oil
For filling: 300g sulguni cheese (or sub: 200g low-moisture mozzarella + 100g feta)
2 whole eggs (for the topping)
2 tbsp cold butter, cut into small cubes
1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp water (egg wash)
Extra butter for the table

Instructions

1Make the dough: combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Add water, yogurt, and olive oil. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky. Cover and let rise for 1 hour until doubled.
2Make filling: grate or crumble the cheese. If using the mozzarella/feta substitute, mix well — the feta adds necessary salt.
3Preheat oven to 450°F (230°C) with a baking stone or heavy baking sheet inside.
4Divide dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into an oval about 12 inches long. Place cheese filling in the center, leaving a 2-inch border on the long sides and 3 inches on the ends.
5Fold the long sides up over the cheese and roll them toward the center — creating a thick rope border. Twist the two ends together to form the boat's pointed prow. Pinch everything tight so the cheese cannot escape.
6Brush the bread borders with egg wash. Transfer boats to a piece of parchment.
7Slide onto the hot baking stone. Bake for 12–14 minutes until the border is golden and the cheese is melted and bubbling.
8Remove from oven. Working quickly, crack one egg into the center of each boat (directly onto the molten cheese), then scatter cold butter cubes around the egg. Return to oven for 2–3 minutes — the white should be barely set and the yolk completely raw.
9Serve immediately. At the table, use a fork to stir the egg and butter vigorously into the hot cheese until everything becomes a rich, flowing custard. Break off pieces of the bread border and dip. This is not a dish for careful eaters.

Georgian Khachapuri

The Cultural Story

Ingredients

Instructions

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