Bready or Not Original: Khachapuri (Georgian Cheese Bread)
This wondrous food is essentially a bread boat filled with cheese. Make this for several people, or plan on leftovers--the bread is soft and dense, and the cheese is rich! Makes two khachapuri.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Georgian
Keyword: cheese, yeast bread
Servings: 4
Author: Beth Cato
Equipment
food scale
parchment paper
pizza stone
Ingredients
Dough
1/4cupmilk
1/2cupwater
pinchsugar
1teaspoonactive dry yeast
1 3/4cupsall-purpose flour plus more for dusting
1 1/4teaspoonkosher salt
Filling
9ouncesbutterkäse also known as butter cheese, shredded (substitute mozzarella or havarti)
7ouncesBulgarian feta broken apart with fork (substitute other moist feta)
1large egg room temperature
2large eggs for topping, optional
fresh basil or other chopped herbs or red pepper flakes for topping, optional
Instructions
To make the dough
Warm the milk and water together, in the microwave or on the stove, to about 110-degrees. Transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Stir in sugar and yeast. Let stand about 10 minutes to start bubbling; if the room is cold, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel to encourage warmth.
Add the flour and salt to the bowl. Beat using a dough hook for about five minutes, or longer if by hand, to form a soft dough. Move to a larger greased bowl and cover, letting rise for an hour to an hour and a half.
Shape and fill the khachapuri
Combine the two cheeses in a bowl. Mash in the egg to completely incorporate.
Lightly flour a work surface. Turn out the dough onto the surface, dividing in half. Form each into a round; set one aside. Use a rolling pin to extend a piece of dough to be about ten inches across. Lift it onto parchment paper. Repeat with the other piece of dough, either fitting onto the same parchment or a second piece.
Spoon half the cheese mixture into the middle of a bread sheet, spreading out to about an inch from the edge. Fold the bare edge over to meet the cheese, shaping it into a cheese canoe, pinching the ends together and twisting to seal. Repeat with the second half.
Preheat oven at 450-degrees and place pizza stone in oven to heat up. Let khachapuri rise for 30 minutes.
Carefully pull out the pizza stone. Use parchment to lift khachapuris onto the stone. Bake for 12 minutes. If adding the traditional cracked egg to top each piece, then do so now. In any case, turn around khachapuri and bake for another 4 minutes. Crust should be browned with cheese fully melted.
Let set for 10 minutes. If desired, add chopped basil, red pepper flakes, or other herbs. Serve!
OM NOM NOM!
Notes
To heat up leftover khachapuri, preheat oven at 475-degrees. Wrap khachapuri in foil. Bake for 20 minutes, then check. Pull back foil to cover crust to reduce browning it too much, then bake another 5 to 10 minutes, until cheese is soft and gooey in the middle.