Khachapuri
Adjarian Cheese Bread
This is a vegetarian recipe.
Kachapuri, the Adjarian version of pizza, is a well known dish throughout the world. It's a simple affair of a bread dough, cheeses and an egg cooked in the middle. It's the egg, of course, which elevates this beyond a simple grilled cheese sandwich. The traditional cheese, a combination of Georgian imeruli and sulguni cheeses, might too - but as these two are impossible to find anywhere near me, I had to use a combination of mozzarella and feta which, while good, wasn't extraordinary. I had made a more generic Georgian version of kachapuri previously sans the egg.
There are lots of recipes for the dough - the filling, on the other hand, is quite standardized -, and the one I chose wasn't too successful. It took much longer to rise than it should have (then again, fall has arrived in California), and then it baked into a pretty hard bread. I'd try a different one.
It's a bit hard to explain how to fold the kachapuri, but this video shows you precisely how to.
Adjarian Khachapuri
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1/2 cup warm milk
- 1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil + a bit more
- 1 egg, beaten - divided
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour + more for rolling
For the filling
- 1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
- 3/4 cup feta cheese
- 4 eggs
Directions
Put warm milk in a large bowl (or the bowl of an electric mixer if using it to knead). Add the yeast, sugar and salt. Cover the bowl and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
Stir in the oil and half of the beaten egg. Gradually add the flour, mixing as you do. Knead the dough.
Lightly oil your hands and form the dough into a ball, making sure its whole outer surface is lightly covered with oil. Place dough into a clean bowl. Cover the bowl with a moist towel. Place a dry towel on the wet one and let it rest in a warm place for about an hour, or until the dough has doubled in size.
Meanwhile, mix together the mozzarella and feta cheese. Add one teaspoon of water to the remaining beaten egg and mix well. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet.
Divide the dough into four parts and form a ball with each of the parts. Lightly flour a working surface and a rolling pin. Roll the dough into a thin oval. Sprinkle with a fourth of the cheese. Form into a boat by rolling the sides to create a raised edge and then joining and crimping the ends. Transfer to the baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the dough. Brush the edges of the boats with eggwash. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and make a well in the middle of each boat. Crack an egg over each one. Return to the oven for a couple of more minutes or until the egg has set.
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Adapted from Lola's recipe at Arbuz
Adjarian
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