Adjaruli Khachapuri

Adjaruli Khachapuri

The khachapuri of the Adjara region is an open dough boat filled with cheese, with an egg and butter added to its center at the end of baking. It looks like a meal for one, but a boat this size is very rich and is often shared. You tear off the rims and dip them into the mix of cheese, yolk and butter.

Prep time: 30 minutes · Rising: about 75 minutes · Baking: 15–18 minutes · Yield: 4 large boats · Difficulty: medium

The cheese has to be salty, moist and stretchy

Imeretian cheese and sulguni are not available in every Israeli supermarket. Low-moisture mozzarella gives stretch, feta gives acidity and salt, and ricotta softens. Don’t use only yellow cheese: it is too greasy and salty, without the right tang.

Ingredients (for 4 boats)

• 500 grams bread flour or white flour
• 7 grams dry yeast, 12 grams sugar and 10 grams salt
• 320 ml lukewarm water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 400 grams grated low-moisture mozzarella
• 200 grams crumbled 16% feta
• 150 grams 5% ricotta
• 4 large (L) eggs
• 40 grams butter, for serving

Choosing ingredients and substitutes

If you find kosher sulguni, use it for half to two-thirds of the cheese blend and taste before adding salt. Drain wet ricotta for half an hour. The recipe is distinctly dairy and is not suitable for serving alongside meat.

Method

1. Knead. Mix the flour, yeast and sugar, add the water and oil and knead for 8 minutes. Add the salt and knead for another 2 minutes, until the dough is smooth and soft.
2. Rise. Cover and let rise for 60–75 minutes, until almost doubled. Heat the oven with a stone or an upside-down sheet pan to 250°C (480°F) for at least 30 minutes.
3. Mix the cheeses. Combine the mozzarella, feta and ricotta. The mix should mound without releasing liquid.
4. Shape the boats. Divide the dough into four. Roll each piece into an oval of about 30 cm, scatter a quarter of the cheese and leave a border. Roll the two long sides inward and pinch firmly at the ends.
5. Bake. Transfer to baking paper and bake for 11–13 minutes, until the rims are browned and the cheese is bubbling.
6. Add the egg. Make a well, crack an egg into the center and bake for another 2–4 minutes: the white should be mostly set and the yolk still runny. Add 10 grams of butter and serve immediately.

Nutrition facts and calorie estimate

The calculation includes a quarter of the dough, the cheeses, an egg and 10 grams of butter. The calories value in the metadata is 1150, meaning about 1,150 calories per boat; half a boat is about 575. Fattier cheese brands can add 80–150 calories per piece.

Variations and tips

• The egg keeps cooking from the heat of the cheese; take it out before the yolk looks done to your liking.
• If the boat opens, the pinch at the ends was not firm enough or the filling touched the edge.
• For safety, pregnant women, young children and immunocompromised people need a fully cooked egg.

Summary

A successful adjaruli khachapuri is built from light dough, balanced cheese and an egg added only at the end. A whole boat is about 1,150 calories and is definitely meant for sharing too. For a closed version, see imeruli khachapuri, and for more dishes see Georgian cuisine.