Khachapuri: Georgian Cheese Bread

Khachapuri is Georgia’s most celebrated national dish and my new favorite thing to make and eat. A bread shaped like a boat, so you can pile on tons of cheese and then top it all off with an egg. The best part is that you don't have to travel far to get this. It's surprisingly easy to make and you can make them as small or as big as you would like. 

I've made these a couple times now and I don't worry much about making them into the perfect boat shape. As long as the sides are raised enough to hold the filling, they will be delicious. It's important not to overstuff them with cheese because once you crack the egg on top, your egg will spill over the sides, making one big mess in your oven. I've definitely made this mistake before and it wasn't pretty!

INGREDIENTS

Yields 6 Khachapuri's

• 1 1/2 cups warm milk, 110 degrees F
• 4 tsp active dry yeast
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks melted butter, cooled to room temperature 
• 2 eggs beaten, plus 1 more for egg wash
• 5 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 tbsp kosher salt

FILLING

• 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese 
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 3/4 cup greek yogurt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 6 eggs, whole

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a stand mixer bowl, combine the yeast, sugar, and milk. Let stand for 5-10 minutes, until the mixture becomes foamy.
2. Add the melted butter, egg, flour, and salt. Mix well to form a soft dough. The dough will still be fairly sticky but should pull away from the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 2-3 minutes.
3. Roll the dough into a ball and put it in a large greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and set it in a warm place to rise until it doubles in size, about 1 ½ hours.
4. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
5. Punch the dough down and divide it into six balls. Working one ball at a time on a lightly floured surface, roll each one into a circle about 10 inches in diameter. 
6. Roll the edges inward loosely to create a "boat” shape about 7-8 inches long and 4-5 inches wide in the middle. The rolled dough around the edges should be about 1 inch high. Twist the edges together at the ends and press the twist down with your thumb to seal them. Transfer each khachapuri a lined baking sheet.
7. After you're done shaping the khachapuri, mix the cheeses, yogurt, and eggs together in a small bowl. Spoon some of the filling into each one.
8. Beat 1 whole egg with 1 tsp. water to make an egg wash. Brush the sides of each khachapuri.
9. Bake for 12-13 minutes, until the crusts begin to turn golden. Remove the khachapuri from the oven. Use a spoon to make a well in the center of each khachapuri. Crack a whole egg into each well. Return the khachapuri to the oven and continue baking until crusts turn deep golden brown, another 6-7 minutes. The egg whites should be fairly opaque but still wobbly, the yolks glistening. The eggs will continue to cook in the hot cheese after they are taken out of the oven.