Georgian Khachapuri (Cheese Bread)

Khachapuri is Georgia’s cheese bread, and the version most of the world has fallen for is the adjaruli: a boat of soft yeasted dough filled with molten cheese, crowned at the last moment with a raw egg yolk and a knob of butter. At the table you stir the yolk and butter into the hot cheese until everything becomes one golden, stretchy pool, then tear off pieces of the crust and dip. It is bread, fondue, and theater in one dish, and in Georgia it is everyday food, sold from bakeries on nearly every street.

A Bread With a Region Behind It

The boat-shaped adjaruli khachapuri comes from Adjara, the region on Georgia’s Black Sea coast, and its shape is said to echo the boats of local fishermen, with the egg standing in for the sun. It is one member of a large family: imeruli, from Imereti, is a round, closed disk with cheese sealed inside; megruli, from Samegrelo, adds a second layer of cheese on top. Every region of Georgia claims its own, and khachapuri holds a central place in Georgian food culture, protected and celebrated as a national dish. This recipe makes the adjaruli, the most dramatic of the family.

The Cheese, and How to Fake It

Traditional khachapuri uses Georgian cheeses, primarily sulguni and imeruli, which are brined, salty, and melt into elastic strands. Outside Georgia and its neighbors those cheeses are hard to source, so this recipe uses the accepted stand-in that Georgian cooks abroad rely on: a mix of crumbled feta for salt and tang with grated low-moisture mozzarella for stretch. The roughly equal blend lands close to the original. Drain the feta well, and if yours is very salty, soak it in cold water for ten minutes first. A spoonful of the cheese mixture reserved for the top browns attractively in the oven.

Building the Dough

The dough is a simple enriched yeast dough: flour, warm milk, yeast, salt, and a little olive oil. Milk keeps the crumb tender, and the two-hour rise builds flavor and the soft, pillowy texture the dish depends on. Knead until smooth and slightly tacky rather than dry; a wetter dough bakes lighter. After the rise, divide it in two, roll each piece into an oval, and mound the cheese down the middle. Roll the two long edges inward toward the filling and pinch the ends hard into points, forming the boat. Loose ends unravel in the oven, so pinch with conviction.

Baking Hot and Fast

Khachapuri bakes at high heat, around 475 F, so the crust browns and the cheese melts before the dough dries out. A baking stone or an upside-down sheet pan preheated in the oven gives the base a proper bottom crust. Fifteen minutes gets you a golden boat with bubbling cheese. Then comes the signature move: pull the breads out, crack an egg into the center of each, spoon a little of the hot cheese over the white, and return them to the oven for two to three minutes. The goal is a set white and a completely liquid yolk, because the yolk is the sauce.

The Ritual at the Table

Serve khachapuri the moment it leaves the oven, with the butter dropped on top of the egg. Each person, or each pair sharing a boat, stirs the yolk and butter into the cheese with a fork until the filling turns into a smooth, glossy emulsion. Then the eating begins from the ends: tear off the pointed tips of the crust, dip, and work inward. Knives and forks come out only for the soggy, cheese-soaked center, which many consider the best part. A crisp salad of cucumber and tomato with walnuts, in the Georgian style, is all the accompaniment it needs.

Working Ahead

The dough can rise slowly in the refrigerator overnight, which deepens its flavor; bring it back toward room temperature before shaping. Shaped, unbaked boats freeze well for up to a month; bake them from frozen, adding a few minutes. Baked khachapuri is best fresh, but leftovers reheat respectably in a hot oven for five minutes. The microwave turns the crust rubbery and is best avoided.

Common Questions

Is the runny egg safe to eat?

The white sets in the oven and the yolk stays soft, similar to a sunny-side-up egg. Use fresh, refrigerated eggs. Anyone avoiding undercooked eggs can bake the boat an extra two minutes until the yolk sets, or skip the egg entirely, which is how the closed imeruli style works.

Can I use store-bought pizza dough?

Yes. A pound of pizza dough makes two boats and cuts the prep time to minutes. The crumb turns out chewier than the milk dough, but the dish still delivers.

What drink goes with khachapuri?

In Georgia, dry amber or white wine is the classic partner, and Georgia’s winemaking tradition is among the oldest anywhere. Strong black tea works just as well at breakfast, when Georgians happily eat khachapuri too.