Khachapuri (Georgian Cheese Bread)

There’s a kind of comfort that only freshly baked bread and bubbling cheese can offer. And nowhere is that comfort more beautifully expressed than in khachapuri. Georgia’s beloved national dish. Imagine tearing into a warm boat of dough, its crispy crust still crackling from the oven, the centre a molten mix of cheeses crowned with a runny egg. 

This is more than just food… it is tradition, warmth, and soul in edible form.

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Khachapuri (ხაჭაპური), from the heart of the Caucasus, dates back centuries. Its name comes from “khacho” (curd cheese) and “puri” (bread), and though the word is humble, its flavour is nothing short of extraordinary. Each region in Georgia has its take, from the round, cheese-filled Imeruli to the iconic Adjarian style, shaped like a boat and served with an egg cracked on top just before the final bake.

Disclaimer: This is not for the weak-hearted ones out there. If you're sensitive to violence and blood, please skip this section: skip.

I took my usual walk - my late, silent solitary. The road I always choose. That narrow, barely lit stretch of cracked pavement winding through silence and shadow. There’s something comforting in how forgotten it feels. Comforting because no one else dares walk it.

Making it mine…

My daydreaming, or I guess you can call it nightdreaming, until something pulled me out. A poster. I almost missed it, nailed crookedly to a telephone pole like it had been hung in a hurry. It was not there yesterday. And as I looked around, I saw they were all over the street.

It was a missing person poster, displaying a young girl with white skin like porcelain, slim hands crossed on her chest, her long black hair loosely covering her petite shoulders, and that pretty pink dress.

It fit her so well, perfectly highlighting her petite, feminine form.

They were begging – pleading - for any information. But they’ve been begging for weeks. And they'll keep begging. They’ll never find her.

The day she “disappeared”, she walked on this exact street, the dark road no one took. She walked home from her friend's birthday party. She wasn’t drunk, she was too young for that. But she was in a hurry… not sure why… maybe because of the dark street, late night or maybe someone was following her.

Maybe… we will never know as she never made it home… well, not hers anyways.

As I kept staring at the photo. That face. So soft. So pale. And I remembered.

The warmth, the softness of her skin in my rough hands. And her smell, so sweet like candy.

The longer I look at her picture, the more I feel disappointed that she lasted only for a couple of days. Especially when she tasted as sweet as she smelled…

I had to look away. I could no longer look at her picture. I could not continue, although I wanted to. The craving grew each moment that I continued looking, reminiscing. It was too much…

But as I turned my head to look away, to look down the street. There she was. The girl in the red dress. So pretty walking alone, just like the last. Her steps were quick, but unsure.

She shouldn’t be here. But she is.

And she will do. She will fulfil my craving.

Originally a shepherd’s meal, khachapuri is now a proud symbol of Georgian hospitality. All the cheeses, tangy feta, nutty Gruyère, sharp cheddar, and aged Pecorino, melt together in savoury harmony, while the soft, slightly sweet dough holds it all like an edible cradle.

Let’s make it together.

Ingredients

• 480 g flour

• 1 tbsp instant/dry yeast

• 2 1/2 tbsp sugar

• 2 ¼ tbsp salt

• 300 ml water

• 60 g butter

• 170 g Gruyere cheese

• 170 g cheddar

• 100 g feta cheese

• ¼ cup parmesan 

• 5 eggs (1 for an egg wash)

• salt

• dill

Method

• In a large bowl, mix flour, instant/dry yeast, sugar, and salt.

• Add lukewarm water and softened butter to the dry ingredients. Mix for about 2 minutes until a rough dough forms.

• Knead the dough for 5 minutes until it’s smooth and elastic.

• Cover and let it rise in a warm place for 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

• Once risen, divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight for a deeper flavour.

• Grate your cheese and combine it in a bowl. Set aside.

• Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F).

• Take one piece of dough and roll it into an oval about 0.5 cm thick.

• Roll the long edges inward and twist the ends to form a boat shape.

• Fill the centre with the grated cheese mixture.

• Brush the outer dough edges with egg wash for a golden finish.

• Place on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and golden.

• Remove from the oven and crack 1 egg into the centre of each bread boat. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

• Return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, just until the egg whites are set and the yolk remains runny.

  
  

Enjoy!