Imereti · 2 h · Vegetarian · Baking · For confident cooks
Imeruli Khachapuri
In German: Imeretisches Chatschapuri · In English: Imeretian khachapuri
For 4 servings · US units
Soft yeasted bread with a molten cheese centre, buttered straight from the oven
Imeruli khachapuri is Georgia's everyday cheese bread: a round of yeasted dough hiding grated Imeretian cheese and sulguni that melt into a salty, stretchy core. The name comes from the Imeretian way of making it, with fresh Imeretian cheese as the filling. Serve it hot, brushed generously with butter, with sour cream, plain yogurt or ajika alongside — that's all it needs.
Ingredients
- 1⅛ lbwheat flourplus extra for dusting
- 14⅛ ozcoarsely grated; feta or adyghe cheese as substituteA young Georgian brined cheese made from cow's milk, soft, slightly crumbly and mildly tangy and salty.Substitute: A well-tested mix is roughly two parts mozzarella to one part feta: the mozzarella provides the melt, the feta the salt and tang. The result is stringier and somewhat saltier than the original; for a milder version, replace part of the feta with drained cottage cheese or farmer's cheese.Read more
- 7 ozcoarsely grated, mixed with imeretian cheese or used aloneA Georgian brined cheese made from cow's or buffalo milk, scalded and kneaded like mozzarella, sliceable, salty and mildly sour.Substitute: The usual stand-in is roughly two parts low-moisture mozzarella to one part feta or another brined cheese: the mozzarella provides the melt and stretch, the feta the salt and tang. The blend does not fully match sulguni, being softer and less fibrous, and feta on its own would crumble rather than melt. For smoked sulguni, part of the mix can be replaced with smoked scamorza.Read more
- 1 cupmilklukewarm, about 35-40°C
- ¼ ozYeastor equivalent fresh yeast
- 2eggone for the dough, one for the cheese filling
- 1¾ ozbutterfor brushing, partly also worked into the filling
- 2 tbspVegetable oilfor the dough and the bowl
- 1 tspsugarto activate the yeast
- 1 tspsaltseason the filling depending on how salty the cheese is
- 1 cuponly for the yeast-free pan version, replacing milk and yeast (optional)Cultured, slightly fizzy drinking milk, thinner than yogurt, with a fresh tang.Substitute: Buttermilk comes closest in tang and consistency. Yogurt thinned with water also works, but it is milder and lacks the slight fizz.Read more
- ½ tspbaking sodafor kefir/matsoni dough instead of yeast (optional)
- ⅔ cupGeorgian soured milk in the dough (optional)Georgian cultured milk, similar to a thin, distinctly tangy plain yogurt.Substitute: Plain whole-milk yogurt, not strained or Greek-style, loosened with a little milk or kefir, comes fairly close in texture and tang. It tastes somewhat milder and rounder; if the fresh sourness is missing, use a larger share of kefir or buttermilk.Read more
- 1 bunchfinely chopped, in the filling (optional)The fresh leaves and tender stems of the coriander plant, with a bright, lemony, pungent aroma.Substitute: There is no true substitute: flat-leaf parsley adds freshness and colour but not the distinctive aroma, and dried cilantro has little flavour left. If it is missing, use more of the other fresh herbs, knowing the dish will taste noticeably different.Read more
- black pepperto taste in the filling (optional)
- 1 tbspsour creamin the dough, in the filling or mixed with yolk for glazing (optional)
Method
- Activate the yeastStir the dry yeast into the lukewarm milk (about 35–105 °F) with the sugar and leave it for 10–15 minutes, until the mixture is foamy.
- Knead the doughMix the flour with the salt, add the yeast milk, one egg and the vegetable oil, and knead for 5–10 minutes into a soft, smooth dough.
- Let the dough risePut the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover it and let it rise in a warm spot for 1–2 hours, until it has grown noticeably.
- Make the cheese fillingFor the filling, coarsely grate the Imeretian cheese and the sulguni and mix them with the second egg and a little soft butter into a mass that holds together; add salt depending on how salty the cheese is, and stir in chopped cilantro and black pepper if you like.
- Portion dough and fillingDivide the dough and the filling into equal portions and roll each portion of filling into a ball.
- Wrap the filling in doughFlatten or thinly roll out each piece of dough, set a ball of cheese in the middle, gather the edges up over it and pinch them firmly shut like a pouch.
- Shape the flatbreadsTurn each parcel seam side down and gently press or roll it out into a round about 1–2 cm thick; prick the surface several times or leave a small hole in the centre for the steam.
- Bake until goldenBake the breads on a hot tray in a preheated oven at 200–500 °F for 10–20 minutes, until golden brown.
- Butter, rest and sliceBrush them generously with melted butter while still hot, let them rest briefly under a linen cloth so the cheese doesn't run out when you cut them, then slice into pieces.
Tips and variations
You can skip the yeast altogether: a quick dough of kefir and baking soda, cooked in a dry, hot pan under a lid for 3–5 minutes per side. Matsoni or sour cream in place of plain milk gives a softer, slightly sticky dough; in a heavy pan the breads need 8–10 minutes per side over medium heat, and on a grill rack over burnt-down coals 20–25 minutes. Instead of Imeretian cheese, adyghe cheese, brynza, feta or mozzarella all work, and the filling can be stretched with quark or seasoned with cilantro, parsley, dill and pepper. If you like, brush the breads before baking with egg yolk, egg yolk and milk, or egg yolk and sour cream; make minis from 50 g dough and 40 g filling each, or one big bread from the whole batch of dough. Serve hot, with sour cream or plain yogurt — and ajika for heat.
Allergens
Contains: Eggs, Cereals containing gluten, Milk (including lactose)
These notes follow from this recipe's ingredient list. Ready-made products and brands may contain further allergens — please check the packaging yourself.
Something not right?
This recipe was put together from independent sources and checked before publishing. Even so, a mistake can slip through — an amount that does not add up, a step that does not work as written. If you spot something, write to us: we will look into it and put it right.
