Kartopiliani Khachapuri

Ingredients

• 12⅓ ozwheat floursifted, for the dough, plus extra for dusting
• 4¼ ozsour creamfor the dough, reacts with the baking soda
• 3½ ozbuttersoftened, for the dough; some for brushing after baking
• 1½ tspsugarfor the dough
• ½ tspbaking sodaleavening for the dough
• ½ tspsaltfor dough and filling, plus for the cooking water
• 14⅛ ozPotatoesstarchy, peeled, boiled and mashed smooth
• 8¾ ozcheesesulguni, Ossetian cheese, brynza or a firm cheese; grated, for the filling
• 1eggbeaten, for brushing before baking
• ½ tspblue fenugreekground, for the filling (optional)

Method

1. Boil the potatoesPeel the potatoes and boil them in salted water for 15–25 minutes until tender. Drain, then let them steam dry in the open pot so the filling doesn't turn out wet later.
2. Mix the dough baseFor the dough, beat the softened butter with the sour cream, sugar and salt until smooth, keeping back a little butter for brushing after baking. Stir in the baking soda; it reacts with the sour cream and gives the dough its lift.
3. Knead and rest the doughWork in the sifted flour quickly and knead only briefly, just until you have a soft dough. Cover it and let it rest for 15–20 minutes.
4. Make the fillingMeanwhile, mash the potatoes until there are no lumps left and let them cool slightly. Mix in the grated cheese, season with salt and add the ground blue fenugreek if you're using it. The filling should stay firm so it's easy to shape. Preheat the oven to 200–445 °F.
5. Roll out the roundsDivide the dough into portions and roll each one out into a round on a lightly floured surface.
6. Fill and sealPlace a portion of filling in the middle of each round, draw the edges of the dough up all the way around and pinch them together firmly at the top. Turn each parcel seam side down and gently press it into a flat round.
7. Get them ready for the ovenPoke a small steam hole in the centre of each flatbread. Lay them on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet and brush with the beaten egg.
8. Bake until goldenBake the khachapuri at 200–445 °F for 10–25 minutes until golden brown; the exact time depends on their size and your oven.
9. Finish with butterBrush the hot flatbreads straight away with the butter you set aside, so they turn glossy and soft, and serve right away.

Tips and variations

If you like, stir melted butter, a little pepper and blue fenugreek into the filling; if it gets too stiff, a splash of milk or matsoni loosens it up. Herbs and spring onions are a nice addition too. Instead of the sour cream dough you can use a yeast dough made with water and oil, which then needs an hour to rise, or beat two extra eggs into the sour cream dough. Margarine can stand in for the butter in the dough. Shaping can be simpler, too: just fold the rounds into half-moons, or bake them as large open flatbreads like a vatrushka. They're at their best straight out of the oven, still steaming and shiny with butter.