Adjara · 2,5 h · Vegetarian · Main course · For confident cooks
Khachapuri Acharuli
Original name: Adjaruli Khachapuri
For 4 servings · US units
A yeast dough boat filled with sulguni, runny egg yolk and cold butter
Of all the khachapuri out there, the one from Adjara is the showstopper: an open boat of yeast dough loaded with melting sulguni, finished with a half-set egg yolk and a knob of cold butter. You eat it with your hands — stir the yolk, butter and cheese together, tear off a piece of the rim and dunk it in. It's everyday food in the best sense, and it still feels like an occasion every single time.
Ingredients
- 1⅛ lbwheat floursifted, for the yeast dough
- 1¼ cupsmilklukewarm, about 35–40°C
- ¼ ozDry yeastor fresh yeast
- 1 tbspsugarto activate the yeast
- 1 tspsaltfor the dough
- 2 tbspvegetable oilneutral or olive oil
- 5¼ ozreplaces part of the dough liquid (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
- 14⅛ ozcoarsely gratedA 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
- 7 ozsubstitute mozzarella, adyghe cheese or feta/brynzaA 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
- 4eggone egg or just the yolk per boat
- 1⅓ ozbuttercold, added to the hot filling before serving
- ½ cupwatermakes the filling creamy (optional)
- black pepperto taste, in the filling (optional)
Method
- Activate the yeastStir the dry yeast and sugar into the lukewarm milk (or water, around 35–105 °F) and leave it for 10–15 minutes, until it turns foamy.
- Knead the doughMix the sifted wheat flour with the salt, add the yeast mixture and the vegetable oil — if you like, swap part of the liquid for matsoni or yogurt — and knead everything into a smooth, slightly sticky dough.
- Let the dough riseCover the dough and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, until doubled, then knock it back briefly and let it rise a second time.
- Prepare the cheese fillingCoarsely grate the sulguni and imeretian cheese and mix them together; if you want a creamier filling, work in a little water, butter or an egg, and season with black pepper.
- Roll out the doughDivide the dough into four pieces and roll each one into an oval about 5 mm thick.
- Shape the boatsRoll the two long edges in towards the middle, pinch the ends together firmly and pull the sides apart so you end up with an open boat.
- Fill and glazeSpoon the cheese filling into the middle, set the boats on baking sheets lined with parchment, let them rest briefly and brush the rims with beaten egg.
- Bake the boatsBake at 180–430 °F for about 15–20 minutes, until the rims are golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.
- Add the egg and serveTake the boats out, press a hollow into the cheese with a spoon, drop in a whole egg or just the yolk and return them to the oven for 1–5 minutes — the yolk has to stay runny. Top each one with a piece of cold butter and serve straight away, piping hot.
Tips and variations
In Batumi cooks use only the yolk; if you prefer, crack in a whole raw egg and let the white set lightly. For an extra-crisp rim, scrape the soft crumb out of the inside of the boat before adding the egg. There are shortcuts too — ready-made yeast dough, puff pastry or thawed roti flatbreads — or skip the dough altogether and shape the boat from a quark mixture with egg and a little flour. Quark also works in the filling, the cheese can be stirred with cold water into a loose, pourable mass, and smoked sulguni in the mix brings a smoky note; an extra scattering of sulguni on top before baking never hurts. Instead of the oven, an air fryer or convection grill does the job, and in mini format you can use quail yolks. Serve immediately, scattered with chopped parsley, coriander or dill — stir the yolk, butter and cheese together, tear off the rim and dip.
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.
