Round khachapuri with sulguni cheese baked both inside and melted on top — Megrelia's bolder twin to the Imeretian version.
Megruli khachapuri originated in Samegrelo, western Georgia. The dough is the same yeasted base as Imeretian khachapuri, but where Imeretian seals the cheese fully inside, Megruli leaves a generous layer of grated sulguni on top, melted to bubbling under the broiler. Twice the cheese, twice the umami, half the restraint.
Pulled apart, the crust gives up two distinct cheeses: the half-melted sulguni hidden inside, and the salt-crusted layer baked onto the top. Each bite is bread-and-cheese twice over, with a faint tang of buttermilk dough underneath.
Sulguni's signature stretch comes from kneading the curd at 70°C until the casein proteins align into long strands — same physics as mozzarella, but with a sharper salt cure. The top layer crisps because it loses moisture faster than the dough beneath, creating a Maillard crust over a still-soft interior.
Variations
Plain Imeretian khachapuri keeps cheese inside only; the Adjaran boat version opens it up with egg and butter; the Megrelian alone doubles down by adding cheese on top.
On the Palate
Where Megruli Khachapuri sits in the Georgian flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
5 steps · 1 hour 2 min active + 28 min waiting
- 118 min
Dough: 500g flour + 7g yeast + 10g salt + 280ml warm water + 3 tbsp olive oil. Knead 8 min; rise 90 min.
- 218 min
Filling: mix 300g grated sulguni + 200g grated imeretian (or feta+mozzarella) + 1 beaten egg.
- 318 min
Divide dough in 4 balls. Roll each to 22cm disc. Place ⅔ of filling in the center of each; gather edges to enclose, flip seam-down, press gently into 20cm round.
Watch outWhen enclosing, gather the edges tightly and flip seam-side down before flattening — a well-sealed seam keeps the inner cheese from bursting out the side as it bakes.
- 418 min
Place on parchment. Top each with remaining filling spread thin.
- 518 min
Bake at 230°C for 14-16 min until top is bubbling and edges are deeply golden. Brush rims with melted butter to serve.
Watch outIt's ready when the top cheese is bubbling with brown blistered spots and the edges are deeply golden — pale and only just melted means give it a couple more minutes.
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