Iconic Georgian cheese-filled bread, particularly the Adjarian style shaped like a boat with a runny egg and butter on top.
Georgian, with regional variants: Adjarian (boat-shape, open-top, egg-and-butter), Imeretian (round, sealed, melted-cheese-stuffed), Megrelian (Imeretian-style with extra cheese baked on top), Penovani (puff-pastry version). The Adjarian boat-shape is said to evoke the Black Sea (Adjara is on the coast); the egg yolk represents the sun, the cheese the sea. Khachapuri is also Georgia's official cultural-heritage dish.
A cheese lover's paradise, this Georgian bread is as fun to eat as it is to make.
Pull and the crust tears, exposing a pool of half-melted sulguni and imeretian cheese — slightly chewy, slightly squeaky, deeply salty. The dough is plain on its own; the cheese carries the whole bread.
Imeretian cheese has a lower melting point than feta or halloumi but a higher protein structure than mozzarella — it softens and stretches without collapsing into oil, which is why it can sit baked inside dough without separating.
Variations
Adjaruli opens it into a boat with an egg cracked on top; Megruli adds cheese on the outside crust; Penovani uses puff pastry instead of yeast dough — same idea, different vessel.
On the Palate
Where Khachapuri sits in the Georgian flavor cloud
Ingredients
How it's made
6 steps · 40 min active + 30 min waiting
- 18 min
In a large bowl, combine flour, a pinch of salt, and yogurt to form a soft dough. Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
Watch outKnead until the dough turns smooth and springs back slowly when poked — that's the gluten developed and ready to rest.
- 20 min
Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.
- 310 min
Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). Divide the dough into equal portions and roll each into an oval shape about 1/4 inch thick. Leave a thicker border around the edges.
- 45 min
Mix mozzarella and feta cheese with a beaten egg. Spread this mixture evenly in the center of each dough oval, leaving the edges free.
- 55 min
Fold the edges of the dough over the filling to create a boat shape, pinching the ends to seal. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Watch outPinch the two ends tightly into points so the boat holds its shape and the cheese can't leak out during baking.
- 612 min
Bake in the preheated oven until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately brush the edges with melted butter.
Watch outPull it the moment the crust is golden and the cheese bubbles but still looks glossy — wait longer and the cheese breaks into oil.
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