Adjarian Khachapuri Recipe

Pour warm water (or milk) into a large bowl, add sugar and dry yeast. Let the mass simmer for 10-15 minutes until foam forms on the surface. Add salt and sprinkle in the flour in parts. Knead a soft, elastic dough. Note that the dough should not be too dense. At the end of kneading, drizzle the dough with vegetable oil and knead for another 2-3 minutes until the oil is fully absorbed.

Cover the jam with a clean cloth or food cellophane and place in a warm place for 1 hour, until it has doubled in volume. Lightly knead the puffed dough and let it rest for another 20-30 minutes to come out again.

Grate both types of cheese coarsely or gently knead it by hand. Add a little warm water or milk and mix until you get a homogeneous, elastic mass (this will help the cheese melt well when baked and don't dry out). Divide the resulting cheese mass into 4 equal parts and round it into teams (about 300 grams per hunda).

Turn on and preheat the oven to 230°C-250°C. Lay out parchment paper on a baking tray and sprinkle with a little flour. Roll each gunda by hand or with a flattener into an oval shape (about 0.5 cm thick). Place a small amount of cheese on the two opposite long edges of the oval, then fold these edges inside and twist them towards the center so that the sides of the khachapuri are cheesy as well. Connect the ends of the dough firmly together and give it the shape of a boat. In the center of the boat, insert the prepared cheese filling and spread it evenly. Carefully transfer the prepared "boats" to a baking tray and spread beaten eggs (optional) on the sides to get a golden color.

Place the platter in a well-heated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edges of the dough are well browned. 2 minutes before taking out the khachapuri, make a small indentation in the middle of the cheese with a spoon and carefully dip one whole egg yolk into it. Return the tray to the oven for another 1-2 minutes. The egg whites should be slightly whitened, although the yolks should necessarily remain liquid. Immediately after taking it out of the oven, put one thick slice of butter (about 25 grams) into the hot cheese. Enjoy deliciously.