Easy Khachapuri Recipe (Georgian Cheesy Boat Bread)

This Khachapuri recipe combines the two best ingredients in the world. Bread and cheese. These flavors transcend international boundaries, and as an American, I wholeheartedly adore this famous Georgian dish. This recipe makes two cheesy bread boats.

I stumbled upon this recipe quite by accident, and my kids are forever grateful for the haphazard discovery. Their estimation of this dish; is that it’s “better than pizza”.

I was searching for Georgian-era bread but the results were Georgian-region bread. I wanted to find a bread recipe from the 1800s. Instead, I unearthed this boat-shaped cheese bread from the country of Georgia, and boy am I glad I did!

The Georgians have many variations of Khachapuri. Different regions have unique methods of making and shaping the dish, but they all have the same basic components; bread, cheese, egg yolk, and butter.

Down by the coasts of the Black Sea in Adjara, the famous form of Khachapuri is called “Adjaruli Khachapuri”. Because this region lies on the coasts, the Adjarians fashion their Khachapuri bread into the shape of a boat.

This is definitely my favorite type of Georgian cheese bread. It is so fun to fill the boat up with a massive mound of cheese, and then watch it melt into a gooey, golden-brown crust. Excuse me while I book my Georgian vacation rental.

How to make Khachapuri

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 3 and 1/2 Cups of all-purpose flour. It’s best to spoon and level flour for the most accurate measurement.
• 3 teaspoons granulated sugar.
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast.
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.
• 1 cup + 4 tablespoons water.
• 2 tablespoons olive oil.

For the cheese filling:

• 4 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese.
• 2 cups of finely crumbled feta cheese.

For the topping:

• 2 egg yolks.
• 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter.

Adjaruli Khachapuri Recipe

Step 1. Combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together.

Step 2. Pour the olive oil and water into the dry ingredients.

Step 3. Mix the dough until all the ingredients come together and pull away from the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it a few times by hand until it forms a cohesive dough ball.

The dough should feel like a slightly sticky pizza dough. I like to use a bench scraper to make transferring the dough easier.

Step 4. Transfer the dough ball to a greased container, cover it, and allow it to rise at room temperature until doubled in size. This takes around 2 hours. I like to use a plastic pitcher because it’s easier to see when the dough has risen enough.

Step 5. Once the dough has doubled turn it out onto the counter and split the dough in half using a bench scraper or knife. Then form each piece into a smooth ball of dough.

Step 6. Cut out two 16×12 inch sheets of parchment paper. Place the dough on the parchment paper and use your hands to press it out into an 8-inch circle. Then switch to a rolling pin and roll it out to approximately 12 inches.

Step 7. Form the sides of the boat by rolling the dough in 2 inches on each side.

Step 8. Shape the points of the boat by rolling up the end pieces to meet in the center creating a V-shape.

Step 9. Pinch the points of the dough together.

Step 10. Combine the shredded mozzarella and feta cheese in a large bowl and crumble it together. Use half of the cheese mixture to fill each boat with a generous mound of cheese. Don’t worry the cheese will melt down without going overboard!

Step 11. Transfer the assembled Khachapuri with the parchment paper onto baking sheets, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to rise for another 30 minutes. Bake in a 450-degree F oven for 15 minutes or until the top of the crust becomes golden brown and bits of cheese are bubbly and brown.

Step 12. Remove cheese bread from the oven and top each with an egg yolk and a pat of butter. Use a fork to mix the yolk and butter into the hot cheese and lift and stretch the cheese until everything is incorporated.

Tips and Tricks

I sometimes like to use the America’s Test Kitchen method of mixing up this dough in a food processor. This makes it super quick and easy. You can also use a wooden spoon to mix this up by hand in a mixing bowl or use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment.

To mix up the dough in a food processor, add the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt then pulse for a few seconds. Next, combine the water and olive oil in a measuring cup, and turn the food processor on while pouring the liquid into the dry ingredients.

The dough should come together in about 30 seconds. You can then scoop it out onto the counter, knead it a few times by hand, and proceed with step 4.

Storage, Make-Ahead, and Freezing

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What type of cheese is used in Khachapuri?

The two traditionally used cheeses for this Georgian Khachapuri are Sulguni and Imeruli. For Americans like myself, these cheeses are not easily found in supermarkets.

No worries, we are going to substitute mozzarella and Feta to achieve a similar flavor and texture.

Substitutions

You can swap out the cheeses in this recipe for your favorites but I recommend including mozzarella in your combination because of its stretchy quality.

My husband likes 100% mozzarella topped with a sprinkle of garlic powder and Italian seasoning.

Turn your Khachapuri into pizza boats by adding your favorite pizza toppings before baking. We like pepperonis and diced veggies like bell peppers and onions.