Easy Khachapuri Recipe (Cheesy Boat Bread)

A baked Khachapuri bread boat on a wire rack.

Easy Khachapuri Recipe (Cheesy Boat Bread)

This Khachapuri recipe combines the two best ingredients in the world. Bread and cheese. Learn how to make this delicious Georgian cheese bread with simple step-by-step instructions.

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Rise time2 30

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Georgian

Keyword: Khachapuri

Servings:

Calories: 552kcal

Author: Alicia Pyle

Ingredients

3 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup water + 4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
2 cups feta cheese crumbled
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided

Instructions

Combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together.
Pour the olive oil and water into the dry ingredients.
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.
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.
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.
Cut out two 16x12 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.
Form the sides of the boat by rolling the dough in 2 inches on each side.
Shape the points of the boat by rolling up the end pieces to meet in the center creating a V-shape.
Pinch the points of the dough together.
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.
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.
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.

Video

Notes

Avoid pre-shredded mozzarella. You will get a better melt and stretch by shredding the cheese yourself.

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

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 onto the counter, knead it a few times by hand, and proceed with step 4.

Nutrition