Adjaruli khachapuri
Acharuli khachapuri: Batumi's cheese boat with a runny yolk and butter
On the Black Sea promenade in Batumi, the capital of Adjara, this is the bread people queue for after a swim: a boat of soft yeasted dough, the middle filled with molten cheese, and an egg yolk and a slab of butter dropped in at the very end. You stir the yolk and butter through the cheese with a fork at the table, then tear off the crisp ends and dip them in. Locals say the shape is a boat and the yolk the sun over the sea. Georgian imeruli and sulguni cheeses are hard to find outside Georgia, so this uses mozzarella with feta for the salty tang. Choose cheeses labelled vegetarian (microbial rennet). The usual home mistake is putting the egg in too early, which sets it hard; the yolk should go in only for the last 2 minutes so it stays runny. Chef's tip: roll the long edges inwards tightly and pinch the tips hard, or they will unroll in the oven and the cheese will flood the tray.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
For the dough
For the filling
To finish
Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz plain flour, ⅛ oz fast-action dried yeast, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt in a bowl. Pour in ¾ cup whole milk and 1 tbsp sunflower oil and bring together into a soft, slightly sticky dough.
Step 2: Knead for 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface until smooth and springy; a finger-poke should slowly fill back in. Cover and leave somewhere warm for about 1 hour, until doubled.
8 minStep 3: Meanwhile mash 9 oz low-moisture mozzarella, 5 ½ oz feta and 2 tbsp whole milk together with a fork into a rough, spreadable mixture. Taste: it should be pleasantly salty, not sharp. Heat the oven to 475°F (425°F fan) with a baking tray inside.
Step 4: Divide the dough in two. On a sheet of floured baking paper, roll each piece into an oval about 30 × 20 cm and 5 mm thick.
Step 5: Spread a quarter of the cheese mix along each long edge, then roll both long edges tightly inwards over the cheese towards the centre, leaving an open middle about 8 cm wide. Pinch the two ends together and twist them into points to make a boat.
Step 6: Fill the middle of each boat with the remaining cheese. Brush the dough rims with 1 egg.
Step 7: Slide the boats, still on their paper, onto the hot tray. Bake for 12–14 minutes, until the rims are deep golden and the cheese is bubbling with brown spots.
14 minStep 8: Take the tray out, make a small well in the cheese with a spoon and drop one of the 2 egg yolks into each. Return to the oven for 1½–2 minutes, just until the white edge of the cheese around the yolk looks glossy but the yolk still wobbles.
2 minStep 9: Put a slab of 1 oz butter on each boat and serve at once. At the table, stir the yolk and butter into the cheese, then tear off the crust ends to dip.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 980 kcal
- Protein
- 44 g
- Carbs
- 85 g
- Fat
- 52 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does adjaruli khachapuri take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 100 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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