Georgian Cheese Bread Boat (Acharuli Khachapuri)
აჭარული ხაჭაპური acharuli khachapuriSay it: ah-CHAHR-oo-lee khah-chah-POO-ree
Adjaruli khachapuri is Georgia's most theatrical bread: a canoe of yeast dough with pointed ends twisted like a ship's prow, filled with molten cheese and crowned with an egg yolk and a knob of butter. It comes from Adjara, the Black Sea region, where the cheese bread is shaped like a boat. Baked until the crust crackles, it comes to the table to be stirred together and eaten by tearing off the crust and dipping. Salty, stretchy, rich and impossible to share politely.
Georgian Cheese Bread Boat (Acharuli Khachapuri)
აჭარული ხაჭაპური, acharuli khachapuri
Pronounced ah-CHAHR-oo-lee khah-chah-POO-ree
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Total
- 48 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free.
Allergens: contains gluten, milk, egg. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Dough
Filling and topping
Method
Stir the yeast and sugar into the lukewarm milk and leave for 5–10 minutes, until a foamy cap forms on the surface.
Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl, pour in the milk mixture and the olive oil, and stir until a shaggy dough comes together.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic and springs back when you press it with a finger.
Shape into a ball, grease the bowl lightly, cover and let rise in a warm spot for 1–1 1/2 hours, until doubled in size.
Mix the grated mozzarella and crumbled feta in a bowl. Heat the oven to 450°F (230°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment.
Punch down the dough, divide it into 4 pieces, and roll each into an oval about 12 x 8 inches (30 x 20 cm).
Roll the two long sides of each oval inward into tight ropes and pinch the ends firmly to seal, so you have a pointed boat with an open centre. Brush the rims with milk.
Spoon a quarter of the cheese mixture into each boat, spreading it to the rims, and bake for 15–18 minutes, until the crust is deep golden and the cheese is melted and bubbling.
Pull the boats out, make a small hollow in the hot cheese with the back of a spoon, and slide in one egg yolk and one piece of cold butter. Bake 1–2 minutes more for a barely set yolk, or serve straight away.
Set each boat on a plate, wait a minute, then stir the yolk and butter into the cheese with a fork until creamy, and eat while hot.
Regional variants
Imeruli khachapuri, the everyday round version from Imereti, seals the cheese inside a flat disc and bakes it in a dry pan with no egg. Many home cooks also beat a whole egg into the cheese filling before baking for a firmer set centre.
Cook's notes
- Use low-moisture mozzarella rather than fresh cheese, and drain sulguni or feta well, so the filling turns creamy instead of watery.
- Pinch the pointed ends of the boats very firmly and press the ropes flat against the tray; loose ends uncurl as the dough rises in the oven.
- Stir the yolk and butter in as soon as the boat hits the table — the residual heat cooks it into a soft, scoopable sauce.
Serve with
Serve as a meal on its own, with a sharp tomato-and-walnut salad or pickles, and cold tarragon soda or a glass of dry white wine.
Make ahead and storage
The dough can be made, risen and refrigerated overnight, then brought to room temperature before shaping. Baked boats are best eaten at once; reheat leftovers at 350°F (175°C) for 5 minutes.
