Adjaruli Khachapuri (Boat-Shaped Cheese Bread)
The iconic boat-shaped khachapuri from the Adjara region, featuring a bubbling cheese center topped with a raw egg and butter that you mix together at the table. A spectacular centerpiece for any Georgian feast.
Adjaruli Khachapuri
Introduction Adjaruli khachapuri, or Adjarian khachapuri, is arguably the most dramatic and beloved version of Georgia's national dish. Shaped like a boat and filled with a river of melted cheese, it is finished with a raw egg and a knob of butter added just as it emerges from the oven. The diner stirs the egg and butter into the molten cheese, creating an incredibly rich, silky filling that is scooped up with torn pieces of the crispy bread edges.
Ingredients
For the dough: - 500g bread flour - 300ml warm water - 7g instant yeast - 1 tbsp sugar - 1 tsp salt - 2 tbsp vegetable oil
For the filling: - 350g Colchis Creamery Georgian Cheese Blend - 150g Colchis Creamery Imeretian Cheese, crumbled - 1 egg (for the filling mixture) - 4 eggs (for topping, one per boat) - 80g butter, cut into 4 pieces
Instructions
1. Make the dough: Dissolve the yeast and sugar in warm water. Let it sit for 5 minutes until foamy. Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture and oil. Knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise for 1 hour until doubled in size.
2. Prepare the filling: Combine the Georgian Cheese Blend and crumbled Imeretian cheese. Mix in one egg to bind the filling.
3. Shape the boats: Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Roll each into an oval shape, roughly 30cm long and 15cm wide. Fold up the long edges by about 3cm, then twist and pinch the two ends together to form pointed tips, creating a boat shape. Place on a lined baking sheet.
4. Fill and bake: Divide the cheese filling among the four boats, piling it generously into the center. Bake at 230C (450F) for 12-15 minutes until the dough is golden and the cheese is bubbling.
5. Finish: Remove from the oven. Quickly make a small well in the center of the cheese. Crack a raw egg into each boat and place a piece of butter beside it. Return to the oven for just 1-2 minutes, until the egg white barely begins to set but the yolk remains runny.
6. Serve immediately: Bring to the table at once. Show your guests how to stir the egg and butter into the hot cheese with a fork, then tear off pieces of the crusty bread edges to scoop up the rich, molten filling.