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Georgian

Khachapuri adjaruli

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

აჭარული ხაჭაპური · ach'aruli khach'ap'uri

Boat-shaped Georgian bread filled with molten salty cheese, baked until golden and finished with a raw egg yolk and a knob of butter stirred in at the table.

Khachapuri adjaruli is a Georgian bread, ready in about 2 hours and made with mozzarella and feta. It serves 3 and is rated advanced to cook.

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Prep
30 min
Cook
15 min
Rest
1 h 15 min
Total
2 h
Serves
3
Level
Advanced
Calories
957

Includes about 1 hour 15 minutes of proving.

Ingredients

3 servings

Dough

Filling

To finish

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Mix the flour, yeast, sugar (opens in a new tab) and salt, then add the warm milk (opens in a new tab), water and oil and knead for 8–10 minutes to a soft, smooth dough. Cover and leave to rise until doubled.

    • 12 min
    Hands kneading dough on a floured surface
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Mix the mozzarella (opens in a new tab) and feta (opens in a new tab) with half the beaten egg (opens in a new tab) and a splash of water to a thick, spreadable filling.

    • 3 min

  3. Step 3

    Divide the dough into 3 and roll each into an oval about 25 cm long. Roll the two long edges inwards towards the centre and pinch and twist the ends to form a boat. Transfer to a lined tray, fill with the cheese and leave for 15 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Brush the dough rims with the rest of the egg (opens in a new tab) and bake until the crust is golden and the cheese bubbling.

  5. Step 5

    Make a hollow in each and drop in an egg yolk (opens in a new tab); return to the oven (opens in a new tab) for 1–2 minutes so it just warms. Add a piece of butter (opens in a new tab) and serve at once — stir the yolk and butter into the cheese and tear off the crust to dip.

    • 2 min
    • 240°C

    Food safety: The yolk stays mostly raw. Use very fresh eggs, and bake longer until set for vulnerable people.

    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Adjara, Georgia · Well documentedThe boat-shaped version is associated with the Black Sea region of Adjara.More food from Georgia
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Brunch · Breads & flatbreads · Main courses
Cooking method
Oven-baked
Taste
salty, rich, buttery, creamy
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration
Cook more with
Mozzarella · Feta · Bread flour · Dried yeast · Sugar · Milk
Techniques
Baking · Kneading · Fermentation

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom milk, mozzarella, feta, butter
  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg, egg yolk
  • Contains: Wheatfrom bread flour
  • Contains: Glutenfrom bread flour

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

957 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 337 g · recipe makes 3

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 17%
  • Carbohydrate 34%
  • Fat 49%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy957 kcal284 kcal
Protein41 g12.2 g
Carbohydrate81.1 g24.1 g
Net carbohydrate78.1 g23.2 g
Sugars4 g1.2 g
Added sugars1.4 g0.4 g
Fibre3 g0.9 g
Fat51.5 g15.3 g
Saturated fat27.1 g8.1 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol380 mg113 mg
Sodium1820 mg540 mg
Salt equivalent4.5 g1.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
304 mg
Calcium
683 mg
Iron
5.9 mg
Magnesium
57 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
395 µg
Vitamin C
0 mg
Vitamin D
2.3 µg
Vitamin B12
3.1 µg
Folate (DFE)
398 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Twist the ends of the boat tightly or they will unfold in the oven.

Common mistakes

  • Using only fresh mozzarella, which releases water — mix a dry melting cheese with a salty brined one.

Serve with

  • Eat hot, on its own or with a tomato and cucumber salad.

Storage

  • Best eaten straight from the oven.

Variations

  • Imeruli khachapuri: A round, closed cheese bread from the Imereti region, eaten everywhere in Georgia.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

Structure

Dough

Used in steps 1, 3

Baker’s notes

Customise in Bread & Bakery

Timeline and readiness cues

  1. Mix and knead · about 30 min

    Weigh everything. Knead until smooth and elastic: a small piece stretches thin enough to see light through (the windowpane test).

  2. First rise (bulk) · about 1 h

    About doubled, domed, jiggly, with bubbles on the sides. A floured finger poked in leaves a dent that fills slowly.

  3. Final proof · about 15 min

    Poke test: the dent springs back slowly and only partly. Springs back fast = needs longer; doesn't spring back = over-proofed, bake now.

  4. Bake · about 15 min at 240 °C

    Deep golden; bread sounds hollow when tapped underneath, or reads 93–96 °C inside (enriched breads 88–90 °C).

  5. Start to finish: about 2 h. Times are a guide — warmth changes everything; follow the cues.

The dough

The dough in baker's percentages. Flour = 100%.
IngredientRoleWeightBaker’s %
Bread flourFlour300 g100%
MilkOther liquid124 g41.2%
WaterWater60 g20%
Neutral vegetable oilFat14 g4.5%
Dried yeastYeast7 g2.3%
SaltSalt6 g2%
SugarSugar4 g1.4%
Total flour
300 g
Hydration
20%
With milk, eggs…
55.8%
Wholegrain
0%

Hydration = water ÷ flour × 100. Milk is about 87% water and eggs about 75%, so they’re shown separately as “with milk, eggs…”.

  • Medium dough (55–65%) — soft and easy to knead; sandwich loaves and rolls.
  • Milk, eggs and other liquids add about 36 points of extra water, so it handles like a 56% dough.
  • Salt 2% — normal for bread.

If something goes wrong

  • Spreads flat / no oven spring

    Likely causes

    • Over-proofed
    • Weak shaping (no surface tension)
    • Oven not hot enough
    • Too much water for the flour

    What to do

    • Shorten the proof; bake when the poke springs back slowly
    • Shape tightly so the skin is taut
    • Preheat fully (30+ minutes; with a stone or Dutch oven, 45)
    • Lower hydration or use bread flour
  • Pale crust

    Likely causes

    • Oven too cool
    • Too little sugar or no milk/egg for browning
    • Over-fermented (yeast ate the sugars)

    What to do

    • Check the oven with a thermometer
    • Brush with egg wash or milk
    • Shorten the fermentation
  • Burnt bottom

    Likely causes

    • Tray too close to the heat
    • Dark tray absorbs more heat
    • Too much sugar in the dough

    What to do

    • Bake on the middle shelf
    • Double up trays or use a light-coloured one
    • Lower the temperature 10–15 °C and bake a little longer
  • Crust too hard or thick

    Likely causes

    • Baked too long at too low a temperature
    • No steam at the start

    What to do

    • Bake hotter for a shorter time
    • Add steam for the first 15 minutes (tray of boiling water, or a covered Dutch oven)
    • Cool under a tea towel for a softer crust

Reviews & corrections

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