Georgian Cheese Filled Flatbread Recipes

KHACHAPURI (GEORGIAN CHEESE BREAD)

Steps:

• Combine milk, water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Let stand until yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes. Add olive oil, 2 cups flour, and salt. Mix until a sticky dough comes together.
• Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead for about 3 minutes, adding in remaining flour as needed, until dough is very soft but still workable. Form into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in volume, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). Combine Monterey Jack, mozzarella, and feta cheeses in a bowl. Toss together and refrigerate until needed.
• Punch down dough and turn out onto a floured surface. Flatten slightly and cut in half. Dust a large sheet of parchment paper with flour. Place 1 dough half on top and roll out into a square about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick, stretching out the corners as needed. Arrange 1/4 of the cheese in 2 rows, 1 to 2 inches from the longest sides. Roll sides up tightly over the cheese, forming a canoe shape around the dough. Pinch and twist ends to seal.
• Cut off excess parchment around the dough; lift dough onto a baking sheet. Repeat shaping and stuffing the other dough half. Fill the canoe with the remaining cheese mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Form a well in the center of each khachapuri using a spoon; crack an egg inside each well.
• Return to oven and bake until eggs are mostly set, 3 to 4 minutes. Place 2 pats of butter over each filling and sprinkle salt and cayenne on top. Plate khachapuri; tear off one end and use it to stir the butter into the egg.

KHACHAPURI, GEORGIAN CHEESE FILLED FLAT BREAD

Steps:

• Dough (Khachapuri):.
• Line a spring form pan with butter.
• In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup of warm water.
• Stir in the sugar/honey and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add the remaining water, the butter and the salt.
• Stir in 2 cups of the flour.
• Gradually add enough of the remaining flour so that the mixture holds together.
• On a floured surface, knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (To knead in a food processor, combine the flour, butter and salt in the work bowl of the food processor and add the yeast mixture. With the machine on, gradually add enough warm water until the dough forms a ball, then process around the bowl about 25 times.).
• Shape into a ball, place in a large oiled bowl turning to coat, cover, and let rise until nearly doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch down the dough and roll into a 20-inch round about 1/4 inch thick.
• Fit the dough into the greased spring form pan, letting the excess drape over the sides.
• Spoon in the filling (Filling directions at the end of the recipe).
• Gather the edges together to meet in the center, pleating the dough as evenly as possible into overlapping folds. Twist the dough ends that meet in the center to form a knob.
• Cover and let stand for about 30 minutes.
• Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Brush the khachapuri with the egg mixture (Beat the egg with 1 tsp water).
• Bake until golden brown, about an hour.
• Let cool for 30 minutes before slicing.
• Georgian Cheese Filling (Khveli):.
• In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir to blend.

GEORGIAN CHEESE-FILLED FLATBREAD

Steps:

• Place an oven rack at the lowest position. Preheat to 450 degrees.
• To make the cheese filling, blend all the ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix together 1 cup of the flour, the baking powder and salt. Add the yogurt, and stir well. Continue stirring in more flour until the dough has lost its stickiness and can be worked with your hands. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 3 to 4 minutes, until soft and slightly elastic.
• Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. (Keep the remaining pieces covered with a cloth while you work with one piece of dough at a time.) Flatten a piece of dough with the lightly floured palm of your hand. Then, either stretching the dough or using a small rolling pin, flatten it out to a round 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the cheese filling in the center.
• Pinch the edges of the dough between your thumb and forefinger. Fold each side in, still leaving the center of the filling uncovered. Then, pinch around the new outer edge of the dough. Stretch the flaps inward so that the filling is covered completely, pleating excess dough as necessary. Pinch the pleats closed, and then, with the lightly floured palm of your hand, gently press down on the top of the mound to flatten it. Turn the bread over, and gently press down again on the bottom. This will push the filling out into the edges of the bread; it should be 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick and 7 to 8 inches in diameter.
• Lightly oil the baking sheets. Place a filled bread on a prepared sheet, and continue making breads until the first baking sheet is full. Bake the breads for 5 to 6 minutes, then remove from the oven, slide into a basket lined with a cloth, and cover to keep warm. Prepare the remainder of the breads while the first batch bakes, and then bake in the same fashion.

KHACHAPURI (GEORGIAN CHEESE-FILLED BREAD)

Steps:

• To make the dough, mix the yeast with the sugar, water, flour, and salt in a bowl. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and either leave in the refrigerator overnight or somewhere in your kitchen for an hour or so until doubled in size.
• For the filling, mix the cheeses with the single egg yolk and use a fork to mash well.
• Preheat the oven to its highest setting and heat a couple of baking sheets-or a pizza stone if you have one.
• Flour your work surface really well. Cover your hands in flour and scrape the dough on to your work surface. Knead it in the flour a little if it's too sticky. Divide the dough into 6 pieces (each piece should be about 100 g (3½ oz). Roll out each piece of dough on a lightly floured work surface into a 18 cm (7-inch) round. Stretch either side of each round to elongate and then pile 100 g (3½ oz) of filling in the centre, leaving a 5 mm (¼ inch) border around the edge. Bring two sides of the dough up to meet in the middle and pinch a seam together to seal, similar to a Cornish pasty. Press down with the flat of your hand to flatten it, then flip it over so the seam is face down. With a sharp knife, make a slash along the middle of the dough and push the sides open to expose the filling. Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling to make 6 khachapuris.
• Slide the khachapuris on to the hot baking trays and bake for 10 minutes until the sides turn golden. Crack an egg into the centre of each, then bake for a further 2-3 minutes. To eat, pinch the dough from one end and use it to dip and mix the runny egg yolk into the filling.