Sourdough Leavened Khachapuri Recipes

JAPANESE MILK BREAD (YEAST VERSION)

Steps:

• Tangzhong
• Whisk the milk and flour in a small saucepan until blended. Cook on med-low heat for several minutes until thickened, stirring or whisking frequently.
• Remove from the heat, and see the instructions below for melting the butter in the hot tangzhong.
• Dough Mixing and First Rise
• These instructions are for using a stand mixer. Scroll to the end of the recipe for hand-kneading instructions if you don't have a mixer.
• Add the butter in chunks to the tangzhong to melt it.
• Whisk the two eggs and then the milk into the tangzhong-butter mixture. Set aside briefly.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk the flour, sugar, salt and yeast; and then pour in the prepped wet ingredients.
• With the dough hook attachment, mix the dough on low speed for about 1 minute.
• Scrape down the sides of your mixer, and mix on medium speed for about 15 minutes. As you approach the 15-minute mark, the dough will become smooth and should pass the windowpane test.
• Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough into it. Form it into a ball, flip it smooth-side up, and cover.
• Let the dough rise until it has doubled, about 1-3 hours, depending on your room temperature and if you used instant vs. active yeast.
• Dough Shaping and Second Rise
• Prepare your pans by greasing them. You can use one large pullman pan, two loaf pans, or make rolls (16 rolls in two 9" round pans, 18 rolls in two 8" square pans, 24 rolls in two 9" square pans, 18 rolls in a 9x13" rectangular pan).
• Scrape the dough out onto a clean countertop. There's no need for flour. Press the dough into a rectangle, divide it and roll the pieces into balls. Your total dough weight is about 1400g. I divided the dough for my large Pullman pan in six 230g pieces.
• Place the balls in your pan(s) and cover. To be able to squeeze the dough balls into the large Pullman pan in an even manner, I placed the end pieces in first and worked my way toward the middle.
• Cover and let the dough proof for 1-2 hours (more if you put the dough in the refrigerator).
• Baking*
• Preheat your oven to 350F and brush the dough with the egg-milk wash.
• Bake loaves for 45-55 minutes and rolls for 30-35 minutes. Cover with foil partway through if the bread seems to be browning excessively.
• The internal temperature when ready should be at least 190F.
• Remove the bread from the oven but not the pans, brush the top with butter while its hot, and then let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pans.
• After the bread is completely cooled, store it in a plastic bag at room temp for a week or longer.
• *Bread baked in a glass loaf pans will need longer than metal pans.
• Instructions for kneading by hand
• Mix all of the ingredients except the softened butter in a bowl with a spatula, dough whisk and/or your hands. Let rest for 10 minutes, then transfer to your countertop and knead by hand, adding 2 Tbsp of butter at a time, kneading between butter additions until the butter is incorporated and the dough stays together. Now follow the instructions above from when you transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and start the first rise.
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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 ADJARULI (GEORGIAN CHEESE BREAD BOAT)

Steps:

• Make the dough (but if you're using store-bought, proceed to Step 2): In a small saucepan over low, heat 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons/150 milliliters water until hot but not simmering. Turn off heat. In a large bowl, with your hands or a wooden spoon, stir together flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Check the temperature of reserved, warmed water; it should be warm to the touch, between 105 and 110 degrees. Add it to the flour mixture and, with your hands, knead mixture into a smooth dough, about 5 minutes.
• Pour olive oil into a medium bowl. Holding dough with one hand, use it to coat the inside of the bowl with the oil. Set the dough in the bowl, oiled portion facing up. Cover bowl with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until it doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees (or 425, if using a convection oven). Line a half sheet tray with parchment paper; set aside. On a lightly floured surface, stretch and roll dough into a circle, 1/4-inch thick, 10 to 12 inches across. Brush off excess flour, then lay the dough on the sheet tray. Using your fingers, roll, press and pinch two opposite sides of the circle a few inches into the center, building sides up, then press and pinch the narrow ends together to form two points. Continue to pinch and press the sides to create a raised rim and form the dough into an oval boat with an eye-like shape. Let rest in a warm place while you prepare the filling.
• In a medium bowl, combine mozzarella, goat cheese and feta with 3 tablespoons water. Stir with a fork until the mixture is thoroughly blended. Scrape the cheese mixture into the center of the dough boat, spreading it into an even layer.
• Bake khachapuri until the crust begins to brown and the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven, leaving oven on. Brush sides of khachapuri generously with melted butter. Return khachapuri to the oven for an additional 5 minutes until the crust is extra crisp and the cheese just starts to brown around the edges.
• Using a spoon, make a shallow, 2-inch-wide well in the center of the cheese. Add the egg yolk and cold butter (if using), and serve immediately. To serve, hold down one pointed end of the hot khachapuri with a fork; using another fork, quickly stir the egg and butter (if using) into the cheese mixture until it's smooth and stretchy. Rip pieces of the bread boat off to dip in the cheese while it's still hot.

SOURDOUGH LEAVENED KHACHAPURI

Steps:

• Dough
• Mix all the dough ingredients in a bowl until they're well incorporated.
• Lightly flour your countertop and removed the dough from the bowl. Knead it for 3-5 minutes, adding more flour if needed.
• Let the dough ferment for several hours until it has almost doubled. The total bulk fermentation time will range from 4-8 hours depending on your room temperature and starter liveliness. Use the dough bubbliness and expansion as your guide.
• I often let the dough rise for several hours and then refrigerate it for one or more days. On the day I plan to bake, I remove the dough bowl from the refrigerator, fold and flip the dough so the wetter base is now the top of the dough, and let it warm up and expand for several hours.
• Filling
• In a large bowl, mix together the cheeses, egg and optional spices (if using).
• Assembly (See the Photo Gallery also)
• Place a pizza stone or large upside down baking sheet in your oven and preheat to 500°F (450°F if a non-stick sheet) for about 30 minutes.
• Flour your countertop and scrape the dough out onto it.
• Divide the dough into four pieces and roll them into balls.
• Cover the balls loosely with a damp tea towel and let the gluten relax for about 15 minutes.
• Prepare four pieces of parchment about 12"x15".
• Re-flour your countertop and roll each ball into an oval that is about 3/8" thick. Transfer each oval of dough to a sheet of parchment paper. You can roll the dough on the parchment if you prefer.
• Lay cheese filling along two opposing edges of the doughs.
• Fold the dough over the cheese filling.
• Pinch and twist the ends of both sides of crust together, making a boat shape with two bread handles on each end. Make sure the edges of the "boat" don't have a low point that a cracked egg would flow out of.
• Divide the filling roughly in fourths and add it to the center of each dough.
• Baking (two at a time)*
• Using a pizza peel or upside down baking sheet, load two khachapuri onto your preheated stone.
• Bake for 12 minutes and then open the oven briefly to crack an egg onto the center of each khachapuri. If you're worried you may get egg shells on the khachapuri, pre-crack your eggs in two small bowls.
• Bake for an additional 2-3 minutes, or longer if you prefer a more done egg.
• Remove from the oven and add a pat of butter to the surface of each khachapuri.
• Repeat with the other two khachapuri.
• *If using a lower oven temp, bake until the cheese is completely melted and there are light brown spots on the dough edges, then add the cracked egg and bake 2-3 more minutes.