Prepare Light Khachapuri From Ready-Made Pizza Dough

Personally, I think any bread and cheese option works for most meals, but it usually serves as an appetizer, main course, or appetizer. Finally I have a cheese bread that looks like food – khachapuri. This brilliant Georgian dish features all the melted cheese you’ve ever dreamed of, surrounded by carbs. And with this pizza dough hack, you won’t even have to spend hours proofing your bread.

What is khachapuri?

Khachapuri originated in Georgia (the country, not the state) and is so beloved that it is the national dish of Georgia. This special type of khachapuri is Adjarian khachapuri, named after the region of Georgia. The bread is shaped like a boat, and its passengers are a puddle of cheese, an egg yolk or whole egg and a piece of butter. This is the boat I would like to be in.

Pizza Dough Cheat

Traditionally, part of the bread is a yeast dough made from scratch in a fairly typical way: knead, proof, deflate, shape and proof again. While I’ve seen recipes that may include milk, sugar, or yogurt, many simply consist of flour, liquid, yeast, and salt. Ideal. Your grocery store sells this exact bread, and the hard part has already been done. Take a ball of pizza dough from the freezer or refrigerator section. We are building a boat.

How to make khachapuri from ready-made pizza dough

1. Stretch the dough

If you are using frozen dough, you will need to defrost it first. I usually refrigerate it overnight, but if you’re short on time, use this water bath method . Divide the dough ball. A 20-ounce ball of dough makes four personal-sized khachapuris, or you can cut the dough in half to make two large khachapuris.

Since the finished shape will be an oval, the dough should also start as an oval. The best way to do this is to form the cut segments into balls of dough. ( Check out my video if you need a guide on making dough balls.) Now you can use a rolling pin—or your hands if the dough is relaxed enough—to begin stretching the dough in one direction to create a flat oval. The store-bought dough was pre-rolled into a large circle (a luxury I rarely have), so I simply cut it in half and stretched the center out a bit. Place the ovals on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with a kitchen towel.

2. Prepare the cheese mixture.

In addition to its unique shape, the hallmark of khachapuri is the cheese mixture. In Georgia, it is customary to use Imeruli or Suluguni cheese. The cheese melts, stretches a little, has a delicate curd texture and a pleasant sharpness. If these cheeses are not available or readily available, you can use a cheese blend that replicates their characteristics. I used a mixture of shredded mozzarella, muenster, ricotta and feta cheeses. Next time I make this I think I’ll use more feta because I was missing the tangy flavor. Mix the chopped or grated cheese in a bowl along with the egg, salt, pepper and freshly chopped parsley, if desired.

3. Fill the boats

Open the bread boats and distribute the cheese mixture evenly between them. Place the cheese mixture in the center and shape it into an oval shape, but leave an edge of dough one to two inches thick. Fold the edges of the dough against the center of the cheese so that the dough curls slightly around the edges of the cheese but does not completely cover the mixture. Twist the ends to maintain shape.

There was a lot of extra dough on the ends of my boats due to the pointy shape I started with. There is no need to strive for this; simply seal or twist the ends, however natural it may seem.

4. Bake khachapuri.

Egg the edges of the dough and bake the boats in a 375°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is set and slightly puffed up around the edges. Remove khachapuri from the oven. Use the back of a spoon to make a small depression in the cheese and drop in the raw egg yolk. Add a knob of butter and serve immediately. Alternatively, if you’re bothered by a raw egg, remove the bread from the oven halfway through baking, make a well in the cheese, and drop the whole egg onto the bread. Return it to the oven to finish baking and cook the egg.

The cheese should still be hot when you serve the bread. Using a fork, whisk the cheese with the melted butter and egg yolk until the yolk cooks on the residual heat and the mixture becomes thick and spreadable. Tear the boat into pieces and be sure to take some of the cheese mixture from the center.

Pizza dough cooked at this temperature stays soft and tears easily, and this cheese blend provides a good balance of tangy and smooth elasticity. I have a feeling that all other versions of khachapuri are as good as this one, and I can’t wait to try them. I think I might need a refrigerator just for cheese.

Quick and easy khachapuri

Ingredients:

• 1 ball prepared pizza dough (cut in half or quarters)

• 1 egg

• ½ cup whole milk ricotta cheese

• 1 cup shredded whole milk mozzarella

• ½ cup grated Muenster cheese

• ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon black pepper

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

• Egg wash for bread

• 2-4 eggs or egg yolks (one per boat)

• Pieces of butter for finishing

1. Stretch the dough balls or roll them out with a pin until you form a long oval (about 14 inches long for half dough or eight inches long for a personal size). Place the ovals on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and set aside. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, cheese, salt, pepper and parsley until smooth.

3. Uncover the dough boats and distribute the cheese mixture between them. Spread the cheese mixture to fill the center, but leave a one- to two-inch border all the way around. Fold the edges over the cheese and fold it lightly over the filling. Do not cover the filling completely. Twist the ends to maintain shape. Repeat this with other boats.

4. Egg the edges and bake the khachapuri for 20-25 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted and slightly puffed up around the edges. Use the back of a spoon to make a well in the cheese and add the raw egg yolk. Add a knob of butter and serve the boats hot immediately.

If we are talking about boiled eggs, remove the khachapuri halfway through cooking. Make a hole in the cheese with a spoon and add a whole egg to each boat. Return them to the oven for the remaining cooking time until the eggs are cooked to your liking. Serve immediately.

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