Khachapuri Recipe

This Georgian khachapuri is the kind of dinner that rewards a little patience: a crisp-edged, tender yeast dough shaped into a boat and filled with melted shredded cheese, then finished with an egg and butter while it is still hot. With just 2 cups of flour and one packet of yeast, the dough is manageable, but the shaping and timing make this a hard recipe rather than a quick flatbread. The filling is intentionally simple, which lets the contrast between the browned crust, stretchy cheese, rich egg yolk, and melting butter really come through. Give the dough the full rising time. After kneading, it should feel smooth and elastic rather than sticky, and it should roughly double before you shape it. Divide it into four portions, roll each into an oval, and pinch or roll the long sides inward to form raised edges, leaving a well in the center. Seal the pointed ends firmly; if they loosen in the oven, the cheese can run out. I like to place the shaped boats on parchment and let them rest for 10 to 15 minutes before filling, which gives the crust a lighter texture without making the edges difficult to handle. Bake the cheese-filled boats until the rims are deeply golden and the cheese is bubbling, about 15 to 18 minutes in a properly preheated oven. Then make a small hollow in each center and crack in one of the 3 eggs. Return the khachapuri to the oven just long enough for the whites to set while the yolks remain soft, usually 2 to 4 minutes. Add a piece of the 2 tablespoons of butter to each boat immediately afterward. The key is not to overbake at this stage: the yolk should act like a sauce when stirred into the hot cheese and butter. If your oven browns aggressively, lower the rack or cover the pointed ends loosely with foil. Serve these straight from the oven for dinner, one boat per person, while the cheese is still stretchy and the yolk is runny. A crisp cucumber and tomato salad, pickled vegetables, or simply sliced herbs brings welcome freshness alongside the rich bread. Set out forks, but encourage everyone to tear off pieces of the crust and drag them through the egg, cheese, and butter in the middle—that is the best part. Allow about 140 minutes from start to finish, including roughly 120 minutes for mixing, rising, and shaping and 20 minutes for baking.