Recipes
Adjarian Khachapuri: The Boat-Shaped Cheese Bread That Ruins All Other Bread
10 min read Published February 2026 Updated February 2026
Adjarian khachapuri is, without exaggeration, one of the greatest things humans have ever made with flour and cheese. A boat-shaped bread cradle filled with a molten river of cheese, topped with a raw egg and a slab of butter that melts into the whole thing. You tear off the ends, stir the egg into the cheese, and use the bread as an edible spoon. It's a complete meal. It's an experience. And once you've had the real thing, every other cheese bread is just... bread with cheese on it.
## Before You Start A few things that matter: **The cheese**: In Georgia, khachapuri is made with a blend of fresh Georgian cheeses — primarily **imeruli** (Imeretian cheese, a soft brined cheese) and **sulguni** (a stretchy, slightly salty cheese similar to mozzarella). Outside Georgia, the best substitute is a 50/50 mix of **mozzarella and feta**. The mozzarella gives you the stretch, the feta gives you the salt and tang. Some people add a bit of ricotta for creaminess. **The dough**: Adjarian khachapuri dough should be soft, slightly enriched (with yogurt or matsoni), and pliable enough to shape into boats. It's not pizza dough — it's softer and richer. Don't overwork it. **The egg**: Goes in raw at the very end, right when the khachapuri comes out of the oven. The residual heat cooks it to a jammy, runny consistency. If your egg is fully cooked, it sat too long. ## Ingredients **Makes 2 large khachapuri** (each serves 1-2 people) ### Dough - 500g all-purpose flour - 200ml warm water (not hot — around 38°C/100°F) - 100ml plain yogurt (or matsoni/kefir) - 7g instant yeast (1 packet) - 1 tsp sugar - 1 tsp salt - 2 tbsp vegetable oil ### Filling - 400g mozzarella, grated - 200g feta cheese, crumbled - 1 egg (for the filling mixture) - 50g butter, softened ### Topping (per khachapuri) - 1 egg yolk - 1 tbsp butter ## Method ### 1. Make the dough (30 min + 1 hour rising) Combine warm water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Wait 5 minutes until foamy. Add yogurt, oil, and salt. Gradually add flour, mixing with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough should be soft — almost tacky but not sticky. If it sticks to your hands, add flour a tablespoon at a time. Err on the side of too wet rather than too dry. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let rise for 1 hour until doubled. ### 2. Make the filling While the dough rises, combine the grated mozzarella, crumbled feta, softened butter, and 1 egg in a bowl. Mix with your hands until evenly combined. The mixture should be moist but holdable — not a liquid. Set aside. ### 3. Shape the boats Preheat your oven to **250°C / 480°F** (as hot as it goes). Place a baking sheet or pizza stone inside to preheat. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Roll each piece into an oval roughly 30cm × 20cm (12" × 8"). Divide the cheese filling in half. Spread one half down the center of each oval, leaving 3-4cm of bare dough on each side. Now the crucial part: **fold and roll the long sides** up and over the cheese, twisting and pinching the ends to create a pointed boat shape. The center should be open, exposing the cheese filling. Pinch the pointed ends tightly — they need to hold during baking. ### 4. Bake Carefully transfer the boats to the preheated baking sheet (use parchment paper for easy transfer). Bake for **12-15 minutes** until the dough is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling and starting to turn golden in spots. ### 5. The finale Remove from the oven. **Immediately** make a well in the center of the cheese and drop in a raw egg yolk. Add a tablespoon of butter on top. Serve instantly. The table waits for the khachapuri — the khachapuri does not wait for the table. ## How to Eat It This matters. There's a correct way: 1. **Tear off one of the pointed ends** of the bread 2. **Stir the egg and butter** into the molten cheese with the bread piece 3. **Use the torn bread as a spoon** to scoop up the cheese mixture 4. **Continue tearing and scooping** from the sides, working your way around the boat 5. The bottom of the bread, soaked in cheese and egg, is the best part — save it for last **Don't use a knife and fork.** This is hand food. Embrace the mess. ## Tips & Troubleshooting **Cheese leaking out the sides?** Your ends aren't pinched tightly enough. Roll them over twice and really press. **Dough too thick?** Roll it thinner. The bread should be a vehicle for cheese, not the main event. Aim for about 5mm thickness. **Egg overcooking?** You left it too long. The egg should go in the moment the khachapuri comes out of the oven. Serve within 60 seconds. This is not optional. **Can't find the right cheese?** The 50/50 mozzarella/feta blend works beautifully. If you want to get closer to authentic, add 50g of ricotta to the mix for creaminess. Some Georgian stores abroad sell sulguni — if you find it, use a 60/40 sulguni/mozzarella blend. **Can I use a pizza stone?** Yes — it'll give you a crispier bottom, which is great. Preheat it for at least 30 minutes. **Can I make the dough ahead?** Yes. Make it the night before, cover, and refrigerate. Take it out 30 minutes before shaping to come to room temperature. ## Variations **Imeretian Khachapuri** — The round version. Same cheese filling, but enclosed in a round flatbread and cooked on a dry skillet or in the oven. No egg on top. This is the everyday version — Adjarian is for when you want to impress. **Megrelian Khachapuri** — Round like Imeretian but with extra cheese melted on top. Double cheese. It's outrageous. **Penovani Khachapuri** — Made with puff pastry instead of yeast dough. Square-shaped, triangular when folded. Flaky, crispy, and quicker to make but less traditional. --- *This recipe is adapted from traditional Adjarian home cooking. Every family in Batumi has their own version — this one aims to be faithful to the spirit while working with ingredients available outside Georgia.*