Georgian Cheese Bread
A traditional Georgian cheese-filled flatbread (khachapuri) made with a combination of Havarti and mozzarella cheeses enclosed in a soft, yeasted dough. The bread is baked until golden and finished with melted butter for a rich, satisfying experience.
Ingredients
- •2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- •7 tablespoons warm water
- •1⅔ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- •¾ teaspoon salt
- •1 large egg
- •¼ pound Havarti cheese
- •¼ pound salted mozzarella
- •1 teaspoon unsalted butter
- •1 piece pizza pan
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Sprinkle yeast over warm water and stir in 1 tablespoon flour. Let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes. (If yeast does not activate, start over with new yeast.)
5 min
- 2.
Stir together salt and remaining flour in a large bowl, then stir in egg and yeast mixture to form a dough.
5 min
- 3.
Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and turn to coat with flour, then knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Form into a ball and dust with flour. Let dough rest in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap, punching down with a wet fist every hour, at least 2 hours and up to 3.
120 min
- 4.
Preheat oven to 500°F with rack in middle.
10 min
- 5.
Turn out dough onto floured pizza pan, turning to coat, then flatten with your fingers into a 7-inch disk.
5 min
- 6.
Toss together cheeses and press into a compact 3-inch ball with your hands. Place ball in middle of dough, then gather dough up around ball of cheese, squeezing excess dough into a topknot. Press down on topknot with a damp fist to press cheese out from center. Continue to flatten dough and distribute cheese evenly, pressing outward from center, until dough is an 11-inch disk.
10 min
- 7.
Cut a 6-inch X through top of dough to expose cheese. Bake until pale golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Brush surface of dough with butter and bake until golden and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes more.
15 min
- 8.
Serve cut into wedges.
2 min