Adjarian Khachapuri
Molly McDonough
This gondola-shaped version of the crave-worthy snack, sometimes topped with a runny egg, is traditional in Adjara, a region on the Black Sea coast.
Dough
- ¾ cup warm milk
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast about 1 packet
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
- 2 tablespoons butter cut into small pieces, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Filling
- 1 ½ cups grated mozzarella or Havarti
- ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 egg beaten
To Assemble
- 2 eggs optional, plus 1 yolk for glazing
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Dough
Pour warm milk into a small bowl and sprinkle with yeast and sugar. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
Place flour in a large bowl and form a well in the center. Add yeast mixture, butter, and salt. Mix gently with your hands or a wooden spoon to incorporate, and form dough into a ball. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes. Lightly grease a large bowl, place dough inside, and cover with a dish towel. Let rise for 2 hours at room temperature.
To Assemble
Heat oven to 425°F. Separate dough into 2 pieces. Roll each piece into a ¼-inch-thick elongated oval. Spread ½ the cheese filling in the center of each oval, leaving a 1-inch border of dough around the edges. Fold dough edges up and over the long sides of the ovals to hold in the filling—you’ll end up with 2 gondola-shaped loaves.
Bake until dough and cheese begin to brown, 10 to 12 minutes.
Remove loaves from the oven, brush bread ends with egg yolk, and crack an egg over the cheesy center of each loaf (pat down cheese with a spoon if necessary to prevent spillover). Bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, until egg whites are opaque. Remove loaves from the oven, top each with 1 tablespoon of butter, and serve hot.