How to make khachapuri — Georgia's iconic cheese bread, including the boat-shaped Adjarian version with egg. The cheese, the dough, and the technique.
Khachapuri is Georgia's iconic cheese bread — pillowy dough filled or topped with molten, tangy cheese, in many regional forms. The most famous, the boat-shaped Adjarian khachapuri crowned with an egg and butter, is a global sensation. Here's how to make khachapuri at home.
What Khachapuri Is
Khachapuri is a traditional Georgian bread filled with cheese, with many regional variations. Some are round and stuffed with cheese (like a filled flatbread), while the famous Adjarian khachapuri (acharuli) is shaped like a boat, filled with cheese, and topped with a raw egg and a knob of butter just before serving. The dish celebrates Georgia's love of bread and cheese, and the cheese-pull and richness make it irresistible.
The Cheese
Traditional khachapuri uses Georgian cheeses — most often a mix of sulguni (a tangy, stretchy brined cheese, like a Georgian mozzarella) and imeruli (a fresh, mild brined cheese). Together they give the filling its signature salty tang and gooey, stretchy melt. Outside Georgia, a blend of low-moisture mozzarella (for melt and stretch) with feta (for tang and saltiness) makes an excellent substitute. The cheese should be flavorful and melty.
The Dough
The dough is a soft, enriched yeast dough — flour, water or milk, yeast, a little sugar and salt, and sometimes egg or yogurt — kneaded and left to rise until soft and pillowy. It should be tender and slightly chewy when baked. Some quicker versions use a simpler dough, but a proper yeast dough gives the best, breadiest result. Let it rise fully for a light, airy texture.
Shaping the Boat (Adjarian Style)
For Adjarian khachapuri, roll the risen dough into an oval, pile cheese along the center, then roll and pinch the two long sides inward and twist the ends to form a boat shape with a cheese-filled center and raised edges. The boat shape holds the molten cheese and, later, the egg. For round (Imeruli) khachapuri, the cheese is enclosed inside the dough like a stuffed flatbread.
Baking and the Egg
Bake the khachapuri in a hot oven until the dough is golden and the cheese is bubbling and molten. For the Adjarian version, near the end of baking (or just after), crack a raw egg into the well of melted cheese and return it briefly so the egg sets slightly but the yolk stays runny, then top with a pat of butter. The egg, butter, and cheese are stirred together at the table.
How to Eat It
The classic way to eat Adjarian khachapuri is to mix the runny egg yolk and butter into the molten cheese with a fork, then tear pieces of the bread "boat" and dip them into the rich, cheesy, eggy center. It's a communal, hands-on, indulgent experience. Serve it hot and fresh, while the cheese is gooey and the egg is just set. It's a showstopper.
Frequently Asked Questions
What cheese is used in khachapuri?
Traditionally Georgian sulguni and imeruli; outside Georgia, a blend of low-moisture mozzarella and feta makes a great substitute.
What is Adjarian khachapuri?
The famous boat-shaped version, filled with molten cheese and topped with a runny egg and butter, mixed together and eaten by dipping torn bread.
How do you eat khachapuri?
Tear pieces of the bread and dip them into the molten cheese center; for the Adjarian version, first stir the egg yolk and butter into the cheese.