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🗝️ Key takeaways
- The texture is chewy, like pizza dough, and packed with a mouthwatering, gooey cheese filling.
- This Georgian dish (we're talking the country, not state) takes just over an hour, so it's great for lunch or dinner.
- Stuffed cheesy bread might look tricky, but the method is simple, even if it's your first time! The hardest part is pronouncing "khachapuri."
Delicious khachapuri is a Georgian cheese bread formed into a boat shape and filled with two kinds of cheese.
Unlike some bread recipes, you only have to let the dough rise once, so prep is quicker, and you can enjoy your tasty snack without much waiting!
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
- Traditional Georgian cheese (Imeruli and Sulguni) is tough to find. Feta cheese is a close match and good addition for a more authentic flavor.
- Some people like to finish off khachapuri with a runny egg. I'd crack a whole egg over the center of the cheese during the last few minutes of baking.
- You can also experiment by stirring a beaten egg yolk into the cheese mixture before assembling the rolls, but I don't think it's necessary.
- Feel free to sprinkle some sesame seeds or herbs over top, like dill, basil, or parsley.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Divide the ball of dough into six even portions.
- Roll dough flat with a rolling pin.
- Add a bit of the cheese to the center.
- Roll in one side of the dough about a third of the way.
- Repeat the other side, leaving space between the edges of the dough.
- Twist the unrolled ends together, forming a football shape.
- Add more cheese, place on a baking sheet, and repeat.
🥫 How to store leftovers
This khachapuri recipe is best enjoyed hot out of the oven—you know, when the melted cheese is gooey and stringy and delicious!
Refrigeration tends to dry out bread, but this recipe has too much dairy to safely leave it at room temperature. You could try keeping it in the fridge overnight if you must, but for best results, use your freezer.
Wrap baked or unbaked khachapuri carefully in plastic wrap and then place it into a freezer-safe bag. It'll keep for up to three months.
To Bake from Raw—Frozen: Place the khachapuri in the oven when you're ready to enjoy. This dough doesn't need a second rise, so no thawing is necessary! However, it will take a little longer to bake.
To Reheat Cooked Khachapuri—Frozen: Let the cooked but frozen khachapuri thaw in the fridge for a few hours. Then, warm it up in the microwave or the oven for a few minutes.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Divide the dough using a kitchen scale to make sure each piece is exactly the same size—that'll prevent the kids from fighting over the largest one!
- Bread flour gives this Georgian bread its famous, pizza-like texture. If you try to swap it with all-purpose, it won't taste as chewy.
- If your dough is a little sticky, cover your work surface with a piece of parchment paper while assembling the bread boats.
- Newer ovens have a bread-proof setting. This is the perfect "warm place" for the khachapuri to rise.
- Careful! Don't bite in without letting the khachapuri cool a little first. The molten cheese can burn the roof of your mouth—ouch.
👩🍳 FAQs
Khachapuri is a popular dish from the country of Georgia. Sometimes it's called adjaruli khachapuri or imeruli khachapuri based on the exact authentic ingredients used.
This can happen for a few reasons, like mixing it with water that was too hot. However, if you followed the recipe closely and it still didn't foam, the yeast is probably too old. I'd start over with new yeast.
I try to stay true to the basics, but it's difficult to find some of the authentic Georgian cheeses here in the US, like sulguni cheese, for instance. So, I adapted it to fit what we can find a little more easily.
📚 Related recipes
- Garlic Knots are so easy to scarf down, pair well with any dinner, and make meals stretch—perfect for when the family is extra hungry.
- Explore more worldwide cuisines with this sweet Japanese snack bread recipe, Melonpan. It's a roll that's covered in a crispy sugar cookie layer!
- Velvety, buttery, and so addicting, these vintage Vienna Rolls (or Viennese bread or finger rolls) are awesome plain or in French toast.
🍽️ Serve with...
Cheesy khachapuri is a great side for lemony, garlicky Buttermilk Roast Chicken. Georgians eat a lot of roasted poultry, so it pairs perfectly! Complete your menu with Cucumber Salad—it's a Southern recipe, but the crisp, zingy flavors go great with Georgian cuisine.
I love this gooey bread served with tomato soup. It's even better than grilled cheese.
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📞 The last word
I love travel and trying new foods. One of the things I like best about recipes is that it allows you to experience cultures you may never set physically visit.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars!
📖 Recipe
Khachapuri Cheese Bread
Print Pin Recipe SaveEquipment Needed
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 ⅓ cup warm water, 110F
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups bread flour, may need more
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 ounces Muenster cheese, shredded
- 4 ounces Smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup butter
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Instructions
- Combine the yeast, sugar, and water in the bowl o your mixer.
- Let stand for 10 minutes, or until foamy.
- Add the oil, flour, and salt, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms.
- Knead on medium for 3 minutes by machine or 5 by hand. You want the dough to be smooth and elastic.
- Transfer it to an oiled bowl, oil the top and cover with a tea towel.
- Set in a warm spot to rise for 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 500F.
- Punch the dough down and divide in six pieces.
- Roll each piece out into a circle about 1/.8-inch thick.
- Spread with 1/12th of the cheese.
- Tightly roll in one side of the dough about a third.
- Do the same with the other side, leaving a 2-inch space in the center.
- Pinch the ends together, creating a leaf shape. Twist to seal.
- Sprinkle 1/12 of the cheese in the center.
- Repeat with the rest of the dough.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cheese melts and crust is golden brown.
- Add a little of the butter to the open center of each bread while it is hot.
- Cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- Some people like an egg baked on top.
- Bread flour gives this Georgian bread its famous, pizza-like texture. If you try to swap it with all-purpose, it won't taste as chewy.
- If your dough is a little sticky, cover your work surface with a piece of parchment paper while assembling the bread boats.
- Newer ovens may have a bread-proofing setting. This is the perfect "warm place" for the khachapuri to rise.
- Careful! Don't bite in without letting the khachapuri cool a little first. The molten cheese can burn the roof of your mouth—ouch.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.First published April 12, 2014. Last updated September 15, 2023 for better information and editorial content.
✍🏻 A note from Marye...
I know y'all don't always like the stories bloggers tell so when I have one I try to put it at the very bottom so you can read or skip as you like.
Khachapuri is a crusty flat bread filled with cheese from Georgia, and when I say Georgia I don't mean the state where they grow peanuts and say y'all.
Geography was so much easier when I was a kid. A huge chunk of the world was just referred to as the Soviet Union and that was that.
I find myself having to look up locations more and more! Thank God for Google Earth, right?
Anyway, Georgia is situated between Russia and Turkey and its traditional foods reflect both Asian and Greek Influences.
Khachapuri has a chewy crust similar to pizza but is filled with cheese and often topped with an egg toward the end of baking.
Since the cheese traditionally used isn't available here I've taken a teensy liberty and replaced it with a combination of smooth, creamy Muenster and Smoked Gouda.
Mary Ellen Schafer
Where are the onions in this recipe??
Marye
There are none in this recipe.
Beth (OMG! Yummy)
I love Khachapuri - it's in the Jerusalem cookbook so that was my first intro to it but in April we ate at the most wonderful Georgian restaurant in NYC. The khachapuri was amazing! I may give this a try. Another chance to get over my doughabphobia!
Marye Audet
Definitely! I love these. I should make them more than I do!
Healing Tomato
In Indian cuisine, "khachapuri" means dry bread and it is also a famous recipe. Your bread looks so very delicious and I have to to try it.
Susan | LunaCafe
Wow, I have to make this.Sounds like an Italian calzone but with different cheese. Sp much prettier though.Love this shaping technique. 🙂
Laura @MotherWouldKnow
Marye, I love this variation on an ethnic specialty.(Of course, when you say Georgia and I know it's you talking, I immediately think of the state n, not the former Soviet Republic - but never mind:) ) Plus analogizing it to grilled cheese makes it so obvious that our favorite foods really know no borders.
Josna Rege
Looks and sounds heavenly. Khachapuri—now why hadn't I heard of it before? In your Americanized version it could become the new craze!
Andrea
That does look delicious! Can't really go wrong with Muenster or Gouda either!