Eastern Europe & Caucasus

Khachapuri: Georgia's Cheese-Filled National Bread

Name: Khachapuri: Georgia's Cheese-Filled National Bread
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 4 servings (2 breads)
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 300 g Bread flour; 150 ml Lukewarm water (35–40°C); 80 g Plain yogurt (unsweetened); 5 g (1.5 tsp) Dry yeast; 10 g (2 tsp) Sugar; 5 g (1 tsp) Salt; 1 tbsp Olive oil; 250 g Mozzarella (shredded); 150 g Feta; 1 (for the filling) Egg; 2 (1 for each khachapuri) Egg yolks; 20 g (10 g each) Butter (salted)

How to make khachapuri (ხაჭაპური), Georgia's national dish, at home: the boat-shaped Adjaruli and the round Imeruli, how to choose cheese, a skillet substitute for the oven, plus variations, FAQ and storage.

Published: October 24, 2026Total: 2 hr 30 minLevel: Intermediate

Cooking flow

Cooking steps

STEP 11 / 8

Activate the yeast

5 min

Kneading the dough — Combine the flour and yeast liquid and bring together by hand

Add 10 g sugar and 5 g dry yeast to 150 ml lukewarm water, stir lightly, and leave 5 minutes. Fine bubbles on the surface show the yeast is active. If no bubbles form, the yeast may be old, so replace it. Water above 45°C kills yeast, so always dip a finger in and keep it at 35–40°C, which feels merely "warm."

STEP 22 / 8

Knead the dough

10 min

Put 300 g bread flour and 5 g salt in a large bowl and mix. Make a well in the center and pour in the activated yeast liquid, 80 g yogurt and 1 tbsp olive oil. Mix roughly with chopsticks or a spatula, then turn it onto a floured surface and knead by hand. Repeat pressing, folding and turning for 10 minutes. It is done when "the surface is smooth and the dough springs back slowly when pressed with a finger." If it is sticky, add flour 1 tsp at a time, but too much makes the result stiff.

Khachapuri dough should be soft; a slight stickiness is just right. If you are used to bread-making you may be tempted to knead too much, so aim for a dough a little softer than pizza dough.

STEP 33 / 8

First rise

60 min

Shape the kneaded dough into a taut ball, place it in a bowl and brush lightly with olive oil. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let it ferment in a warm place (30–35°C) for about 60 minutes, until doubled. When ready, the surface is plump and smooth and the whole dough jiggles softly when you shake the bowl. In winter, use your microwave's proofing function (35°C) or ferment in the oven with only the oven light on for stability.

Judging the rise

Flour a finger and press about 2 cm into the center of the dough. If the hole springs back slowly, the rise is just right. If it springs back at once, wait longer; if it doesn't come back at all, it is over-proofed.

STEP 44 / 8

Make the cheese filling

5 min

Mixing feta, mozzarella and egg to make khachapuri filling — Mix the cheese and egg evenly until it holds together when lightly squeezed

While the dough rises, prepare the filling. Break 150 g feta with a fork into pieces the size of rice grains to small beans, add 250 g shredded mozzarella and 1 egg, and mix well by hand. If large lumps of feta remain, the saltiness will be uneven, so crush them with your fingertips to even everything out. The finished filling holds together when lightly squeezed in your hand and crumbles softly when you open your fingers. If it is dry, add beaten egg 1 tbsp at a time.

Traditional Georgian khachapuri uses sulguni (სულგუნი), a brined string cheese. It is hard to find in many places, but combining the melt of mozzarella with the saltiness and tang of feta gets close to the character of sulguni.

STEP 55 / 8

Shape the dough: Adjaruli "boat" style

10 min

The boat-shaped dough on a baking sheet — Boat-shaped dough with the ends twisted closed. The cheese goes into the center hollow

Turn the risen dough out and divide into 2 (about 290 g each). Stretch each by hand into an oval about 30 cm on the long side and 18 cm on the short side. Roll the two long edges inward while lifting them, and twist the two tips together to hold. The center becomes a hollowed boat shape.

The trick in shaping is "twist the ends tightly." So the cheese does not run out in the next step, pinch both ends firmly closed with your fingers. Make the boat about 10–12 cm wide, with the sides standing up and a clear hollow in the center for the cheese.

For Imeruli (round) style

Roll the dough into a round about 20 cm across, place half the filling in the center and gather the edges up to enclose it. Press lightly with the seam down and shape into a round of about 18 cm in diameter. Place it on a baking sheet as is and bake until the surface is golden brown. Imeruli does not need the egg yolk and butter finish.

STEP 66 / 8

Fill with cheese and bake

15–18 min

Cheese-filled khachapuri baking in the oven — 15–18 minutes at 230°C. When the cheese bubbles and the dough is golden, it is nearly done

Preheat the oven to 230°C. Mound half the cheese filling (about 220 g) in the center of each boat. Take care that the filling does not spill over the sides.

Line a baking sheet with parchment, set the shaped khachapuri on it, and bake at 230°C for 15–18 minutes. It is done when the edges of the dough are golden and the cheese is bubbling and melted. Overbaking sets the cheese, so check often.

For a home oven, putting the baking sheet on the lower rack so the bottom gets enough heat helps. A traditional Georgian bread oven (tone) is extremely hot on the bottom, so the key at home is to get as much heat from below as you can.

STEP 77 / 8

Finish with egg yolk and butter, the heart of khachapuri

An egg yolk and butter dropped into the center of the baked khachapuri — Dropping the yolk into the freshly baked cheese. This moment is the thrill of khachapuri

While still hot from the oven, make a well in the center of the cheese and drop in 1 egg yolk and 10 g butter. Return it to the oven for just 30 seconds so the edge of the white turns faintly opaque. It does not need to be cooked through. A soft, runny yolk is best.

About heating the yolk

Eating the yolk soft is the traditional Georgian way. If raw egg concerns you, return it to the oven for 1 minute to cook it through. But once the yolk sets it blends less well with the cheese, so soft is preferable if possible. Use fresh eggs that went into the refrigerator right after purchase.

STEP 88 / 8

Stir the cheese, yolk and butter together

2 min

Mixing cheese and yolk with a fork, tearing off the crust to eat — Once the yolk, butter and cheese are mixed, tear off the crust and dip

Bring it to the table and, while the cheese is still bubbling, stir the yolk and butter into the cheese with a fork. When the yellow cheese sauce has spread across the whole boat and is soft and creamy, tear off pieces of the crust and dip them in the cheese. In the Georgian way, you tear the bread by hand rather than using a knife and fork.

Khachapuri is best eaten right out of the oven: as it cools, the cheese sets and it becomes a quite different food. That feeling of sitting down at the table too impatient to wait for it to come out is the essence of khachapuri.

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Ingredients

1 / 4

Dough

Ingredient	Amount	Substitutes & notes
Bread flour	300 g	All-purpose flour works. Cake flour rises poorly and is not suitable
Lukewarm water (35–40°C)	150 ml	Too hot kills the yeast. About body temperature
Plain yogurt (unsweetened)	80 g	Sour cream works. The acidity makes the dough supple
Dry yeast	5 g (1.5 tsp)	Instant dry yeast recommended
Sugar	10 g (2 tsp)	Food for the yeast
Salt	5 g (1 tsp)	—
Olive oil	1 tbsp	Vegetable oil works

2 / 4

Cheese filling

Ingredient	Amount	Substitutes & notes
Mozzarella (shredded)	250 g	The core of the melting texture. Pizza cheese works
Feta	150 g	The key to saltiness and tang. Cottage cheese plus 1 tsp salt can substitute
Egg	1 (for the filling)	Binds the cheese. Holds the filling together

3 / 4

Finishing (Adjaruli style)

Ingredient	Amount	Substitutes & notes
Egg yolks	2 (1 for each khachapuri)	Use fresh ones
Butter (salted)	20 g (10 g each)	Added at the end to melt into the cheese

4 / 4

Nutrition (per serving, 4 servings)

The nutrition information in the frontmatter above is an approximate value per person for 4 servings (1/2 khachapuri). With the combination of mozzarella and feta, you get about 400 mg of calcium (roughly 50% of an adult's daily recommended amount). The 28 g of protein comes from the egg and cheese, and the 68 g of carbohydrate comes mostly from the bread flour dough.

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The "Boat of Cheese" Raised in the Caucasus Mountains

Break the bread open and hot cheese flows out. Break the yolk, stir it into the butter, then tear off a piece of the crust and drag it through. Khachapuri (ხაჭაპური) from Georgia (formerly called Gruzia in Russian) is a signature dish of Georgian cuisine (in Japanese), and once you have it you won't forget it.

"Khachapuri" means "cheese bread" in Georgian, a compound of "ხაჭო (khacho) = curd cheese" and "პური (puri) = bread." Its history is said to reach back at least to the Middle Ages, and the usual explanation is that herders in the Caucasus wrapped cheese in bread dough to store and carry it.

Different regions of Georgia have different shapes of khachapuri. The most famous is Adjaruli khachapuri (boat-shaped) from the Adjara region on the Black Sea coast, an open boat holding cheese, egg and butter. In the Imereti region, Imeruli khachapuri (round) is the mainstream: the cheese is fully enclosed in the dough.

This article draws on English-language Georgian food sites and recipes by Georgian cooks to give a khachapuri you can make from ingredients available at an ordinary grocery store. It centers on the Adjaruli (boat) style, with the Imeruli (round) method alongside. Pair it with borscht (in Japanese) and you can recreate an Eastern European and Caucasus table at home.

Golden-baked Adjaruli khachapuri with melting cheese and egg yolk in the center — Adjaruli khachapuri. Plenty of cheese, egg yolk and butter melt together in a boat of dough

Ingredients (serves 4, makes 2 breads)

Where to find feta

If you can't find feta, mix 150 g cottage cheese with 1 tsp salt to approximate its saltiness and tang. Ricotta salata is also a good substitute. Look for feta at well-stocked supermarkets or Greek and Mediterranean groceries.

Allergen information

This dish contains wheat, milk and egg. Some feta is made from sheep or goat milk, so if you have a cow's milk allergy, check the ingredient label. For gluten-free you can use a rice-flour-based bread dough, but the texture is quite different.

Cooking tips

The dough can be made the day before

After kneading, seal the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate, and it can ferment slowly in the cold until the next day. Prepare it the night before, and on the day you only fill and bake. Cold-fermented dough develops plenty of gluten, so it is supple and easy to handle. Take it out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before shaping.

The cheese ratio changes the taste

The basic ratio is mozzarella to feta of 5:3. Increasing the feta strengthens the saltiness and tang for a flavor closer to traditional Georgian khachapuri. Increasing the mozzarella makes it milder. Adjust to taste.

You can make it in a skillet without an oven

Without an oven, cover a skillet and cook over low to medium-low heat for 7–8 minutes per side. In this case the Imeruli (round) style is easier. Lightly oil the bottom of the pan and cover it to steam-bake so the cheese melts. When flipping, use a large plate to turn it over for the least risk of failure.

How to freeze it

You can freeze it before baking (after filling the dough with cheese). Wrap the baking sheet with plastic and put it in the freezer, then once frozen move it to a freezer bag. To eat, bake from frozen in a 200°C oven for 25–30 minutes. Freezing after baking tends to separate the cheese when reheated in the microwave, so freeze before baking.

Tearing off the crust and dipping it into the melted cheese — Tearing it by hand fresh from the oven is the Georgian way. The stretch of the cheese whets the appetite

Variations

Khachapuri has different variations in each region of Georgia. Once you've mastered the basic Adjaruli, try the other styles.

Megruli khachapuri

A style from the Samegrelo region of western Georgia, characterized by cheese also placed on top of a round Imeruli khachapuri before baking. It is a "double cheese" khachapuri with cheese both inside and outside. To finish, scatter about 50 g shredded mozzarella over the top and bake 2 more minutes until the cheese melts. It looks like a pizza and is irresistible to cheese lovers.

Penovani khachapuri (puff pastry version)

Handy when you're short on time. Roll out store-bought frozen puff pastry sheets into squares, put the cheese filling in the center and fold up the four corners. Bake at 200°C for 20 minutes. The traditional version uses a Georgian layered dough, but frozen puff pastry is an excellent substitute. Its ease makes it simple to work into a weeknight dinner.

Miso twist

Miso and cheese go superbly together. Adding 2 tbsp white miso in place of the feta brings saltiness and fermented umami for a unique flavor. Mixing chopped shiso or myoga into the cheese gives you an original khachapuri with Japanese herbs.

Vegan version

Instead of cheese, use a filling of 300 g drained firm tofu mixed with 2 tbsp white miso, 3 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp salt and a little turmeric. Instead of the egg yolk, top with soy milk cream colored with turmeric. Though fully vegan, it recreates a cheese-like richness and tang.

Three styles of khachapuri (Adjaruli, Imeruli, Megruli) side by side — From the left: Imeruli (round), Adjaruli (boat), Megruli (double cheese)

Background: the Georgian supra table and khachapuri

Khachapuri is eaten in Georgia not only in everyday meals. At the traditional Georgian feast called the supra (სუფრა), khachapuri is always placed at the center of the table. A supra is not just a dinner party but a ceremonial feast in which toasts are repeated under the direction of the tamada (toastmaster).

Georgia is considered one of the birthplaces of wine, and traces of winemaking 8,000 years old have been excavated (University of Pennsylvania Museum, 2017). This wine culture, the supra tradition and khachapuri form a trinity that shapes Georgian identity.

Khachapuri culture by region

Each region of Georgia has its own khachapuri, and lively debates over "our khachapuri is the best" are everyday local pride.

While Adjaruli is the most popular with tourists, locals love Imeruli as "everyday khachapuri." In the Guria region on the Black Sea coast, Gurulis khachapuri, with a whole boiled egg inside, is made as a holiday feast.

"The quality of the cheese decides everything"

A recurring theme in Georgian food philosophy is a commitment to the quality of ingredients. In Georgia, sulguni cheese is handmade by small farms in various places, and the saltiness and elasticity vary by origin.

Whatever the kitchen, choosing the best cheese you can affects the result. Making it only with cheap pizza cheese from the supermarket tends to give a vague flavor, and adding feta gives a more defined taste.

Dishes laid out on a traditional Georgian supra table — A Georgian supra. Khachapuri sits at the center of the table and is enjoyed with wine

FAQ

For those who want to know more about Georgian food

If you'd like to explore more of Eastern European and Caucasus cooking, see borscht (in Japanese) too. If you like Middle Eastern food, we also recommend hummus (in Japanese) and falafel (in Japanese). Turkish kebab, Lebanese tabbouleh and Israeli shakshuka and other Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flavors go superbly with khachapuri. A world food party with Peruvian ceviche (in Japanese) would be fun too.

Q1. Is khachapuri good cold?

It is overwhelmingly best fresh from the oven, but it can be eaten cold. Because the cheese sets as it cools, warm it in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or reheat it in a toaster oven until the surface is crisp, to bring it close to fresh. However, the soft yolk of the Adjaruli style cannot be reproduced by reheating, so we strongly recommend eating it fresh whenever possible.

Q2. Can I make it without fermenting?

There are recipes without yeast. Substituting 2 tsp baking powder removes the rising time, but the airy bread texture is lost and the result is somewhat heavy. Keep it in mind as an emergency method for "I have no time but I really want it."

Q3. Is it OK for children?

The combination of dough and cheese is popular with children. However, it is safer to avoid the soft yolk of the Adjaruli style for small children. A version made as Imeruli (round) with the cheese filling cooked through is safe. If salt is a concern, reduce the feta and increase the proportion of mozzarella.

Q4. What drinks go with khachapuri?

In Georgia, it is typically paired with white wine (especially amber wine). Saperavi (red) and Rkatsiteli (white) are Georgian wines to look for. For non-alcoholic options, a yogurt drink (ayran or lassi) offsets the richness of the cheese. Sparkling water also goes well.

Q5. What can I do with leftover cheese filling?

Wrap it in spring roll wrappers and fry for instant cheese sticks. It is also good spread on bread and toasted. It can be a pizza topping, or tossed with boiled pasta for a Georgian-style cheese pasta. Use it up within 2 days.

Sources

Tasting Table, "How to Make Khachapuri" (https://www.tastingtable.com/khachapuri-recipe), accessed 2024
University of Pennsylvania Museum, "Earliest Known Winemaking" (https://www.penn.museum/sites/wine/), accessed 2017