How to Make Khachapuri: Two Recipes

Khachapuri is not just food — it is a true symbol of Caucasian hospitality. In Georgia or Abkhazia, it is hard to imagine a family meal without this hot, aromatic pastry. Although in our parts the recipes have been slightly adapted to local habits, the main rule remains unchanged: there should be plenty of cheese — ideally twice as much as flour. Barnaul resident Marian Nartova shared her tried-and-true methods for preparing this dish.

Homemade Pan-Fried Version

This recipe takes a little time, as the dough is made with yeast.

How to make it:

Mix 2 cups of flour, 3 pinches of salt, 10 g of sugar and half a teaspoon of slaked soda.

Dissolve 2 tsp of yeast in 200 ml (about 7 fl oz) of warm milk, combine with the dry mixture and knead a soft dough. It should not stick to your hands.

Cover the bowl with a towel and leave in a warm place for 1–2 hours.

When the dough has risen, divide it into portions, roll into balls and flatten into small rounds.

For the filling, mix 100 g (3.5 oz) each of grated suluguni and Adyghe cheese with 80 g (about 3 oz) of soft butter.

Place a spoonful of filling in the center of each round, gather the edges into a pouch (like for khinkali), pinch shut and carefully roll out again into a flat round with a rolling pin.

Fry on a dry pan for 4 minutes on each side. Stack the finished khachapuri, generously brushing each layer with butter.

The Famous Adjarian “Boats”

This is the most recognizable type of khachapuri, which never fails to delight guests.

How to make it:

Mix 250 g (about 2 cups) of flour with salt and 1.5 tsp of slaked soda. Make a well, add 2.5 tsp of dry yeast and pour in a cup of kefir at room temperature.

Knead the dough and let it rest in a warm place for 30 minutes. Then punch it down and leave for another half hour.

Divide the dough into fist-sized portions, roll into rounds (about 20 cm / 8 in in diameter) and shape them into “boats” with raised sides.

Fill the center with grated cheese (suluguni or Adyghe) — there should be plenty.

Place the boats on a baking sheet, brush the edges with yolk and put in an oven preheated to 200°C (390°F) for 40 minutes.

When the dough is golden, take out the baking sheet, carefully crack an egg into the center of each boat (it is important to keep the yolk intact) and return to the oven for another 5 minutes.