Spelt Georgian khachapuri with egg is a boat-shaped yeast bread filled with melted cheese and finished with a raw egg and a pat of butter. The spelt dough bakes up soft inside with a crisp, lightly nutty rim.
You tear off the crust, stir the yolk into the hot cheese, and dip as you go. The filling stays glossy, and the bread stays tender enough to soak it up.
Mozzarella gives the stretch and feta adds the salt. The flavors stay clean and balanced.
Add the egg only after the boats have baked for 14 minutes. If it goes in at the start, the yolk cooks through and turns chalky. The dough can also rise in the fridge overnight, so the bake on the day stays quick.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Spelt dough bakes up soft with a faintly nutty flavor
- Two cheeses give both stretch and a salty edge
- The dough can rise overnight in the fridge
- One baking sheet and simple shaping, no special tools
Ingredient Notes
- White spelt flour: Use white or light spelt flour for a soft crumb. Wholemeal spelt works too, but add 1 tbsp more water and expect a denser bread.
- Low-moisture mozzarella: Grate it from a block. Fresh mozzarella releases water and makes the center soupy. Mild provolone or young cheddar can stand in.
- Feta: Feta adds salt and tang. Traditional khachapuri uses Georgian sulguni, which is hard to find, so mozzarella with feta is the usual swap.
- Eggs: Use fresh large eggs. Crack each one into a small bowl first so you can check the yolk is whole before it goes on the cheese.
- Unsalted butter: Keep it cold and cut it into two pats. It melts into the hot cheese and yolk as you stir at the table.
Baked Georgian Spelt Khachapuri with Egg and Cheese
Description
A spelt dough boat holds a bubbling mix of mozzarella and feta. A softly set egg and a pat of butter go in for the last few minutes of the bake.
Ingredients
For the dough
For the filling and topping
Instructions
Make the dough
- Whisk 350 g white spelt flour, 7 g instant yeast, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tsp salt in a 3-quart / 3 L mixing bowl. Add 120 ml warm milk, 90 ml warm water and 2 tbsp olive oil, then stir until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead on a lightly floured surface for 6 to 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky. Spelt gluten is delicate, so stop as soon as the dough feels smooth.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise at room temperature for 60 minutes, until doubled in size. In the last 15 minutes, heat the oven to 220 C / 430 F and line a 33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18 inch baking sheet with parchment.
Shape and fill the boats
- Mix 250 g grated mozzarella, 150 g crumbled feta and 1/2 tsp black pepper in a bowl. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces of about 300 g each and roll each into an oval about 30 x 18 cm and 5 mm thick.
- Spread 200 g of the cheese mix down the center of each oval, leaving a 3 cm border. Roll the long edges inward twice to make a thick rim, then twist and pinch the two ends closed to form a boat. Brush the rims with 1 tbsp milk.
Bake and add the egg
- Lift the boats onto the lined baking sheet, about 4 cm apart. Bake for 14 minutes, until the rims are golden and the cheese is melted and bubbling.
- Take the sheet out. Press a well into the center of each boat with the back of a spoon, then slide in 1 egg cracked into a small bowl and add a 10 g pat of cold butter. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes more, until the whites are opaque and set and the yolks still jiggle.
- Serve within 10 minutes. Stir the yolk and butter into the hot cheese at the table, then tear off the rim and dip.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 4
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 762kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 36g56%
- Saturated Fat 18g90%
- Cholesterol 171mg57%
- Sodium 1425mg60%
- Potassium 535mg16%
- Total Carbohydrate 66g22%
- Dietary Fiber 4g16%
- Sugars 3g
- Protein 37g74%
- Vitamin A 800 IU
- Calcium 680 mg
- Iron 4.2 mg
- Vitamin D 20 IU
- Vitamin E 1.5 mg
- Vitamin K 4 mcg
- Thiamin 0.4 mg
- Riboflavin 0.7 mg
- Niacin 6.5 mg
- Vitamin B6 0.25 mg
- Folate 60 mcg
- Vitamin B12 1.5 mcg
- Phosphorus 836 mg
- Magnesium 125 mg
- Zinc 6 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
Additional Notes
- Add the eggs only after the boats have baked for 14 minutes.
- Weigh the dough into two equal pieces of about 300 g each.
- Crack each egg into a small bowl before sliding it onto the cheese.
- Serve within 10 minutes of baking, while the cheese is still molten.
