Baked Georgian Spelt Khachapuri with Egg and Cheese

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

Hands pinching the twisted ends of a cheese-filled spelt dough oval into a boat shape on parchment paper

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.

Two people tearing crust from a shared khachapuri beside a tomato salad and glasses of water at a sunlit table

Prep Time 25 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Rest Time 60 mins

Total Time 1 hr 45 mins

Cooking Method: Oven

Cuisine: Other

Courses: Main Course

Difficulty: Medium

Cooking Temp: 220 C

Servings: 4

Estimated Cost: 3.50

Calories: 762

Best Season: all_year_round

Dietary: Contains dairy and eggs, Contains gluten (spelt), Vegetarian

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

350 g white spelt flour (plus extra for dusting)
7 g instant yeast (1 standard sachet)
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp fine salt
120 ml whole milk (warm, about 35 C / 95 F)
90 ml water (warm)
2 tbsp olive oil (plus a few drops for the bowl)

For the filling and topping

250 g low-moisture mozzarella (grated)
150 g feta (crumbled and patted dry)
1/2 tsp black pepper (freshly ground)
1 tbsp whole milk (for brushing the rims)
2 large eggs
20 g unsalted butter (cold, cut into 2 pats)

Instructions

Make the dough

1
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.
2
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.
3
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

4
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.
5
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

6
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.
7
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.
8
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.

Keywords: spelt khachapuri, georgian khachapuri with egg, adjaruli khachapuri, spelt cheese bread, khachapuri boats

Equipment

3-quart / 3 L mixing bowl
baking sheet 33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18 inch
rolling pin
kitchen scale
parchment paper
small bowl for cracking the eggs

Tips

Knead the dough for 6 to 8 minutes only. Spelt gluten breaks down quickly, so stop once the dough feels smooth and slightly tacky.
Grate the mozzarella from a block and pat the feta dry with paper towels so the filling stays thick and not watery.
Pinch the twisted ends of each boat firmly closed so the cheese stays inside the shape as it melts.
Crack each egg into a small bowl first, then slide it into the well so the yolk stays whole.
Weigh the dough pieces on a scale so both boats bake at the same pace.

Variations

Swap the feta for 100 g of grated provolone for a milder, stretchier filling with less salt.
Mix 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill and 30 g wilted, squeezed-dry spinach into the cheese before filling the boats.
Replace half the white spelt with light wholemeal spelt and add 1 tbsp more water for a deeper, more wholegrain crumb.

Storage and Reheating

Baked khachapuri keeps for 1 to 2 days in the fridge in an airtight container. The crust softens and the yolk firms up as it cools, so the dish tastes best on the day you bake it.

Reheat leftovers on a baking sheet in a 180 C / 350 F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is hot and the rim feels crisp again. The oven keeps the crust crisp, while a microwave makes it chewy. The yolk stays set after reheating.

For make-ahead, let the dough rise in the fridge for 8 to 12 hours, then bring it to room temperature for 30 minutes before shaping. You can also bake the boats with cheese only and freeze them for up to 1 month. Reheat from frozen at 180 C / 350 F for 15 minutes, press a well into the cheese, add a fresh egg, and bake for 5 minutes more.

Serving Suggestions

Serve khachapuri within 10 minutes of baking, one boat for two people. Tear a piece from the end of the crust, drag it through the cheese, and stir the yolk and butter into the center as you go.

A salad of sliced tomato and cucumber with lemon juice keeps the plate light. Pickled red cabbage or a bowl of lentil soup also sits well beside the rich cheese.

For a gathering, bake both boats on the same sheet and set them in the middle of the table. Everyone tears and dips from the same loaf, so the meal stays relaxed.

Read it online: https://greatbritishspeltrecipes.com/recipe/baked-spelt-georgian-khachapuri-with-egg/

Valentina

A dietitian with a passion for spelt cooking. After trying different diets, I found spelt works best in my kitchen. Join me for simple, delicious recipes that bring out the best in this ancient grain!