Adjaruli Khachapuri and The Family Bucket List

A recipe for Adjaruli Khachapuri inspired by the book, The Family Bucket List: 1000 Trips to Take and Memories to Make Around the World! This boat-shaped homemade Georgian bread is packed with cheese and baked until golden.

Disclosure: I received a copy of The Family Bucket List from Universe in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own. This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Nana Luckham and Kath Stathers

Nana Luckham is a travel writer and has co-authored guidebooks for Lonely Planet and Rough Guides. She has also worked as a United Nations press officer and her work has been featured in the BBC, The Independent, The Africa Report, and more.

She has lived all over the world including Accra, Canberra, Paris, Grenoble, New York, and the Scottish Highlands and is currently based in southeast London with her family.

Kath Stathers is a writer, editor and part-time Forest School teacher. She has been a contributor to five titles in the Bucket List series including The Bucket List: 1000 Adventures Big & Small.

She is currently based in southeast London and has also lived in Abu Dhabi, Oman, France, Chile, Colombia, and northern Spain.

The Family Bucket List

The Family Bucket List: 1000 Trips to Take and Memories to Make Around the World, by Nana Luckham and Kath Stathers, features an incredible collection of ideas and adventures for the whole family across 416 pages.

Whether you are looking for inspiration for your next trip or simply want to live vicariously from your living room, the book is packed with an abundance of options for every age and activity level.

The chapters are divided according to continent, then country: North America, South America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, Asia, and Oceania.

I especially appreciate that every number is color coded based on type of activity: Spectacular Place to Sleep, Wildlife and Nature, Food and Culture (my favorite, of course), Festival and Celebration, Sport and Recreation, Epic Journeys, Exploring History, and City Break.

A few highlights include sampling popsicles (paletas) in Mexico, paddling on a volcano’s crater in Ecuador, sleeping in a glass igloo in Finland, trying Cape Malay food in South Africa, learning calligraphy in China, and watching kangaroos on the beach in Australia.

I recognized a few favorites from places we have lived and visited in the past (including Solvang, NYC, and DC) and even a couple from upcoming trips such as learning about the history of chocolate in Kilchberg, Switzerland (in a few weeks!).

The pages are also packed with photography featuring the landscapes, people, food, wildlife, and more from many of the destinations.

Adjaruli Khachapuri

The Family Bucket List has a handful of entries for Georgia. Number 726 is: Savoring Khachapuri, Georgia’s Culinary Specialty!

I absolutely love Adjaruli Khachapuri (აჭარული ხაჭაპური). It is one of my favorite comfort foods and I have tried variations across the United States (see the photos below from Chama Mama/NYC, Supra/DC, and Oui Melrose/LA).

A dream is to actually enjoy it someday in Georgia and this is definitely on my bucket list.

In the meantime, I am sharing a recipe to make Adjaruli Khachapuri at home! This open-faced cheese bread is one of the most notable dishes from Adjara in Southwest Georgia along the Black Sea.

After bringing together the yeast-based dough and allowing to rise a couple of times, it is rolled into a large oval and filled with a grated cheese mixture. The dough is then rolled up around the edges to form a boat shape and the bread is baked until golden.

To finish, an egg yolk and slab of butter are added to the center and it is all combined to create a creamy mixture perfect for grabbing with the outer edges of the bread.

Notable Ingredients

I have seen and tried Khachapuri with a variety of types of cheese used for the filling.

Tasting Georgia uses an equal combination of grated cheddar, Emmental, mozzarella, and cottage cheese. I have also seen ricotta, halloumi, and others mentioned. When developing this recipe, I used Sulguni and Feta (since I was unable to locate Imeruli at the time).

Sulguni (სულგუნი) is a stretched curd cheese from Georgia. It has a semi-firm and elastic texture with a sour, buttery flavor. It can be found in the cheese section of many markets with Eastern European ingredients. If unavailable, swap for a block of low-moisture whole milk mozzarella. Do not use pre-shredded. It will not blend as easily.

Imeruli is a type of fresh cow’s milk cheese originally from the Imereti region of Georgia. It has a soft, springy texture and a tangy flavor. I used feta in its place. If going with feta, make sure it is a block soaked in brine. Do not use pre-crumbled.

For those in the Los Angeles area, I was often able to find Sulguni and Imeruli at Jons Fresh Marketplace in Torrance.

For those in Northern Virginia, I picked up the Sulguni at Moldova European Food Market in Stafford.

A Few Adjaruli Khachapuri Tips

When adding the yeast to the water, make sure the water isn’t too hot or it will damage the yeast. The temperature should be about 105˚F (40˚C)- just warm enough to activate. Allow to rest at room temperature until frothy, about 10 minutes.

Do not pack in the flour when measuring or you may end up with too much. To measure flour, gently spoon it into the measuring cup and level with a knife without pressing down. The most accurate way to measure is by weight.

If the dough is too crumbly and just won’t come together after mixing everything together thoroughly, add some more water a splash at a time. Give it some time to blend fully with the flour before adding more.

In a warm kitchen, the first rise should take about 1-1 1/2 hours to double in size. During the winter with cooler temperatures, it sometimes takes closer to 2 hours. Form into a ball, cover, and allow to rise for another 30 minutes before rolling out and shaping.

Since there is a decent amount of salt in the Sulguni and feta cheese, I did not add any more salt to the filling. Adjust seasonings to taste.

I added a splash (about 1 tablespoon/15 milliliters) milk to the cheese to help it come together in a more creamy and stretchy texture. Don’t add too much or the filling will become too watery.

There are a couple of different techniques I have come across for adding the cheese to the center of the bread. Some roll up the bread into the boat shape, then pile all the cheese in the center. Others spread a layer of the cheese across the bread, then roll it up with some of the cheese sealed inside. I personally went with the second option to have plenty of cheese in every bite (and the kids loved the stuffed crust).

Pinch together the ends and twist the dough lightly to keep them from unraveling in the oven.

To get the shiny coating on the bread, I rubbed the edges with a piece of butter immediately after removing it from the oven. This will also help soften the texture.

During the last couple of minutes in the oven, I added an egg yolk to the center and baked it just until just starting to set around the edges but still runny. Some recipes add an entire egg.

Adjaruli Khachapuri Recipe

Adapted from Tasting Georgia

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5 from 3 votes

Adjaruli Khachapuri

A recipe for Adjaruli Khachapuri! These boat-shaped homemade Georgian bread is packed with cheese and baked until golden.

Course Main

Cuisine Georgian

Keyword adjaruli, bread, cheese, Georgia, Georgian, khachapuri, sulguni

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings 1 Khachapuri

Ingredients

Bread:

• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup (177 milliliters) lukewarm water 105-115˚F, 40-46˚C
• 2 cups (260 grams) bread flour
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) sunflower oil or other neutral vegetable oil

Filling:

• 10 ounces (284 grams) Sulguni cheese or low moisture whole milk mozzarella, shredded
• 4 ounces (113 grams) Imeruli cheese or feta, shredded or crumbled
• 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) milk
• 1 large egg beaten
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon (15 grams) unsalted butter plus more for rubbing the edges of the bread

Instructions

Bread:

• In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the lukewarm water. Stir briefly and allow to sit at room temperature until frothy, about 10 minutes.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.
• Mix in the water with frothy yeast and oil until a soft dough forms.
• Knead on a lightly floured surface just until elastic and smooth. Place in a large bowl, cover, and allow to rest at room temperature until doubled, 1-2 hours.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the risen dough into a smooth ball, then cover and set aside at room temperature for another 30 minutes.

To assemble:

• Preheat oven to 425˚F (220˚C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
• In a large bowl, combine the shredded cheese and splash of milk (just enough to bring it all together).
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough in a large oval about 14 inches (35.5 centimeters) long.
• Spread half of the cheese mixture across the bread, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) clear around the edges.
• Roll up each of the edges a couple of times, enclosing a little of the cheese and creating a boat shape.
• Pinch together and lightly twist the dough at the two ends to seal.
• Transfer the bread to the prepared baking sheet.
• Fill the center of the bread with the remaining cheese, then brush the edges with the beaten egg.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the bread is golden and the cheese is melted, about 20-25 minutes.
• Use a spoon to gently press down some of the cheese in the center of the bread and carefully add the egg yolk.
• Continue to bake for another 2-4 minutes, just enough to heat the egg but it should still be runny.
• Remove the khachapuri from the oven and carefully rub some of the butter around the edges of the bread, then place a slice or two of butter next to the egg yolk in the center.
• Use a fork to mix the cheese with the butter and egg, then serve immediately.