Khachapuri. Recipe.

Tools and Devices

• Dough roller
• Sieve
• Baking sheet
• Cast iron skillet
• Oven

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 tbsp. sour milk or yogurt
• 1 package of dry yeast
• 100 grams of good quality unsalted butter
• 1 egg
• 2 optional tablespoons of sugar and a pinch of salt
• 375-400 grams of flour

Stuffing

• Fresh Feta Cheese - 1 lb. / 450 grams.
• Frozen Butter - 250 grams

Method

Dough Preparation

1. Add sugar and salt into warm milk or yogurt.
2. Stir in yeast
3. Stir well and leave for 15 minutes
4. Melt butter in a pan, cool it off, add egg that is at room temperature and stir.
5. Connect both masses and mix very well. I use the immersion blender for this purpose.
6. Sieve dough into the mix gently and gradually mix it in using a wooden or plastic spatula
7. Once the dough forms, take it out and further mash it on a table sprinkled with flour.
8. The dough should be soft and elastic.
9. Cover and put it in a container sprinkled with flour.
10. Leave in the fridge for 1.5-2 hours or longer to raise.
11. You can also put the dough in a warm place. Also covered. I prefer to do so. There is some sort of a divide between Russian speaking cooks what is better. My view - it doesn't matter - if you have two - three hours or more in your schedule - try the fridge. If not - a warm place will do. Some cooks also flatten the dough, put it in a plastic bag and freeze for 15 minutes. This method was not yet tested by me.
12. The dough should double in size by the very least. Choose a container that can fit  its raised mass.

Assembly

• Click here to read an optional but highly recommended dough trick
  • Divide dough into pieces of 55 to 60 grams.
  • Next do the trick that will enrich it with air and make cooked dough rich with tasty, crusty bubbles that feel and taste great when eaten.  I recommend to do this part
  • Roll each piece into a ball and cover with plastic film to prevent drying.
  • Take one ball - knead it in your hand into a flat patty the size of your palm.
  • Take the edge of the patty and fold it so that it touches the center of the patty.
  • Repeat 5-6 times folding other edges of the patty the same way.
  • Turn the patty over and repeat the same process with the other side.
  • The objective at hand is to trap air in each of the folds.
  • Roll the patty into a ball again, brush with a thin layer of olive oil, wrap in plastic film and leave on the table for an hour.
  • If you have time, it is better to leave these covered balls in the refrigerator for a day before cooking. Take the dough out an hour prior to cooking to reach room temperature.

1. When ready to assemble - ensure you have a perfectly flat, clean and dry surface sprinkled with flour.
2. Take one 50 gr ball of dough, unwrap it if you were using the method described above and using a dough roller create a thin round patty - not a see through but thin.
3. Using a coarse grater stack up the following on top the tough in the following order:
   • A layer of frozen butter
   • A layer  of cheese
   • A layer of frozen butter
4. Fold the edges so that they meet in the center and twist them to secure the hold.
5. Ensure that there are no gaps in other folds that can lead to leakage.
6. Dust your palms with flour.
7. Turn the patty with the fold side down and gently flatten it using your hands.
8. Try to make a round shape without breaking the fold.

Baking:

1. Oven baked.

1. Bake @180 C / 360 F. 15 - 20 minutes. No turning.
2. Before putting in the oven cover them with egg mix for a beautiful color.
3. Several at a time can be cooked this way.

2. Pan fried.

1. Fry on a heated cast iron pan.
2. Place on pan surface seam side down, cover and keep for 10 minutes.
3. Then turn, brush with egg mix and do another 5 minutes uncovered until tender.

3. Pan fried followed by oven conditioning. My favorite.

1. Do the first 10 minutes of Pan fried method.
2. Then lay out as many as can fit on a baking sheet seam side up.
3. Coat with egg mix and bake them in the oven for about 10 minutes at a temperature listed in Oven Baked Method.