Khachapuri Adjaruli — Boat-Shaped Cheese Bread with Egg

The most famous khachapuri of all — a boat of chewy bread filled with molten cheese, topped with a
raw egg yolk and a pat of butter, which the diner mixes together before eating. A single adjaruli is
a rich, transcendent meal. From the Black Sea region of Adjara.

FASTING LEVEL: Non-Fasting (cheese, milk, egg, butter)

SERVINGS: 4 (makes 4 boats)
TIME: 2 hours 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
For the dough:
- 400 g bread flour
- 200 ml warm milk
- 50 ml warm water
- 7 g instant yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon salt

For the filling:
- 300 g low-moisture mozzarella, grated
- 300 g feta cheese, crumbled (or sulguni if you can find it)
- 200 g farmer's cheese or ricotta
- 1 egg (for binding)

For finishing each boat:
- 1 raw egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
- Freshly ground black pepper

METHOD:
1. Make dough: combine warm milk, water, yeast, and sugar. Let stand 10 minutes. Add egg, oil, salt, and flour. Knead 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and rise 90 minutes.
2. Prepare filling: combine all cheeses with the binding egg. The mixture should be salty and tangy — taste and adjust. If too salty, add more farmer's cheese.
3. Divide dough into 4 pieces. Roll each into a long oval, about 25 cm by 15 cm.
4. Pile filling down the centre of each oval, leaving generous borders.
5. Roll each long edge inward, twisting the ends tightly to form a boat shape with pointed tips. The cheese should mound slightly above the rim of the boat.
6. Transfer boats carefully to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let rest 20 minutes.
7. Bake at 220C (425F) for 15-18 minutes until the crust is deeply golden and the cheese is bubbling.
8. Remove from oven. Working quickly, make a small well in the centre of each cheese mound. Slip a raw egg yolk into the well. Scatter butter cubes over the hot cheese. Grind pepper over.
9. Serve immediately. At the table, the diner uses a fork to break the yolk and mix everything together. Tear pieces of the boat's crust and dip into the molten centre.

NOTES:
- Sulguni cheese is the authentic Georgian choice — salty, stringy, tangy. Mozzarella + feta approximates it. Halloumi is also acceptable.
- The raw yolk is part of the dish. If you are uncomfortable with raw egg, use a pasteurised egg.
- Adjaruli is a fork-optional dish. The traditional eating method is tearing bread with your hands and dipping.
- This is a complete, if extremely rich, meal. Pair with Georgian red wine or tarragon lemonade.

NUTRITION (per boat, approximate):
Calories: 820 | Protein: 42 g | Carbohydrates: 78 g | Fat: 40 g | Fibre: 3 g