Imeruli Khachapuri - Georgian cheese pies
“Khachapuri” filling is traditionally made with 2 Georgian cheeses, “imeruli” and “sulguni”. After several tries and research, I have decided that the best combination would be mozzarella, feta and some kefalotyri for saltiness. They came out DELICIOUS! Give this recipe a try. You will love it.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 500 grams bread strong flour
- 1 ½ tsp dry yeast
- 1 tsp of sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup 250 ml milk, lukewarm
- ½ cup water
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
For the filling:
- 400 grams mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated
- 200 grams feta cheese, crushed with a fork
- 100 grams “kefalotyri” or “pecorino” cheese, coarsely grated
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 egg
Instructions
- To make the dough, place the ingredients in the order listed, in the mixer bowl. Knead for 3-4 minutes with the dough hook, until you have a soft and somewhat sticky dough. Grease a large bowl and place the dough in it, rotating it so that the oil is evenly distributed. Cover and let it rise for 60-90 minutes.
- To prepare the filling, put all the cheeses in a large bowl with the pepper and egg. Mix very well.
- When the dough has risen, divide it into 8 equal parts and shape into balls. Roll out each ball into a round shape of 18-20 cm with a rolling pin. Place 1/8 of the filling in the centre, in the shape of a ball. Seal the cheese into the dough, joining the edges together like a pouch. Flatten the "pouch" a little with your hands, then run a rolling pin over it to roll it out to about 18 cm in diameter. If a hole opens up, close it with some dough. Continue with the remaining dough and filling until you have made 8 pies.
- Heat a frying pan over medium-low heat. Cook the pies in the pan one at a time, about 3 minutes on each side. If you see that they are burning, lower the heat. The goal is for the pies to cook evenly and turn golden brown.
- Serve the pies warm. You can reheat them in a medium oven.