Georgian Cheese Bread

Kitchen Witch Steph's Note:

This came from Gourmet magazine, May 2008. Their blurb: "In the remote mountains of Georgia, the star ingredient of this bread called khachapuri—akin to pizza—is the firm but creamy salted cow's-milk cheese called sulguni. A blend of Havarti and mozzarella will give you a similar velvety texture." Posting for ZWT4, Eastern Europe. Start to finish, this takes 4 hours, 30 minutes active cooking time.

• Total Time: 4 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 4 hrs

Ingredients:

Serves: 8

Yield: 1.0 pizza

• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (a 1/4-oz package)
• 7 tablespoons warm water (105-115 F)
• 1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 lb havarti cheese, coarsely grated
• 1/4 lb salted mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated
• 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1. Sprinkle yeast over warm water and stir in 1 tablespoon flour. Let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes. (If yeast does not activate, start over with new yeast.).
2. Stir together salt and remaining flour in a large bowl, then stir in egg and yeast mixture to form a dough.
3. Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and turn to coat with flour, then knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Form into a ball and dust with flour. Let dough rest in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap, punching down with a wet fist every hour, at least 2 hours and up to 3.
4. Preheat oven to 500°F with rack in middle.
5. Turn out dough onto floured pizza pan, turning to coat, then flatten with your fingers into a 7-inch disk.
6. Toss together cheeses and press into a compact 3-inch ball with your hands.
7. Place ball in middle of dough, then gather dough up around ball of cheese, squeezing excess dough into a topknot.
8. Press down on topknot with a damp fist to press cheese out from center. Continue to flatten dough and distribute cheese evenly, pressing outward from center, until dough is an 11-inch disk.
9. Cut a 6-inch X through top of dough to expose cheese.
10. Bake until pale golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
11. Brush surface of dough with butter and bake until golden and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes more.
12. Serve cut into wedges.
13. Their cook's note: Dough can be made 1 day ahead and chilled in bowl (for a slow rise), covered with plastic wrap. Punch down and bring to room temperature before proceeding with recipe.

Reviews

[Chef #494076]

This is a favorite dish of all my friends.There is never a dinner party at my house without it. I am Georgian and have tasted and made Khachapuris of every kind. This reciepe is a pretty good one! Thank you for posting it,

[weekend cooker]

This was very good. The only problem I had was that i did not have a thermometer to measure the temperature of the water. I think I was pretty accurate, because the bread came out great, and the kids loved it. Was saved in my cookbook for a while, usually play the tag games, but nobody knew who was it, and this was my back up, A GREAT BACK UP> Thanks for the post.

[Dreamer in Ontario]

This bread was very tasty, expecially the cheese that ran out of the dough while baking and became nice and crispy. It turned out somewhat like a stuffed crust pizza without the toppings. I would have liked to have the bread rise a bit more before baking. Made for ZWT4