Name: Ajarian Achma-Khachapuri
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 375 g all-purpose wheat flour, plus a little for rolling; 1 large egg (about 50 g without shell); 125 ml lukewarm water; 2 g fine salt; 1 g granulated sugar; 150 g part-skim low-moisture mozzarella, finely grated; 100 g feta, finely crumbled; 110 g unsalted butter, melted; reserve 10 g to grease the pan and use the remaining 100 g between and over the sheets; 3 L water for boiling the sheets; 5 g fine salt for the boiling water (most is discarded)

A pan of golden Georgian achma with one cut portion pulled forward to show the layered cheese center.

Yield4 generous main-dish servings

Serving sizeOne-quarter of a 20×20 cm pan

DifficultyModerate

DietVegetarian; contains wheat/gluten, egg and milk

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The dish

About Ajarian Achma-Khachapuri

Thin sheets of tender dough, melted butter and a savory cheese center bake into this golden Ajarian achma.

Achma-khachapuri is a layered Georgian cheese pastry associated with Adjara. In a resident-reported Upper Ajarian version, egg-enriched dough is rolled into eight or eleven sheets; most sheets are briefly boiled, layered with butter, and baked around grated cheese placed in the middle. Other Ajarian descriptions use local cheese with egg and butter in the filling, so family recipes vary. This measured small-pan version follows the egg-in-the-dough method and uses a practical mozzarella-and-feta blend when local Georgian cheese is unavailable.

The bottom and top sheets stay raw while six inner sheets are briefly boiled. Butter each sheet as you layer, spread the cheese across the middle, and cut the pastry before baking so the portions separate neatly. The finished achma should have a golden top, soft distinct layers and a hot, melted cheese center.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Georgian Layered Cheese Pastry from Adjara (აჩმა აჭარული)

Dough

375 gall-purpose wheat flour, plus a little for rolling
1large egg (about 50 g without shell)
125 mllukewarm water
2 gfine salt
1 ggranulated sugar

Cheese filling

150 gpart-skim low-moisture mozzarella, finely grated
100 gfeta, finely crumbled

Layers

110 gunsalted butter, melted; reserve 10 g to grease the pan and use the remaining 100 g between and over the sheets
3 Lwater for boiling the sheets
5 gfine salt for the boiling water (most is discarded)

Method

Mix and rest the dough. Combine the flour, sugar and 2 g salt in a large bowl. Add the egg and lukewarm water. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
Prepare the pan and cheese. Heat the oven to 220°C. Melt the butter and measure out 10 g to grease a 20×20 cm pan; reserve the remaining 100 g for layering. Mix the grated mozzarella and crumbled feta. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces and keep them covered. Roll each piece into a thin sheet that fits the pan; keep the sheets covered as you work.
Boil the inner sheets. Keep one sheet raw for the base and one raw for the top. Bring 3 L water and 5 g salt to a boil. Briefly boil the six remaining sheets one at a time, about 45–60 seconds each, until pliable but intact. Transfer each to cool water, drain carefully and lay flat on clean towels.
Layer the base. Lay the raw base sheet in the buttered pan and brush it with melted butter. Add three boiled sheets one at a time, brushing each with butter and easing out folds without tearing the dough.
Add the cheese and remaining sheets. Spread the cheese blend evenly over the middle. Add the remaining three boiled sheets, brushing each with butter, then cover with the final raw sheet and brush the top with the remaining butter.
Cut and bake. With a sharp knife, cut through all the layers into four portions. Bake at 220°C for about 25–30 minutes, until the top is deep golden and the center is fully hot with melted cheese. Bake longer if the middle is still cool.
Rest and serve. Let the achma rest for 15 minutes so the layers settle, then lift out the pre-cut portions and serve warm.
Cool and store leftovers. Refrigerate leftovers in a shallow covered container at or below 4°C within 2 hours. Use within 3–4 days and reheat until hot throughout.

Practical guidance

Tips for success

Roll each sheet thinly and keep unused dough covered so it does not dry out.
Boil the six inner sheets only until supple, then cool and drain them carefully; a long boil can tear the dough.
Brush butter between every layer and score through the assembled pastry before baking.

Practical notes

Cheese choice. The measured blend of part-skim mozzarella and feta gives a consistent, accessible balance of melt and salt. If you can buy mild Georgian Imeretian cheese, use it in place of the blend; the final salt level and nutrition will vary.

Handling the sheets. Keep the boiled sheets flat and separate on clean towels. If one tears, overlap the pieces slightly while layering and brush the join with butter.

Cutting before baking. Score the full pastry into four portions before it goes into the oven. This lets the butter and cheese settle into the cuts and makes serving easier after the rest.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated nutrition per serving

Serving size: One-quarter of the baked pastry
Energy: About 720 kcal
Carbohydrates: About 74 g
Protein: About 24 g
Fat: About 36 g
Fibre: About 3 g
Sodium: About 750 mg

These are approximate values for the listed cheese blend and ingredients. Local cheese, feta brands and the amount of salt retained from the boiling water can change the final values.

Allergens and food safety

Contains wheat/gluten, egg and milk. Use pasteurized cheese. Do not taste raw dough: flour and raw egg can carry harmful bacteria. Keep raw dough and flour away from ready-to-eat foods, wash hands and work surfaces after handling them, and bake the pastry thoroughly. Refrigerate leftovers in a shallow covered container at or below 4°C within 2 hours; use within 3–4 days.

The result

Ajarian achma is built from thin dough sheets with butter and a savory cheese layer in the middle.
The baked pastry has a golden top, tender separate layers and a melted center; serve it warm after a short rest.