Name: Ajarian Lobiani with Bean Filling
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 11 h 55 min
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 250 g dried red kidney beans, sorted and rinsed; 2 bay leaves; 50 g unsalted butter, softened; 5 g fine salt, or to taste within this amount; 1 g ground black pepper; 500 g strong white bread flour; reserve up to 20 g from this amount for dusting; 250 ml lukewarm water, about 35–38 °C; 1 large egg, at room temperature; 7 g instant dry yeast; 7 g fine salt; 5 g granulated sugar; 15 ml neutral oil, plus a little to grease the bowl

16:9: Wide view of a single open boat-shaped Ajarian lobiani with mashed bean filling and a second bread behind it.

Yield4 open boat-shaped breads; 8 portions

Serving sizeHalf of one boat, about 1/8 of the batch

DifficultyModerate; allow time for soaking and careful shaping

Dietary notesVegetarian; contains wheat/gluten, egg and milk

Jump to recipe ↓

The dish

About Ajarian Lobiani with Bean Filling

These four small Ajarian-style lobiani use an oval, open boat shape and a thick filling of soft red kidney beans mashed with butter. The bread is related in form to Ajarian khachapuri, but the centre contains beans rather than cheese.

This lobiani uses a simple filling of soft beans and butter in an open boat-shaped yeast bread. Its visible centre differs from the leafy, walnut-based Ajarian pkhali-lobio.

Cook the dried beans until completely tender before mashing them, and let the filling cool before shaping so it stays in the open centre. Pinch the dough ends firmly and leave the middle visible. A fully preheated baking surface helps the bases brown quickly without drying out the bean paste.

Lobiani means bean-filled bread. Ajarian lobiani takes its oval, boat-like shape from the region’s well-known khachapuri form: the dough edges are folded up around a visible centre instead of sealing the filling inside a flat round loaf. This version fills that centre with mashed beans and butter.

The bean paste should be thick enough to stay in place but soft enough to spread. Mash the beans while hot, then cool the mixture before it meets the dough. If it is loose, drain it more thoroughly; excess moisture can make the centre heavy and the underside damp.

Dried red kidney beans are a practical choice for a smooth, sturdy filling. The raised dough edges keep the bean centre visible and make the breads easy to portion.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Ajarian Lobiani: Open Boat-Shaped Georgian Bean Bread (ლობიო აჭარული)

Bean filling

250 gdried red kidney beans, sorted and rinsed
2bay leaves
50 gunsalted butter, softened
5 gfine salt, or to taste within this amount
1 gground black pepper

Yeast dough

500 gstrong white bread flour; reserve up to 20 g from this amount for dusting
250 mllukewarm water, about 35–38 °C
1large egg, at room temperature
7 ginstant dry yeast
7 gfine salt
5 ggranulated sugar
15 mlneutral oil, plus a little to grease the bowl

Method

Soak the beans. Sort and rinse the beans. Cover them with plenty of cold water and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Drain and discard the soaking water.
Boil and simmer safely. Put the beans in a large pot and cover generously with fresh water. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil for at least 30 minutes. Drain and discard this water. Cover again with fresh water, add the bay leaves, and simmer for 45–60 minutes, until every bean crushes easily. Drain well and remove the bay leaves.
Mash and cool the filling. While hot, mash the beans with the softened butter, salt and pepper until thick and mostly smooth. Spread in a shallow dish and cool promptly. Refrigerate if the filling will wait more than 30 minutes; it should be cool before shaping.
Mix and proof the dough. Stir the yeast and sugar into the lukewarm water. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl, then add the yeast water, egg and oil. Mix to a soft dough and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and proof in a warm place for about 75 minutes, until roughly doubled.
Heat the oven and divide. Heat a conventional oven to 230 °C with a heavy baking sheet or stone inside for at least 25 minutes. Divide the dough into four equal portions, cover and rest for 10 minutes. Divide the cool filling into four portions.
Shape the boats. On a lightly floured surface, roll one dough portion into an oval about 24 × 14 cm. Spread a filling portion down the middle, leaving a 2 cm border. Fold the long edges inward and pinch them together at both ends to make a shallow open boat; keep the bean centre visible. Transfer it to parchment and repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
Bake. Bake two breads at a time on the hot surface for 14–17 minutes, until the crust is well browned. Check the centre of the bean filling with a clean thermometer; it should reach at least 74 °C and be steaming hot. Bake the remaining breads in the same way.
Rest and serve. Rest the breads for 5 minutes before serving. The filling stays hot after the crust comes from the oven.

Serving and storage

Serve hot, cut each boat in half for eight portions. Acharuli lobiani is also served as an individual bread; use the half-bread serving here when serving it with other dishes.

Cool leftovers in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours at 4 °C or below. Use within 3–4 days and reheat until the centre reaches 74 °C. Cook and cool the bean filling up to a day ahead, then keep it covered in the refrigerator. Do not leave the egg-containing dough or cooked filling at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: Half of one boat, 1/8 batch
Calories: About 408 kcal
Carbohydrate: About 68 g
Protein: About 15 g
Fat: About 8 g
Fibre: About 7 g
Sodium: About 595 mg

Approximate ingredient-based values. The estimate uses dry kidney beans and generic enriched bread flour, egg, butter, oil, yeast and sugar; the measured added salt is included. Flour enrichment and butter labels affect the totals.

Allergens and food safety

Contains wheat/gluten, egg and milk. For dried kidney beans, soak for at least 5 hours, drain and discard the soaking water, then boil briskly in fresh water for at least 30 minutes before simmering until completely tender. Do not use a slow cooker as the first cooking method. Cool the filling promptly, refrigerate within 2 hours if not shaping immediately, and keep the egg-containing dough chilled if held for longer than 2 hours. Bake until browned and piping hot; the filling should reach 74 °C. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and reheat to 74 °C.

The result

Four golden, open oval breads with raised pinched ends and a smooth buttered-bean centre.
Serve hot, after a short rest, so the filling stays soft but does not spill when cut.

About Ajarian Lobiani with Bean Filling

Ingredients

Bean filling

Yeast dough

Method

Serving and storage

Nutrition per serving

Allergens and food safety

The result

More Georgian dishes

Closed Ajarian Khachapuri with Imeretian and Sulguni Cheese

Gurian Kirkazhi: Whole Beans with Walnut and Vinegar

Rachan-Style Ham Khachapuri: Georgian Cheese Bread with Smoked Ham (ხაჭაპური ლორით)