Name: Closed Ajarian Khachapuri with Imeretian and Sulguni Cheese
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 500 g strong white bread flour; reserve up to 20 g for dusting; 280 ml lukewarm water, about 35–38 °C; 7 g instant dry yeast; 7 g fine salt; 5 g granulated sugar; 20 ml neutral oil, plus a little to grease the bowl; 400 g mild Imeretian-style brined cheese, drained and crumbled; 100 g Sulguni cheese, coarsely grated; 30 ml whole milk, only if needed to loosen a dry cheese blend; 20 g unsalted butter, melted

16:9: Wide view of a sealed round khachapuri with a browned crust and Imeretian-style cheese and Sulguni inside.

Yield4 round closed breads; 8 portions

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

DifficultyModerate; seal and flatten gently to avoid tearing

Dietary notesMeat-free; contains wheat/gluten and milk; vegetarian status depends on cheese rennet

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The dish

About Closed Ajarian Khachapuri with Imeretian and Sulguni Cheese

This home version makes four round, fully enclosed cheese breads with a soft yeasted crust and a savoury centre of Imeretian-style cheese and Sulguni. The dough is sealed around the filling, then flattened gently before baking so the cheese melts inside rather than bubbling in an open boat.

The best-known Ajarian khachapuri is open and boat-shaped, finished with egg and butter. Closed, round cheese breads are more commonly associated with other Georgian khachapuri forms. This recipe is a home variation that pairs a closed round shape with Imeretian-style cheese and Sulguni; it does not claim that the closed shape is the region’s canonical form.

Make a firm cheese mixture and chill it briefly if it feels loose. Seal each dough parcel with the seam underneath, then press outward without thinning the dough over the centre. A well-heated baking surface browns the base and top while the cheese softens inside.

Khachapuri is Georgian cheese-filled bread, with shapes and techniques that vary across the country. Adjara is best known for its open boat-shaped bread, while a closed round pie is a familiar way to hold cheese inside a soft yeast dough.

This version uses an Imeretian-style brined cheese with a smaller amount of Sulguni for a fuller, more elastic melt. The cheese should be crumbly enough to portion but moist enough to soften in the oven. Add the measured milk only if the mixture will not hold together when pressed.

The closed form is presented as a home variation, not as a canonical Ajarian shape. It overlaps with the broader family of round, enclosed Georgian cheese breads, so keep the dough layer thin and even to avoid a bready centre.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Closed Ajarian Khachapuri: Round Georgian Cheese Bread (ხაჭაპური დახურული)

Yeast dough

500 gstrong white bread flour; reserve up to 20 g for dusting
280 mllukewarm water, about 35–38 °C
7 ginstant dry yeast
7 gfine salt
5 ggranulated sugar
20 mlneutral oil, plus a little to grease the bowl

Cheese filling

400 gmild Imeretian-style brined cheese, drained and crumbled
100 gSulguni cheese, coarsely grated
30 mlwhole milk, only if needed to loosen a dry cheese blend

To finish

20 gunsalted butter, melted

Method

Mix the yeast dough. Stir the yeast and sugar into the lukewarm water. In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt. Add the yeast water and oil; stir until a rough dough forms.
Knead and proof. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Lightly oil the bowl, return the dough, cover and leave in a warm place for about 75 minutes, until nearly doubled.
Prepare the filling. Crumble the Imeretian-style cheese and grate the Sulguni. Mix them together. Add up to 30 ml milk only if the blend is too dry to compact. Divide into four equal portions and shape each into a ball; chill if the dough is not ready.
Heat the oven and divide. Heat a conventional oven to 220 °C with a heavy baking sheet or stone inside for at least 25 minutes. Divide the dough into four equal pieces, cover and rest for 10 minutes.
Fill and seal. Roll one dough piece into a round about 20 cm wide. Set a cheese ball in the centre. Gather the dough rim over the filling and pinch firmly to seal. Turn seam-side down and gently flatten into a 17–18 cm round. Keep an even dough cover over the cheese; patch any small tear with a pinch of dough.
Bake. Set two breads seam-side down on parchment. Bake on the hot surface for about 18–20 minutes, until the tops and undersides are golden and the centre is hot and soft. Bake the remaining two in a second load.
Butter and rest. Brush the hot breads with melted butter. Rest for 5 minutes, then cut each into four wedges and serve warm.

Serving and storage

Serve the breads warm and cut into wedges. Cool leftovers in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours at or below 4 °C. Use within 3–4 days and reheat until hot throughout, about 74 °C in the centre. Keep the cheese refrigerated while preparing the dough, and return any filling to the fridge if it waits more than 30 minutes.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: Half of one round bread, 1/8 batch
Calories: About 420 kcal
Carbohydrate: About 50 g
Protein: About 18 g
Fat: About 16 g
Fibre: About 2 g
Sodium: About 800 mg

Approximate ingredient-based values for bread flour, brined cheese, Sulguni-style cheese, milk, oil, yeast, sugar and added salt; the batch is divided into eight portions. Cheese salt levels vary substantially, so use the package nutrition label for a more exact estimate.

Allergens and food safety

Contains wheat/gluten and milk. Check the cheese label for milk pasteurization, rennet and cross-contact information; the rennet type determines whether the bread is suitable for a vegetarian diet. Keep cheese refrigerated until use. Do not leave prepared filling at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, keep at or below 4 °C for 3–4 days, and reheat until hot throughout.

The result

Four golden round breads with a thin, soft crust enclosing a warm Imeretian-style and Sulguni cheese centre.
Rest briefly before cutting so the melted filling settles and stays inside each wedge.