Name: Imeruli Khachapuri
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 32 min
Total time: 2 h 17 min
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 500 g strong white bread flour; reserve 20 g from this amount for dusting; 7 g instant dry yeast; 3 g fine salt; 270 ml lukewarm water, about 35–38 °C; 25 ml neutral oil; use 5 ml to grease the bowl; 410 g cow’s-milk feta, drained and crumbled; 190 g whole-milk, low-moisture mozzarella, coarsely grated; 1 large egg, beaten; 20 g unsalted butter, softened; 12 g unsalted butter, melted

Wide view of Imeruli Khachapuri on a rustic table, with the serving setting visible around it.

Yield2 breads, cut into 8 wedges

Serving basis1 wedge, about 170 g baked

DifficultyIntermediate

Dietary classificationVegetarian

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The dish

About Imeruli Khachapuri

A pair of round Georgian breads with a thin, golden crust and a warm cheese centre. This home-oven version uses a practical feta and mozzarella filling while keeping the enclosed shape associated with Imeruli.

Imeruli khachapuri is the round, cheese-filled style associated with Imereti in western Georgia. The dough closes around the filling, so the cheese stays inside the bread rather than forming the open centre of Adjarian khachapuri or the top layer of Megrelian khachapuri. The finished loaf is cut into wedges and usually brought to the table warm.

Fresh Imeretian cheese is the defining choice when it is available: it is a cow’s-milk cheese with a mild, lightly salty flavour and a crumbly texture. For this practical home version, a measured blend of feta and low-moisture mozzarella supplies both saltiness and melt. It is a substitute, not the Georgian cheese itself, and the result will be a little saltier.

The shaping matters more than elaborate decoration. Enclose the filling completely, pinch the seam shut, turn the loaf seam-side down, then press it outward without thinning the centre too far. A well-heated baking surface helps the underside colour before the cheese escapes. The two breads make eight wedges, so they work as a shared breakfast or a substantial side.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Imeruli Khachapuri: Imeretian-Style Cheese Bread

Dough

500 gstrong white bread flour; reserve 20 g from this amount for dusting
7 ginstant dry yeast
3 gfine salt
270 mllukewarm water, about 35–38 °C
25 mlneutral oil; use 5 ml to grease the bowl

Cheese filling

410 gcow’s-milk feta, drained and crumbled
190 gwhole-milk, low-moisture mozzarella, coarsely grated
1large egg, beaten
20 gunsalted butter, softened

To finish

12 gunsalted butter, melted

Method

Mix the dough. Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Pour in the water and 20 ml of the oil. Mix until no dry patches remain.
Knead and rise. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky. Lightly oil the bowl with the reserved 5 ml oil, add the dough, and cover. Leave in a warm, draught-free place for about 50 minutes, until roughly doubled.
Make the filling. Mix the feta, mozzarella, beaten egg, and softened butter until evenly combined. Keep the mixture refrigerated if it will wait more than a few minutes.
Divide and relax. Turn the dough onto a lightly dusted surface and divide it into two equal portions. Cover and rest for 10 minutes. Divide the cheese mixture in half and shape each half into a ball.
Enclose the filling. Flatten one dough portion to a circle about 20 cm wide. Place a cheese ball in the centre, gather the dough over it, and pinch the edges firmly closed. Turn seam-side down and press or roll gently into a round 22–24 cm disc. Keep the filling covered by an even layer of dough. Repeat with the second portion.
Heat the oven. During the first rise, heat a conventional oven to 220 °C with a heavy baking sheet or stone inside. Place each shaped bread on parchment and let it relax for 10 minutes.
Bake. Slide one bread, on its parchment, onto the hot surface. Bake for about 16 minutes, until puffed and deeply golden. Check the centre of the filling with an instant-read thermometer; because it contains egg, it must reach at least 71 °C. Bake the second bread the same way. If either centre is below 71 °C, return that bread to the oven until it reaches the target.
Butter and rest. Brush the hot breads with melted butter. Rest the last bread for 5 minutes before cutting; the filling is very hot and settles as it stands.

Serving, storage, and substitutions

Cut each bread into four wedges and serve warm. The cheese is at its softest soon after baking; no extra topping is needed.

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in a covered container at 4 °C or below, and use within 3–4 days. Reheat in a 180 °C oven until the centre reaches 74 °C. Freeze baked, cooled wedges airtight for up to 3 months; thaw in the refrigerator and reheat to 74 °C.

The dough may be covered and refrigerated for up to 12 hours; bring it toward room temperature before dividing and shaping. Prepare the raw egg and cheese filling on the day of baking. If fresh Imeretian cheese is available, use 600 g in place of the feta and mozzarella. Its salt level varies, so taste the cheese before adding any extra salt; the dough’s measured salt remains unchanged.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: 1 wedge, about 170 g baked
Calories: 505 kcal
Carbohydrate: 49 g
Protein: 25 g
Fat: 23 g
Fibre: 2 g
Sodium: 860 mg

Allergens and food safety

Contains wheat/gluten, milk, and egg. Use pasteurized cheeses. Wash hands and utensils after handling the raw egg. Bake the cheese centre to at least 71 °C, refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, and reheat leftovers to 74 °C.

Closing

The result is two soft, round loaves with a browned crust and a generous cheese centre.
The decisive technique is sealing the seam completely before gently flattening each bread.