Name: Kakhetian Nazuki (ნაზუქი კახური)
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 3 h 35 min
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 800 g strong white bread flour, with up to 30 g of this amount held back for the bench; 600 ml whole milk, lukewarm at 35–38°C and divided; 100 g plain matsoni, at room temperature; 600 g granulated sugar, divided; 8 g active dry yeast; 1 large egg; 100 ml sunflower oil, divided; 200 g raisins, picked over, rinsed and dried; 1.5 g ground cinnamon; 1 g ground cloves; 8 g vanilla powder; 8 g fine salt; 1 large egg

Golden oval nazuki and a slice showing its raisin crumb, in a wide frame.

Yield4 large loaves, 12 servings

Serving basis1/3 loaf, about 190 g baked

DifficultyModerate

Dietary classificationVegetarian

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The dish

About Kakhetian Nazuki (ნაზუქი კახური)

Kakhetian Nazuki is a soft, sweet Georgian yeast bread enriched with milk, matsoni and sunflower oil, with raisins and warm spices folded through the dough. This home-oven version makes four large oval loaves with a glossy egg-washed crust.

Nazuki is a sweet leavened bread found in Kakheti as well as other Georgian regions. It is associated with festive baking, and versions differ in their sweetness, spices and enrichment. This recipe follows a broad Georgian home-baking formula with milk, matsoni, raisins, sunflower oil, eggs and warm spices; it is not presented as a formula unique to every Kakhetian household.

The dough is rich and soft rather than lean like everyday bread. Milk and matsoni keep the crumb tender, while raisins add sweetness in small pockets. Cinnamon and cloves provide fragrance without turning the bread into a cake. The measured oil is used partly to warm the raisins and partly to keep hands and dough from sticking during kneading and shaping.

The high sugar content slows yeast activity and makes the dough feel supple. Give it time to rise until visibly expanded instead of adding flour whenever it feels soft. A little flour reserved from the measured amount is enough for the bench. The finished dough should stretch without tearing easily, yet still feel soft and slightly tacky.

This batch makes four substantial oval loaves. They need space on the trays and a full bake so the enriched centres set. A thin egg wash gives the crust an even sheen; cool the loaves before slicing so the moist crumb has time to settle.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Full recipe

Dough

800 gstrong white bread flour, with up to 30 g of this amount held back for the bench
600 mlwhole milk, lukewarm at 35–38°C and divided
100 gplain matsoni, at room temperature
600 ggranulated sugar, divided
8 gactive dry yeast
1large egg
100 mlsunflower oil, divided
200 graisins, picked over, rinsed and dried
1.5 gground cinnamon
1 gground cloves
8 gvanilla powder
8 gfine salt

For the glaze

1large egg

Method

Activate the yeast. Warm 60 ml of the measured milk to 35–38°C. Stir in the yeast and 20 g of the measured sugar. Cover and leave for 10 minutes, until creamy and lightly foamy. If there is no sign of activity, replace the yeast before continuing.
Prepare the raisins and milk. Warm 15 ml of the measured oil in a small pan over low heat. Add the rinsed, dried raisins and stir for 2–3 minutes, until plump. Spread them on a plate and cool completely. Warm the remaining 540 ml milk gently, dissolve the remaining 580 g sugar in it, then let it cool until lukewarm.
Mix and knead. Combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, cloves and vanilla powder in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture, sweetened milk, matsoni, one egg and most of the remaining oil. Mix to a soft dough, then knead on a clean surface for 8–10 minutes, until smooth, elastic and soft. Knead in the cooled raisins. Use the final oil to lightly coat your hands and the bowl.
Give the dough two rises. Return the dough to the bowl, cover and leave in a warm, draft-free place for about 80 minutes, until visibly expanded and close to doubled. Gently deflate it once, cover again and leave for a second 20-minute rise.
Shape and proof. Divide the dough into four equal pieces, about 625 g each. Shape each into a plump oval and set them on parchment-lined baking sheets with room to expand. Cover loosely and proof for 20 minutes. During this time, heat the oven to 180°C.
Glaze and bake. Beat the remaining egg and brush a thin coat over the loaves. Bake at 180°C for 25–30 minutes, rotating the sheets if they brown unevenly. The loaves should be deep golden and register 93–96°C at the centre. Transfer them to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Excerpt

Bake four Georgian nazuki loaves with raisins, cinnamon and cloves in an enriched milk-and-matsoni dough. The long, gentle rise and evenly baked centre give each loaf a tender crumb beneath its burnished crust.

Practical guidance

Success points

Keep the milk at 35–38°C when activating the yeast. Hotter milk can weaken yeast activity.
Dry the rinsed raisins well before warming them in oil so they do not add excess moisture to the dough.
Judge both rises by expansion. A cool kitchen can make this dough take longer than the stated times.
Bake to a centre temperature of 93–96°C; a brown crust alone does not confirm that the middle has set.

Practical guidance

Handle the soft dough patiently. Knead before adding any bench flour. If the dough clings heavily after kneading, use only a little of the flour held back from the measured amount; too much extra flour makes this sweet loaf dense.
Warm the raisins gently. Keep the pan over low heat and stir continuously. The raisins should swell slightly, not fry or darken. Cool them fully before kneading them into the dough.
Space the loaves well. Four loaves may need two baking sheets. Leave several centimetres between them and rotate the sheets if your oven has hot spots.
Serve and reheat. The bread is good slightly warm or at room temperature, sliced for breakfast or alongside tea. Reheat slices briefly in a 160°C oven until warm; avoid repeated warming, which dries the crumb.
Store or freeze. Cool completely. Keep the loaves covered at room temperature for up to 2 days for best quality, refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze well wrapped for up to 3 months. Thaw before reheating.
Matsoni substitute. Plain whole-milk yogurt can replace matsoni in the same weight, though its acidity and texture may differ slightly.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: 1/12 of the batch, about 190 g baked
Calories: About 606 kcal
Carbohydrate: About 117 g
Protein: About 11 g
Fat: About 11 g
Fibre: About 2.7 g
Sodium: About 300 mg

Approximate values are based on the full measured formula divided into 12 portions. Generic flour and whole-milk yogurt are used as proxies for bread flour and matsoni; the calculation counts all the measured oil, although a small amount may remain in the pan. Brands, moisture loss and the finished loaf weight will change the estimate.

Allergens and food safety

Contains wheat (gluten), milk and egg. Do not taste raw flour or dough. Wash hands, utensils and surfaces after handling raw flour or egg, and keep them away from ready-to-eat foods. Bake the loaves until the centre reaches 93–96°C. Cool on a clean rack before storage; seal only after the loaves are fully cool to limit condensation.

Closing notes

Expect a soft, sweet loaf with raisins, a warm spice aroma and a burnished egg-washed crust.
Allow both rises and check the centre temperature so the large loaves bake through without drying.

About Kakhetian Nazuki (ნაზუქი კახური)

Ingredients

Dough

For the glaze

Method

Excerpt

Success points

Practical guidance

Nutrition per serving

Allergens and food safety

Closing notes

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