Name: Megruli Khachapuri: Megrelian Double-Cheese Bread
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 200 g all-purpose wheat flour, plus a little for shaping; 75 ml whole milk, warmed to 38–40 °C; 2 g active dry yeast; 1 large egg, at room temperature; 15 ml neutral sunflower oil; 3 g fine salt; 5 ml sunflower oil for the rising bowl; 200 g fresh Imeretian cheese, coarsely grated; 200 g sulguni, coarsely grated: 150 g for the filling and 50 g for the topping; 1 large egg for binding the filling

Wide table scene of golden Megruli khachapuri with a cut wedge revealing cheese filling, set before a Georgian hillside view.

Yield1 large khachapuri, about 760–800 g baked; 4 portions of about 190 g

Preparation25 minutes

Cooking15 minutes

Passive time65 minutes (60 minutes rising and 5 minutes resting)

Jump to recipe ↓

The dish

About Megruli Khachapuri: Megrelian Double-Cheese Bread

მეგრული ხაჭაპური · 4 servings · Moderate · 1 hour 45 minutes

Megruli khachapuri comes from Samegrelo, also known as Megrelia, in western Georgia. Its defining feature is cheese both inside the round bread and on top. Georgia Travel describes older and modern variations; this recipe follows a practical oven-baked version with a grated Imeretian-and-sulguni filling and a separate sulguni topping.

The soft yeast dough is kneaded until smooth and slightly tacky, then left to double in size. While it rises, grate the cheeses and bind the filling with egg. Seal the filling inside the dough, turn the seam underneath and gently roll the bread wider. A small central vent lets steam escape, and the reserved sulguni melts over the surface in the hot oven.

Use the cheeses moderately salted and taste the filling before adding any extra salt. The dough should remain soft enough to stretch around the filling without tearing. Bake until the crust is golden, the top cheese bubbles and the centre is thoroughly hot. Rest briefly before slicing so the filling settles rather than spilling out.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

მეგრული ხაჭაპური · 4 servings · Moderate · 1 hour 45 minutes

Yeast dough

200 gall-purpose wheat flour, plus a little for shaping
75 mlwhole milk, warmed to 38–40 °C
2 gactive dry yeast
1large egg, at room temperature
15 mlneutral sunflower oil
3 gfine salt
5 mlsunflower oil for the rising bowl

Cheese filling and topping

200 gfresh Imeretian cheese, coarsely grated
200 gsulguni, coarsely grated: 150 g for the filling and 50 g for the topping
1large egg for binding the filling

Method

Start the dough. Whisk the yeast into the warm milk and leave for 5 minutes. Whisk in the dough egg and oil. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl, add the milk mixture and knead for 8–10 minutes until soft, smooth and slightly tacky.
Let it rise and prepare the cheese. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave in a warm place until doubled, about 60 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the Imeretian cheese and 150 g sulguni with the filling egg. Refrigerate the filling while the dough rises.
Shape the filled bread. Heat the oven to 220 °C conventional and line a tray with parchment. Roll the dough into a 25 cm round. Place the filling in the centre, leaving a 5 cm border.
Seal and widen. Gather the border around the filling, pleat and pinch firmly to seal. Turn seam-side down and gently roll to a 32–35 cm round. Cut one small vent in the centre without exposing the filling.
Add the topping and bake. Transfer to the tray and scatter the reserved 50 g sulguni over the top. Bake for 10–15 minutes, until the crust is golden and the top cheese is melted, bubbling and lightly browned. The dough must be fully baked and the centre hot.
Rest and serve. Transfer to a wire rack and rest for 5 minutes. Cut into four wedges and serve warm.

Excerpt

Bake a soft round Georgian cheese bread filled with Imeretian cheese and sulguni, then finish it with a second layer of sulguni on top.

Practical guidance

Keep the grated cheese cold while the dough rises. If the cheeses taste distinctly salty, do not add extra salt to the filling. Seal every pleat before rolling, and roll gently from the centre outward so the filling stays enclosed. A small steam vent helps prevent the bread from ballooning; patch it if cheese begins to escape.

The bread is ready when the underside is browned, the crust is cooked through and the cheese on top bubbles. Oven performance varies, so use the visual cues together with the full bake time. Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator at or below 4 °C for up to 3 days; reheat until steaming hot.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: about 190 g
Energy: approximately 540 kcal
Carbohydrates: 40 g
Protein: 29 g
Fat: 28 g
Fibre: 1 g
Sodium: approximately 850 mg

Allergens and food safety

Contains wheat (gluten), milk and egg. Flour is a raw food and can carry harmful germs; do not taste uncooked dough or filling. Wash hands, bowls, utensils and work surfaces after handling flour and raw egg, and keep them away from ready-to-eat foods. Use pasteurized dairy where available and keep the filling refrigerated while the dough rises. Bake fully at the stated temperature, refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, store at or below 4 °C and use within 3 days.

To serve

Let the bread stand for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges so the melted cheese settles inside each slice.
Serve warm with a crisp cucumber-and-tomato salad or fresh herbs.