Name: Rachan-Style Ham Khachapuri: Georgian Cheese Bread with Smoked Ham (ხაჭაპური ლორით)
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; 4 g fine salt; 5 g granulated sugar; 20 ml neutral oil, plus a little for the bowl; 350 g mild Imeretian-style brined cheese, drained and crumbled; 100 g Sulguni, coarsely grated; 150 g commercially prepared cooked smoked ham, finely diced; Up to 15 ml whole milk, only if needed to help a dry cheese mixture hold together; 15 g unsalted butter, melted

16:9: Wide view of a whole round cheese-and-ham khachapuri with one slice showing the filling.

Yield4 round breads; 8 servings

Serving sizeHalf a bread, one-eighth of the batch

DifficultyModerate; seal the filling without tearing the dough

Dietary notesContains wheat/gluten, milk and pork

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The dish

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

Racha is known for several regional khachapuri, including versions with ham. Home versions can vary in their cheese, ham and shape; this recipe offers one practical way to bake it with a soft yeast dough, a cheese-led filling and small pieces of cooked smoked ham.

Cheese remains essential to the bread’s identity. Mild Imeretian-style brined cheese gives the filling a crumbly, savoury base; a smaller amount of Sulguni softens and stretches as it bakes. Finely diced ham adds salt and smoke without replacing the cheese.

The four round, sealed breads here are a practical home format, not a claim about the one traditional shape. Rachuli Lori is a distinct Georgian geographical-indication product made by traditional salting and smoking. This accessible version calls for commercially prepared ready-to-eat smoked ham and does not represent generic ham as protected Rachuli Lori.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

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

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
4 gfine salt
5 ggranulated sugar
20 mlneutral oil, plus a little for the bowl

Cheese and ham filling

350 gmild Imeretian-style brined cheese, drained and crumbled
100 gSulguni, coarsely grated
150 gcommercially prepared cooked smoked ham, finely diced
Up to 15 ml whole milk, only if needed to help a dry cheese mixture hold together

To finish

15 gunsalted butter, melted

Method

Mix the dough. Stir the yeast and sugar into the lukewarm water. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the yeast mixture and oil; stir until a rough dough forms.
Knead and proof. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave for about 75 minutes, until nearly doubled.
Make the filling. Crumble the Imeretian-style cheese and grate the Sulguni. Mix with the finely diced ready-to-eat smoked ham. Add up to 15 ml milk only if the filling will not compact. Divide into four equal portions and keep chilled until shaping.
Heat the oven. 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 pieces, cover and rest for 10 minutes.
Fill and seal. Roll each piece into a round about 20 cm wide. Put one filling portion in the centre, gather the dough over it and pinch firmly to seal. Turn seam-side down and gently flatten to 17–18 cm, keeping an even layer of dough over the filling. Patch any tear.
Bake. Set two breads on parchment over the hot surface and bake for about 18–20 minutes, until golden and baked through. Repeat with the remaining breads. The ham is already cooked. Do not use ham labelled cook before eating unless it has first been cooked safely according to its package. For a practical check, the centre of the bread should reach at least 74 °C.
Finish and serve. Brush the hot breads with melted butter. Rest for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve warm.

Serving and storage

Serve warm with a crisp salad or sliced fresh vegetables. Keep the cheese and ham refrigerated while preparing the dough, and do not leave the perishable filling at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Cool leftovers in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours at or below 4 °C. Use within 3–4 days; reheat leftovers to 74 °C in the centre.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: Half of one bread, 1/8 batch
Energy: About 470 kcal
Carbohydrate: About 49 g
Protein: About 22 g
Fat: About 18 g
Fibre: About 2 g
Sodium: About 820 mg

These are approximate ingredient-based values for the full batch divided into eight servings. Cheese and ham brands vary widely in fat and salt, so use the package labels for a closer estimate.

Allergens and food safety

Contains wheat/gluten and milk; includes pork. Use commercially prepared ready-to-eat cooked smoked ham within its use-by date. Do not assume that traditional dry-cured Rachuli Lori is ready to eat without checking the producer’s instructions. If using ham marked cook before eating, cook it separately according to the package before adding it to the filling. Keep cheese and ham chilled during preparation. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, keep at or below 4 °C for 3–4 days, and reheat to 74 °C.

The result

Four golden, sealed cheese breads with a soft interior and small savoury pieces of smoked ham.
Let each bread rest briefly before slicing so the warm cheese filling settles inside the crust.