The dish
Georgia · Racha
Rachuli Lori Lobiani — Georgian Bean Bread with Smoked Ham
Bake Georgian lobiani with soft red beans and smoky Rachuli Lori ham in yeasted bread. Two flatbreads make four side portions
Georgian home recipeGeorgian dish
Cook the dish
Ingredients
Rachuli Lori Lobiani — Georgian Bean Bread with Smoked Ham
Dough
- 200 gall-purpose flour
- 5 gactive dry yeast
- 3 gfine salt
- 100 mlwarm water, at the temperature recommended for the yeast
- 20 mlneutral oil, plus a little for the tray
Filling
- 100 gdried red kidney beans
- 100 gRachuli Lori, explicitly labelled ready-to-eat, finely diced
- 10 gpork lard
- 0.5 gground black pepper (about ¼ teaspoon)
Method
Method
Soak the beans safely. Cover the dried beans with plenty of water in a covered container and refrigerate for 8–12 hours. Drain and rinse. Keep the ham in its package and follow its refrigeration instructions.
Cook the beans fully. Put the beans in a pot and cover with fresh water. Bring to a vigorous boil and boil for at least 30 minutes. Reduce to a steady simmer and cook until completely tender, about 45–60 minutes more; add water as needed. Drain well. Do not cook dried kidney beans in a slow cooker.
Make and proof the dough. Dissolve the yeast and salt in the warm water according to the yeast package directions. Add to the flour with the oil and knead until smooth and elastic. Cover and leave in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Mix the filling. While the dough rises, warm the lard in a pan over low heat. Add the cooked beans and mash coarsely. Fold in the finely diced ready-to-eat ham and black pepper. Do not add salt. Let the filling cool until just warm.
Shape the lobiani. Heat the oven to 220 °C / 425 °F. Divide the dough and filling into two equal portions. Flatten one piece of dough into a thick round, place one portion of filling in the centre, draw the edges over it and pinch to seal. Turn seam-side down and gently flatten to an 18–20 cm round. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
Bake. Place the rounds seam-side down on a parchment-lined, lightly oiled tray. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until evenly browned and cooked through. The filling should be steaming hot; if checked with a thermometer, its centre should reach 74 °C / 165 °F. Rest for 5 minutes.
Serve and store. Cut each lobiani in half and serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers in a shallow container within 2 hours at or below 4 °C / 40 °F; use within 3–4 days and reheat to 74 °C / 165 °F.
Practical guidance
Success points
- Soak the beans in the refrigerator, then boil them vigorously in fresh water for at least 30 minutes before simmering until tender.
- Do not salt the filling: Rachuli Lori is already salty.
- Cool the filling until just warm before wrapping it in dough, and seal the seam well so it stays inside while baking.
Practical guidance
Practical guidance
Serving. Serve one half per portion, warm, as part of a Georgian meal. The smoky ham seasons the beans, so extra salt is usually unnecessary.
Make ahead. Soak the beans in the refrigerator overnight. Cooked beans and the mixed filling may be refrigerated separately in shallow containers at or below 4 °C and used within 3–4 days. Shape and bake the lobiani on the day of serving.
Storage and reheating. Refrigerate baked leftovers within 2 hours at or below 4 °C. Use within 3–4 days and reheat until steaming hot, reaching 74 °C / 165 °F. Follow the ham package instructions after opening.
Ham choice. Use Rachuli Lori only when the product is from a reliable commercial source and its package clearly says ready-to-eat. A product labelled cook-before-eating must first be prepared according to its package directions. Do not identify another smoked ham as protected Rachuli Lori.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated nutrition per serving
- Serving size: One half of a lobiani
- Calories: About 395 kcal
- Carbohydrate: About 53 g; protein: about 15 g; fat: about 12 g
- Fibre: About 8 g; sodium: about 1,300 mg
Values are approximate for the four side portions, using standard USDA FoodData Central values for flour and dry kidney beans, a generic cured-ham macro proxy, and the Georgian geographical-indication specification’s approximate salt content of 10 g per 100 g ham. The estimate also counts all 3 g of dough salt as retained. Ham salt and fat vary, so the actual sodium and energy may differ. No extra filling salt or optional ingredients are included.
Allergens and food safety
Allergens and food safety
Contains wheat (gluten) and pork from the ham and lard. Check the ham label for other allergens or cross-contact. Not suitable for people who avoid pork or follow halal or kosher diets. Soak dried kidney beans in the refrigerator; drain, then boil vigorously in fresh water for at least 30 minutes and simmer until completely tender. Use only ready-to-eat ham as directed by its package. Refrigerate the finished lobiani within 2 hours at or below 4 °C / 40 °F, use within 3–4 days and reheat to 74 °C / 165 °F.
Signs of readiness
Signs of readiness
- The beans are completely soft, with no firm or chalky centres.
- Both breads are evenly browned and their sealed edges remain closed.
- The bean-and-ham filling is steaming hot; a thermometer reads 74 °C / 165 °F at the centre.
The result
The result
- Two golden, round bean-and-ham breads, divided into four warm side portions.
- The key is to cook the kidney beans fully and wrap them only when the filling has cooled to warm.
