Name: Svaneti Barley Khachapuri
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 36 min
Total time: 2 h 26 min
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 360 g strong white bread flour; reserve 20 g from this amount for dusting; 140 g wholemeal barley flour; 7 g instant dry yeast; 4 g fine salt; 280 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

Whole and cut round barley khachapuri with a cheese centre on a rustic board.

Yield2 round breads, cut into 8 wedges

Serving basis1 wedge, 1/8 batch, about 165–175 g baked

DifficultyIntermediate; take care when sealing the filling

Dietary classificationVegetarian

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The dish

About Svaneti Barley Khachapuri

This home-oven version combines strong wheat flour with wholemeal barley flour, then wraps a savoury cheese filling inside two round loaves. The barley gives the crust a deeper colour and gently nutty flavour; wheat flour keeps the dough elastic enough to enclose the filling.

Svaneti has several regional cheese breads. This version is distinct from millet-filled petvraali: here, barley is in the dough and the filling is cheese. The formula is designed for a standard oven and accessible cheeses, so use it as a practical rendition of Svaneti barley khachapuri rather than a claim that every family makes it the same way.

The dough is softer and less stretchy than an all-wheat dough. Work with lightly floured hands, seal the seam carefully, and press the loaf outward without forcing the filling through the crust. A hot baking surface browns the bottom before the cheese centre dries.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Round Georgian Cheese Bread with Barley Flour (ქერის ხაჭაპური)

Dough

360 gstrong white bread flour; reserve 20 g from this amount for dusting
140 gwholemeal barley flour
7 ginstant dry yeast
4 gfine salt
280 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. Whisk the bread flour, barley flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Pour in the lukewarm water and 20 ml oil. Mix until no dry flour remains.
Knead and proof. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky. The barley makes the dough less stretchy than an all-wheat dough. Lightly oil the bowl with the reserved 5 ml oil, add the dough and cover. Leave in a warm, draft-free place for about 50 minutes, until roughly doubled.
Make the filling. Mix the feta, mozzarella, beaten egg and softened butter until even. Refrigerate the mixture if it will wait more than a few minutes.
Divide and rest. Turn the dough onto a surface dusted with a little of the reserved flour. Divide into two equal portions, cover and rest for 10 minutes. Divide the filling in half and shape each half into a compact mound.
Fill and seal. Flatten one dough portion to a circle about 20 cm wide. Put one cheese mound in the middle. Bring the edges up around it and pinch them closed. Turn seam-side down and gently press or roll into a 22–24 cm round, keeping an even layer of dough over the filling. 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 loaf on parchment and let it relax for 10 minutes while the oven finishes heating.
Bake. Slide one loaf, on its parchment, onto the hot surface. Bake for about 18 minutes until puffed and deeply golden. Check the centre of the filling with a clean instant-read thermometer; because it contains egg, it must reach at least 71 °C. Bake the second loaf the same way. Return either loaf to the oven if its centre has not reached 71 °C.
Butter and rest. Brush the hot breads with melted butter. Rest each for 5 minutes before cutting; the cheese centre is very hot and settles as it stands.

Practical guidance

Tips for success

Weigh both flours. Keeping barley flour to 140 g gives the dough flavour while the wheat flour supplies most of the stretch.
Knead until smooth, but expect less elasticity than with all-wheat dough. Avoid adding extra flour unless the dough is truly unmanageable.
Pinch the gathered seam firmly and bake seam-side down.

Serving and storage

Cut each bread into four wedges and serve warm. 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. Use pasteurized cheeses, and refrigerate the egg-and-cheese filling if it is not going straight into the dough.

Nutrition per serving

Estimated nutrition per serving

Serving size: 1 wedge, 1/8 batch
Energy: About 495 kcal
Carbohydrate: About 50 g
Protein: About 22 g
Fat: About 24 g
Fibre: About 3 g
Sodium: About 960 mg

Approximate ingredient-based values. Cheese brands, draining and final moisture loss affect the result; sodium includes the measured salt and the cheeses.

Allergens and food safety

Contains wheat/gluten, barley/gluten, milk and egg. Use pasteurized cheeses. Wash hands and utensils after handling the raw egg. Bake until the bread is browned and the cheese centre reaches at least 71 °C by thermometer. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours at or below 4 °C, use within 3–4 days and reheat to 74 °C.

The result

Two round, butter-brushed loaves with a gently nutty barley crust and a soft cheese centre.
Serve the wedges warm while the filling is still supple.