Georgian cheese bread ( Imeretian khachapuri).

georgian cheese bread (khachapuri) #TwelveLoaves — A Shaggy Dough Story:
Different regions have their own variations.
Two of the most popular are Imeretian, which is what I made–a circular stuffed bread, and Adjarian, basically a big open canoe of dough filled with molten cheese and topped with an egg.
A golden brown, chewy, butter topped dough surrounding an ooey-gooey filling of molten hot cheese.
So! Imeretian khachapuri.

Ingredients
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (7g/ 1/4-ounce package)
7 tablespoons warm water (40-46C/105-115°F)
1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 pound (230g) sulguni cheese (traditional) OR
1/4 pound (115g) Havarti cheese, coarsely grated AND
1/4 pound (115g) salted mozzarella, coarsely grated
1 teaspoon unsalted butter, melted

Directions
Pour warm water into a small bowl, sprinkle yeast on top, then stir in 1 tablespoon of the flour.
Let stand until mixture is foamy.
Add remaining flour and salt to a large bowl and mix.
Add the egg and yeast mixture and stir.
Flour a work surface, turn the dough out and knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth.
Coat dough ball lightly with flour, then place it in bowl, cover and set aside in a warm spot to rise for approximately three hours, punching the dough down every hour.

Towards the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 260C/500°F.
Grate the cheeses, then mix them together and compact them tightly into a 8cm/3" ball.
Flour your work surface and turn out the dough.
Roll it into a round about 18cm/7" in diameter.
Place the cheese ball in the center of the dough, then gather the edges over the ball and seal together.
Flatten the dough ball, pressing the cheese from the center to the edges, then roll out until the round measures approximately 28cm/11".
Use a toothpick to pop any large air bubbles.
Line a sheet or pizza pan with parchment, place the dough round on top and slash an X in the top.
Bake for about 10–12 minutes or until pale golden.
Remove the bread from the oven, brush with butter, then back for another 3–5 minutes, until golden brown.
Remove from oven, cut into wedges and eat it while it's hot!
PS - The result does not fully satisfy!

- Delicious Georgian Cuisine:
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Khachapuri (Georgian Cheese Bread).

Khachapuri (Georgian Cheese Bread) Recipe - NYT Cooking:
In Georgia, this bread is filled with a cheese called sulguni.
The substitute here is a mixture of fresh mozzarella and goat cheese.
Ingredients:
1 cup milk
2 packages active dry yeast
½ teaspoon, plus 1 tablespoon, sugar
3 to 4 cups flour
¼ pound unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces and softened to room temperature
1 ¼ pounds fresh mozzarella cheese
¾ pound fresh tangy goat cheese
1 egg
Melted butter to brush on top

Preparation:
Heat the milk to lukewarm 43-46C (110 to 115 degrees).
Place a half cup of lukewarm milk in a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast and a half teaspoon of sugar over the milk.
Stir to dissolve.
Allow to sit for 10 minutes.
Stir in the remaining milk.
Spoon three cups of the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the center.
Add the yeast sponge, the remaining sugar and the butter.
Stir with a wooden spoon until it is formed into a firm ball of dough.
Gather up the dough and scraps in the bowl and turn out onto a floured wooden board.
Knead for about 10 minutes, adding more of the remaining flour to the surface as needed to prevent the dough from sticking.
When the dough is elastic and no longer sticky, place in a greased bowl, turning the dough to grease it.
Cover loosely with a kitchen towel and allow to rise until doubled in bulk in a draft-free place, one to one-and-a-half hours.
Punch the dough down with your fist and allow it to rise again until double in bulk, about 40 minutes.

While the dough is rising, prepare the cheeses.
Grate the mozzarella coarsely, either in a food processor or with a hand grater.
Crumble the goat cheese.
Mix with egg, slightly beaten.
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F.
Punch the dough down and roll out on lightly floured surface to a circle about 50cm/20 inches in diameter.
Fold the dough in quarters and place the point of the dough in the center of a nine-inch pan with an inch-and-a-half to two-inch sides.
Unfold the dough, letting the excess hang over the sides.
Spoon the cheese mixture onto the dough.
Pick up the excess dough hanging over the edges and begin to pleat over the cheese.
Make sure all pleats go in the same direction.
Gather the ends of the dough in the center and twist into a small knob.
Allow the dough to rest 10 minutes.
Brush the top of the dough with melted butter and bake in the center of the oven for about one hour, or until golden.
Allow the bread to cool in the pan, on a cake rack, before serving.
The bread may be served warm or at room temperature.

OR:
- Delicious Georgian Cuisine:

-IMERULI (IMERETIAN) KHACHAPURI | Georgian Recipes:

- About Food – Khachapuri (Georgian Cheese Bread) | Georgia About:

- Khachapuri (Georgian Cheese Bread) Recipe | SAVEUR:
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Chahohbili – Georgian Chicken Stew.

Chahohbili – Georgian Chicken Stew Recipe on Food52
Author Notes: Chahohbili is a traditional Georgian poultry dish. Originally, Chahohbili was cooked from wild game birds, but nowdays chicken is the main source for t (…more) —Kukla

Serves 6

• 3 lb chicken thighs and drumsticks, bone in with skin trimmed but not entirely removed
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 3-4 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 small hot pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 2 dried bay leaves
• About 6-7 strands of saffron
• 1 tablespoon of each: chopped cilantro, parsley, basil
• Salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste

Put all spices into a spice grinder and pulse until they turn into a powder.
Wash and dry the chicken.
Preheat the heavy skillet.
Add the chicken pieces and fry on medium-high flame for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
Season with salt and black pepper,
Transfer the chicken to a large casserole.
Reserve 2 tablespoons of chicken roasting fat.
Preheat a clean skillet with 2 tablespoons of chicken roasting fat.
Add the sliced onions and sauté’ until just softened.
Transfer the onion to a casserole; add chopped tomatoes and hot pepper.
Season with salt and sugar to taste and 1 tablespoon of spice powder.
Cover, bring to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30-35 minutes.
Remove the casserole from heat stir in minced garlic and chopped herbs.
Let stand for 5 minutes, serve and enjoy.