Georgian Cheese Filled Flatbread Food

KHACHAPURI (GEORGIAN CHEESE BREAD)

Steps:

• Combine milk, water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl. Let stand until yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes. Add olive oil, 2 cups flour, and salt. Mix until a sticky dough comes together.
• Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead for about 3 minutes, adding in remaining flour as needed, until dough is very soft but still workable. Form into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in volume, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). Combine Monterey Jack, mozzarella, and feta cheeses in a bowl. Toss together and refrigerate until needed.
• Punch down dough and turn out onto a floured surface. Flatten slightly and cut in half. Dust a large sheet of parchment paper with flour. Place 1 dough half on top and roll out into a square about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick, stretching out the corners as needed. Arrange 1/4 of the cheese in 2 rows, 1 to 2 inches from the longest sides. Roll sides up tightly over the cheese, forming a canoe shape around the dough. Pinch and twist ends to seal.
• Cut off excess parchment around the dough; lift dough onto a baking sheet. Repeat shaping and stuffing the other dough half. Fill the canoe with the remaining cheese mixture.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Form a well in the center of each khachapuri using a spoon; crack an egg inside each well.
• Return to oven and bake until eggs are mostly set, 3 to 4 minutes. Place 2 pats of butter over each filling and sprinkle salt and cayenne on top. Plate khachapuri; tear off one end and use it to stir the butter into the egg.

GARLIC CHEESE FLATBREAD

Steps:

• In a cup or small bowl, sprinkle yeast over the surface of the lukewarm water. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes to dissolve.
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt and sugar. Pour in the yeast mixture along with the olive oil. Beat with a sturdy spoon until dough is stiff enough to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Cover, and set aside until doubled in size, about 35 minutes.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and knead briefly on a floured surface. Roll the dough out to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness or to the size of your baking sheet. Place on a greased baking sheet and spread butter over the top. Sprinkle with garlic powder, Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. Let rest while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown and cheese is bubbly. Serve warm.

KHACHAPURI ADJARULI (GEORGIAN CHEESE BREAD BOAT)

Steps:

• Make the dough (but if you're using store-bought, proceed to Step 2): In a small saucepan over low, heat 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons/150 milliliters water until hot but not simmering. Turn off heat. In a large bowl, with your hands or a wooden spoon, stir together flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Check the temperature of reserved, warmed water; it should be warm to the touch, between 105 and 110 degrees. Add it to the flour mixture and, with your hands, knead mixture into a smooth dough, about 5 minutes.
• Pour olive oil into a medium bowl. Holding dough with one hand, use it to coat the inside of the bowl with the oil. Set the dough in the bowl, oiled portion facing up. Cover bowl with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until it doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees (or 425, if using a convection oven). Line a half sheet tray with parchment paper; set aside. On a lightly floured surface, stretch and roll dough into a circle, 1/4-inch thick, 10 to 12 inches across. Brush off excess flour, then lay the dough on the sheet tray. Using your fingers, roll, press and pinch two opposite sides of the circle a few inches into the center, building sides up, then press and pinch the narrow ends together to form two points. Continue to pinch and press the sides to create a raised rim and form the dough into an oval boat with an eye-like shape. Let rest in a warm place while you prepare the filling.
• In a medium bowl, combine mozzarella, goat cheese and feta with 3 tablespoons water. Stir with a fork until the mixture is thoroughly blended. Scrape the cheese mixture into the center of the dough boat, spreading it into an even layer.
• Bake khachapuri until the crust begins to brown and the cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven, leaving oven on. Brush sides of khachapuri generously with melted butter. Return khachapuri to the oven for an additional 5 minutes until the crust is extra crisp and the cheese just starts to brown around the edges.
• Using a spoon, make a shallow, 2-inch-wide well in the center of the cheese. Add the egg yolk and cold butter (if using), and serve immediately. To serve, hold down one pointed end of the hot khachapuri with a fork; using another fork, quickly stir the egg and butter (if using) into the cheese mixture until it's smooth and stretchy. Rip pieces of the bread boat off to dip in the cheese while it's still hot.

KHACHAPURI, GEORGIAN CHEESE FILLED FLAT BREAD

Steps:

• Dough (Khachapuri):.
• Line a spring form pan with butter.
• In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup of warm water.
• Stir in the sugar/honey and let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add the remaining water, the butter and the salt.
• Stir in 2 cups of the flour.
• Gradually add enough of the remaining flour so that the mixture holds together.
• On a floured surface, knead the dough until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (To knead in a food processor, combine the flour, butter and salt in the work bowl of the food processor and add the yeast mixture. With the machine on, gradually add enough warm water until the dough forms a ball, then process around the bowl about 25 times.).
• Shape into a ball, place in a large oiled bowl turning to coat, cover, and let rise until nearly doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch down the dough and roll into a 20-inch round about 1/4 inch thick.
• Fit the dough into the greased spring form pan, letting the excess drape over the sides.
• Spoon in the filling (Filling directions at the end of the recipe).
• Gather the edges together to meet in the center, pleating the dough as evenly as possible into overlapping folds. Twist the dough ends that meet in the center to form a knob.
• Cover and let stand for about 30 minutes.
• Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Brush the khachapuri with the egg mixture (Beat the egg with 1 tsp water).
• Bake until golden brown, about an hour.
• Let cool for 30 minutes before slicing.
• Georgian Cheese Filling (Khveli):.
• In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir to blend.

GEORGIAN CHEESE-FILLED FLATBREAD

Steps:

• Place an oven rack at the lowest position. Preheat to 450 degrees.
• To make the cheese filling, blend all the ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix together 1 cup of the flour, the baking powder and salt. Add the yogurt, and stir well. Continue stirring in more flour until the dough has lost its stickiness and can be worked with your hands. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 3 to 4 minutes, until soft and slightly elastic.
• Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. (Keep the remaining pieces covered with a cloth while you work with one piece of dough at a time.) Flatten a piece of dough with the lightly floured palm of your hand. Then, either stretching the dough or using a small rolling pin, flatten it out to a round 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the cheese filling in the center.
• Pinch the edges of the dough between your thumb and forefinger. Fold each side in, still leaving the center of the filling uncovered. Then, pinch around the new outer edge of the dough. Stretch the flaps inward so that the filling is covered completely, pleating excess dough as necessary. Pinch the pleats closed, and then, with the lightly floured palm of your hand, gently press down on the top of the mound to flatten it. Turn the bread over, and gently press down again on the bottom. This will push the filling out into the edges of the bread; it should be 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick and 7 to 8 inches in diameter.
• Lightly oil the baking sheets. Place a filled bread on a prepared sheet, and continue making breads until the first baking sheet is full. Bake the breads for 5 to 6 minutes, then remove from the oven, slide into a basket lined with a cloth, and cover to keep warm. Prepare the remainder of the breads while the first batch bakes, and then bake in the same fashion.

STUFFED GEORGIAN CHEESE BREADS

Steps:

• Make the filling by combining all the filling ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
• Sift 1 cup of the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.
• Add the yoghurt and stir until combined.
• Add the remaining flour and mix until a dough forms.
• Lighty flour a board or bench and knead the dough for 5 minutes, adding a little extra flour if the dough is sticky.
• Divide the dough into 8 portions.
• Cover with a damp tea towel so they don't dry out while you are working.
• Take one piece and, on a lighty floured surface, roll dough out to a 15cm round.
• Place 1 tablespoon filling in the centre, then gather the sides and twist the top to seal edges together so the filling is encased in dough.
• Gently roll out again to a round shape, then place aside on a baking-paper lined tray and cover with another tea towel.
• Repeat until all of the breads are done.
• Heat a heavy based frypan over a medium heat and spray with oil spray.
• Cook breads in batches for 1 minute on each side.
• Then place breads in a single layer on 1 0r 2 large oven trays and cook at 220 degree C for 10 minutes or until puffed and golden.
• Serve immediately.

KHACHAPURI (GEORGIAN CHEESE-FILLED BREAD)

Steps:

• To make the dough, mix the yeast with the sugar, water, flour, and salt in a bowl. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and either leave in the refrigerator overnight or somewhere in your kitchen for an hour or so until doubled in size.
• For the filling, mix the cheeses with the single egg yolk and use a fork to mash well.
• Preheat the oven to its highest setting and heat a couple of baking sheets-or a pizza stone if you have one.
• Flour your work surface really well. Cover your hands in flour and scrape the dough on to your work surface. Knead it in the flour a little if it's too sticky. Divide the dough into 6 pieces (each piece should be about 100 g (3½ oz). Roll out each piece of dough on a lightly floured work surface into a 18 cm (7-inch) round. Stretch either side of each round to elongate and then pile 100 g (3½ oz) of filling in the centre, leaving a 5 mm (¼ inch) border around the edge. Bring two sides of the dough up to meet in the middle and pinch a seam together to seal, similar to a Cornish pasty. Press down with the flat of your hand to flatten it, then flip it over so the seam is face down. With a sharp knife, make a slash along the middle of the dough and push the sides open to expose the filling. Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling to make 6 khachapuris.
• Slide the khachapuris on to the hot baking trays and bake for 10 minutes until the sides turn golden. Crack an egg into the centre of each, then bake for a further 2-3 minutes. To eat, pinch the dough from one end and use it to dip and mix the runny egg yolk into the filling.