Author Notes: Of the three recipes for khachapuri I’ve posted on this site (Classic and Prosciutto/Rosemary), this is my very favorite. The herbs bring such a bright(…more) —Erin McDowell
Makes 2 large or 4 small breads
- 4 1/3cups (522 g) bread flour
- 1tablespoon (9 g) instant active dry yeast
- 2tablespoons (25 g) granulated sugar
- 1teaspoon (4 g) fine sea salt
- 10tablespoons (142 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1cup (242 g) whole milk, warmed to about 100°F
- 1/3cup (81 g) warm water
- 1 1/2cups goat cheese
- 2 1/2cups diced fresh mozzarella cheese
- 1/4cup fresh chopped dill
- 1/4cup fresh chopped parsley
- 1/4cup fresh chopped chives
- 1bunch scallions, thinly sliced
- Egg wash, as needed for finishing
- Make the dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, mix the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt to combine. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the mixture looks crumbly, about 1 minute.
- Add the milk and water and mix the dough on low speed for 4 minutes. Raise the speed to medium and mix until the dough is very smooth, 2-3 minutes more.
- Transfer the dough to a large, oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for 1 1/2 – 2 hours, until the dough is puffed (it may not fully double in size).
- Divide the dough as desired: Cut into two even pieces for larger, more shareable khachapuri, or into four even pieces for smaller, individual khachapuri.
- Pat the dough into an oval shape with your hands. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough, maintaining the oval shape, into an oblong oval about 1/3-inch thick.
- Pick the dough up from the ends and transfer it to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gently stretch the dough when you transfer it to help elongate the oval a bit.
- Crumble the goat cheese evenly over the dough, leaving about 1-inch around the edge on all sides. In a medium bowl, mix the mozzarella with the dill, parsley, chives, and scallions to combine. Sprinkle the mozzarella mixture evenly over the goat cheese.
- Working your way around the bread, fold the excess dough up and over the filling to create a little wall and encase it. Gently pinch the ends of the oval to help seal. Cover the breads with a piece of plastic wrap sprayed with nonstick spray, and let the bread rise for 30 minutes – 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Brush the edges of the dough with egg wash.
- Transfer to the oven and bake until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted and lightly golden, 30-35 minutes for small, 45-50 minutes for large.
- Let the khachapuri cool for 5-10 m inutes before serving warm