Print

Double-Crusted Imeretian Khachapuri (Imeruli Khachapuri)

Prevent your screen from going dark

Makes Two 10-inch (25 cm) pies 1x

Time 3 hours

Units Scale

Ingredients

For the dough:

  • 3 1/4 cups (420 g) all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 3 tablespoons (42 g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) lukewarm water
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil, plus more for the bowl

For the filling:

  • 3 cups (400 g) grated aged (a.k.a. low-moisture) whole-milk mozzarella
  • 1 cup (150 g) finely crumbled cow’s-milk feta
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) ricotta
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • Melted butter, for serving

Instructions

  1. Make the dough: In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. Add the butter and water and stir until a shaggy mass forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking, until smooth and springy when pressed with a finger, 5 to 10 minutes. (The dough will be sticky.) Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover loosely with plastic and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
  2. Meanwhile, make the filling: In a large bowl, use your hands to mix the mozzarella, feta, ricotta, eggs, and salt, squeezing the mixture through your fingers until it’s smooth and holds together. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until ready to use (for up to 2 days).
  3. Pour the oil onto the dough and knead it a few times to deflate it (the oil won’t incorporate fully). Cover and set aside until puffed and risen slightly, about 30 minutes. (At this stage, the dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days; set it aside at room temperature for 1 hour before proceeding.)
  4. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Position racks in the top and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 425°F (220°C). Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and cut it into two equal pieces of about 13½ ounces (380 g) each. Roll each piece into a ball, then use your fingertips to press the dough into two 7-inch (18 cm) circles.
  5. Place one cheese ball in the center of one of the dough rounds. Press down to flatten the top of the ball, lightly smushing it into the dough. Working clockwise, fold and pull the edges of the dough toward the center for a total of about six pleats—allowing each fold to overlap the previous one and firmly pinching the creases as you go—until the cheese is enclosed in pleated dough. Give the dough in the center a few good, hard pinches, ensuring there are no holes. Press down with your palm to flatten slightly, then flip the khachapuri over and continue patting gently all over with a flat palm to create a disk 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) thick. Using a rolling pin, with a light touch, roll the khachapuri into a disk that’s ½ inch (1.3 cm) thick and 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter. Lift onto a baking sheet seam side down. Using your index finger, poke a penny-size hole in the center of the top crust. Repeat with the remaining dough and cheese, then transfer the round to the second baking sheet.
  6. Bake, swapping the positions of the sheets halfway through cooking, until the khachapuri are golden brown with a firm bottom crust, 16 to 21 minutes. Cool for 3 minutes, then brush with the melted butter, cut into wedges, and serve.

— Excerpted with permission from Georgia: The Cookbook by: Meriko Gubeladze & Benjamin Kemper published by ‎Hardie Grant North America, October 6, 2026