Imeretian Khachapuri

Warm the water to 35–38 °C, dissolve the dry yeast in it and let stand for 10–15 minutes, until a light foam appears on the surface.

Add the flour, salt and sunflower oil, knead into a soft, elastic dough and continue kneading for 8–10 minutes. Cover the bowl and leave the dough in a warm place for 60 minutes, until it roughly doubles in size.

For the filling, grate the Imeretian cheese and sulguni, then mix them with the eggs into a smooth cheese mixture.

Knock back the dough, divide it into 3 pieces, and divide the cheese filling into 3 portions as well. Shape the dough into balls, cover and let rest for another 10 minutes.

Flatten each ball of dough into a circle about 5 mm thick, place a portion of filling in the center, gather the edges over the cheese and pinch to seal. Turn seam-side down, gently flatten by hand into a flatbread 22–24 cm in diameter, and make a small vent hole in the center to let steam escape.

Preheat the oven to 230 °C. Transfer the khachapuri onto a hot baking sheet and bake for 12–15 minutes, until the top is golden and the cheese inside is fully melted.

Brush the hot khachapuri immediately with butter, let rest for 5 minutes, and serve warm.