Adjarian Khachapuri

1. Dissolve salt and sugar in warm water.

2. Add the yeast and stir the mixture until it dissolves. Add vegetable oil and 100 grams of sifted wheat flour. Once again, mix everything well so that no lumps of flour remain.

3. Cover the container with cling film, wrap with a towel and leave in a warm corner of the kitchen for 40-50 minutes.

4. Grate the cheese with the smallest mesh size or chop in a food processor or meat grinder. For the preparation of Adjarian khachapuri, a mixture of Imereti cheese and Suluguni cheese is traditionally used, in equal proportions. Imeretian cheese can be replaced with Adyghe cheese, cheese or soft cottage cheese.

5. When the dough rises, you can start kneading the dough. In small portions, add the sifted wheat flour to the mixture. Mix the ingredients and form a ball of soft dough. Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes, transferring to a floured work surface, and if necessary, adding wheat flour in small portions. You should have a slightly sticky, but smooth, elastic and soft dough.

6. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a towel and leave for another 10-15 minutes. This stage is necessary so that the dough becomes more elastic and does not tear.

7. Knead the rested dough for another 1 minute, and then divide into portions depending on the desired size of khachapuri. Roll the dough into small balls and cover with a towel. I like medium-sized khachapuri, so I divide the dough into 7 pieces, each weighing 150 grams.

8. Roll out the first part of the dough in the form of an oval with a thickness of 1-2 millimeters.

9. Mentally divide the dough into three parts. Spread a few pinches of grated cheese over the top and bottom thirds of the dough.

10. In three turns of the dough, roll the bottom third towards the center. Then roll the top third of the dough in the same way. Pinch the edges of the dough to form a boat. Repeat the procedure with the remaining test.

11. Line a baking sheet with baking paper or sprinkle with a thin layer of wheat flour. Place the prepared dough balls on a baking sheet. Fill the boats with grated cheese. To get the best result, the filling in Adjarian khachapuri should be the same as the dough or a little less. Place the prepared khachapuri in an oven preheated to 180-200 degrees and bake for 10-12 minutes. Focus on the readiness of the dough and the consistency of the filling - the cheese should straighten out and boil.

12. In the meantime, prepare a few chicken eggs, according to the number of khachapuri. Separate the egg yolk from the white. You can use the whole egg in the filling, but in this case, the taste of cheese in khachapuri will be less pronounced, since it will be muffled by the characteristic "egg" taste of protein.

13. When khachapuri is browned, grease the dough around the filling with butter. Make a small indentation in the center of the filling with a spoon and pour the egg yolk into it. Add a few pieces of butter, and then place the khachapuri in the oven for another 1 minute or a little longer, until the desired degree of readiness of the yolk is obtained.

14. Adjarian khachapuri is ready! Bon appetit!