Khachapuri (Megruli-Style Georgian “Pizza”)

Khachapuri (Megruli-Style Georgian “Pizza”) 00:00 Intro 00:49 Mix the Dough 02:15 Fold the Dough and Let it Rise 04:09 Warm up the Dough and Heat the Oven 04:34 Make the Filling 06:00 Shape Khachapuri 07:57 Bake Khachapuri 08:43 Troubleshooting Baking Issues About Yeast: SAF Instant Yeast is available at Whole Foods and online. Store it in the freezer and it will last for many years. Pour about 1/2 cup of yeast into a small clean jar and keep in your fridge for up to a year to use for your baking projects. When you run out, make a new jar with the yeast from the freezer. Active dry yeast will work, but it’s extremely unreliable and sometimes goes bad even before you open the packet. Makes 2 pies 8-9”(20-23cm) in diameter Dough: ====== 230g unbleached all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur Brand) 1/2 tsp SAF Instant Yeast (see the note above) 1 tsp granulated sugar 2 tsp Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt (or 1 tsp Table salt) 85g whole milk, around 80F (27C) 85g water, around 80F (27C) 20g extra virgin olive oil Vegetable oil for hands and bowl In a medium bowl, mix the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt using a spoon. Make a well, and add the milk, water and olive oil. Mix as shown in the video until all the flour is absorbed and the dough starts to stick to the bottom of the bowl. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes. Oil your hand with vegetable oil, and fold the dough 12 times as shown in the video. Flip it smooth side up (it won’t be that smooth, but it won’t show the folds). Cover and let rise 30-60 min. Oil 2 bowls roughly 2 cups in capacity with vegetable oil (roughly 1 tsp per bowl). Oil a spoon and use it to cut the dough in half. Transfer the dough halves into the little oiled bowls. Fold the dough towards the center and seal like a dumpling (see video). Flip the balls so that the smooth side is up. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days. Filing: ===== 150g low-moisture whole milk mozzarella, plus extra for sprinkling on top 100g sheep or goat feta 80g whipped (or regular) cream cheese 20 to 35g any mix of scallions, cilantro, parsley, dill 1 yolk Black pepper Shred the mozzarella using large holes of a box grater. Dry the feta with paper towels and crumble with your fingers. In a medium bowl, mix all the filling ingredients until homogeneous. Divide in half and shape into 2 balls. Egg wash: ======== 1 yolk 15g sour cream In a small bowl, whisk the yolk and sour cream with a fork until homogeneous. Shaping and Baking: ================ Get the dough out of the fridge 2 hours before baking. 30 minutes before baking, set the rack to the lower third of the oven. Place a pizza stone or steel on the rack. Preheat the oven to 450F (230C) at least for 30 minutes. Pour 1 tsp of vegetable oil on parchment paper and spread in a 7” (18cm) circle. Invert one of the bowls of dough over the parchment and wait for the dough to drop, gently dislodging it from the walls of the bowl without pulling. Flatten the dough with your fingers into a 7” (18cm) circle. Add a ball of filling and flatten it into a thick disk. Fold the dough over the filling like a dumpling and press down to flatten it out into an 8” (20cm) circle, leaving the edges slightly puffier than the center. Brush the top and sides with the egg wash, sprinkle with mozzarella, and vent the top of the dough with a tip of a knife, making a 1/2 inch hole. Slide the parchment with khachapuri onto a rimless baking sheet and then onto the stone in the oven. Bake for 12 minutes or until brown on top and bottom. Slide the bread onto a cooling rack and place the parchment that it was baked on underneath the rack. Immediately, brush with melted butter. Cool for 5 minutes and serve. ============= Sophia Vergara Image Attribution: https://www.flickr.com/photos/hayesandjenn/, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Join my Patreon Community for free to get video notifications: https://www.patreon.com/helenrennie My cooking classes in the Boston area: http://www.helenrennie.com INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/helen.rennie