By Nik, founder of 東歐嚴選｜kefir.link and former chef · Updated 2 November 2026
Khachapuri is Georgia’s cheese bread, and no family celebration there goes without it, yet it is just as likely to appear as a breakfast made on the spur of the moment. This round version is sealed around mozzarella and feta and cooked in a covered skillet, with no yeast and no oven. Kefir and sour cream give the dough a mild tang and, together with a little baking soda, its lift.
Round and sealed, or an open boat with egg
Shape, filling and even the name of khachapuri change from one Georgian region to the next. The most popular form is the round, closed bread of Imereti, prized for thin, tender dough, moderate browning and mildly salted cheese, and some villages there still bake it on a clay pan over embers. The open boat filled with cheese, butter and an egg yolk comes from Adjara on the Black Sea; at the table, the hot yolk is stirred into the cheese and pieces of the rim are torn off to dip. This skillet bread follows the round, closed shape.
A quick dough built on tang
Georgian cooks have their own shortcut: a dough kneaded with matsoni, the country’s fermented milk, and baking soda needs no rising time and stays soft even when cold. Kefir and sour cream take the place of matsoni here. Their acid reacts with the baking soda as soon as they meet, releasing carbon dioxide that lifts the dough. Keep the dough very soft and slightly sticky, because too much flour makes the bread rubbery once it cools. Low heat under a lid lets the centre cook through before the outside browns.
Cheeses and herbs for the filling
In Georgia the filling is usually Imeretian cheese, often with a little sulguni. Skillet versions made outside Georgia use fresh curd cheese, feta or mozzarella instead. Mozzarella is a favourite stand-in for sulguni because it stretches well and is less salty. For a fresher taste, mix chopped dill, parsley or green onion into the filling. Cut the warm bread into wedges and serve it with tea or coffee, or with fresh vegetables and herbs.
Georgian kefir cheese bread (Khachapuri)
Ingredients
Dough
- 125 ml plain milk kefir Use unsweetened kefir.
- 125 ml sour cream
- 300 g all-purpose flour Add gradually; you may not need it all. Have extra flour ready for dusting.
- 100 g butter Melt for the dough; have extra butter ready to brush the cooked breads.
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
Cheese filling
- 250 g mozzarella Use pizza-style mozzarella, grated or in a block.
- 100 g feta Crumble before mixing.
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 25 g butter Soften before mixing.
You will need
- Mixing bowls
- Kitchen scale and measuring spoons
- Measuring jug
- Grater
- Rolling pin
- Skillet with a lid
- Wide spatula
- Clean kitchen towel
- Food thermometer
Instructions
Make the flatbreads
- Mix the kefir, the sour cream for the dough, sugar, salt and baking soda in a bowl, then stir in the melted butter.
- Add the flour gradually, mixing to form a soft, slightly sticky dough. Stop adding flour when the dough holds together and you can handle it.
- Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for at least 15 minutes while you prepare the filling.
- Mix the grated mozzarella and crumbled feta with the sour cream and softened butter for the filling.
- Divide the dough into four equal portions and the filling into four equal portions.
- On a lightly floured surface, flatten one portion of dough and put one portion of filling in the centre. Bring the edges together over the filling, gently press out trapped air and pinch the seam firmly closed.
- Place the dough seam-side down and gently flatten it with your hands or a rolling pin to about 1 cm thick, making sure it fits the pan. Repeat with the remaining portions.
- Preheat a dry skillet over low heat.
- Cook each bread over low heat with the lid on for about 10 minutes per side. Look for golden-brown patches on both sides, cooked dough and a hot filling with melted mozzarella. Lower the heat if the outside browns before the dough cooks through; allow about 80 minutes for four breads cooked one at a time.
- Brush the hot breads with a little butter, cut into wedges and serve warm.
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