Georgian Cheese Bread
Warm, chewy bread, crammed with gooey cheese, and dotted with fresh, runny eggs. Served as an appetizer or side dish, this unbelievable dish will make you the star of the show this season – whether it’s a holiday gathering or weekend game day!
This is a sponsored post on behalf of Spring Creek Quail Farms. All opinions are mine.
Also known as Khachapuri, this boat-shaped bread is a Georgian staple. Khachapuri features fresh-baked bread that’s crammed with melted cheese. Just before the bread is finished baking, fresh eggs are nestled into the melty cheese. The bread is served hot and bubbly, and the crust is torn off and dipped in the cheese and runny eggs. There are three different cheeses in the filling, and when they’re mixed with the creamy eggs, it’s complete perfection.
The perfect marriage of three different cheeses. We use three varieties of cheese in this recipe because each delivers its own personality. Mozzarella is buttery and stretchy and makes the filling extra gooey. Feta is salty and vibrant and adds a pop of savory flavor. Ricotta is soft and creamy and holds everything together. It’s an unbeatable marriage of flavors and textures.
Quail eggs make all the difference in the world! Traditional Georgian cheese bread features chicken eggs, but I love my addition of quail eggs! They might seem small and delicate, but quail eggs have large, thick yolks and fluffy whites. They’re creamy and rich and the perfect, unique addition to this hearty, cheesy bread.
Quail eggs are tiny but mighty! Farm fresh quail eggs are naturally rich in protein, healthy fat, and powerful nutrients. When compared to chicken eggs, quail eggs have double the iron and riboflavin, and close to one-third more vitamin B12. They also contain more healthy fat and protein by weight, with fewer calories. One single quail egg has one gram of protein, one gram of fat, and zero carbs – with just 14 calories. And they’re so darn cute! In this recipe, you can certainly use chicken eggs, but quail eggs are so fun and you can enjoy more creamy yolk per serving!
Spring Creek Quail have a good life! The little ladies grow up comfortably, on a family-owned farm where they walk on softwood chips (not hay), feast on nutritious grains from local farmers, drink double-filtered water, and breath fresh air. No antibiotics or hormones, EVER. And because of their healthy diet, the yolks are deep orange and packed with rich, creamy flavor.
Nestle those eggs into the bubbling cheese! Traditional Georgian cheese bread features boat-shaped bread that’s baked with a filling of cheese. Lots and lots of cheese. Before the bread is finished baking, eggs are dropped into wells made in the cheese filling. It’s classic to use 1 chicken egg per bread, but I chose 5 quail eggs instead!
A quick trip back to the oven and the eggs are perfectly cooked. After 5 minutes, the whites of the eggs are cooked, and the yolks are still runny. That’s the goal! Georgian cheese bread is renowned for being an egg yolk-spiked cheese dip! The creamy yolk adds incredible richness to the cheese filling.
This Georgian cheese bread is super easy make! Thanks to store-bought pizza dough, you just need to combine the cheeses, fill and shape the bread, and bake! I used one pound of fresh pizza dough to make two Georgian cheese breads. If desired, you can split the pizza dough into 4 pieces and make four breads.
The bread boat itself is used for dunking, but you can add more dippers on the side. If you want to stretch the bread to serve more people, I suggest adding crackers and fresh vegetables on the side.
Georgian Cheese Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, I used whole milk, but you can use part-skim
- 1 cup ricotta cheese, I used whole milk ricotta, but you can use part-skim
- 1 cup crumbled feta cheese, I used an 8-ounce block
- 1 pound fresh or frozen pizza dough, thawed if frozen
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 10 quail eggs
- 2 tablespoons butter, diced
- Chopped fresh chives for serving, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
- In a large bowl, combine all three cheeses and mix well to combine. Set aside.
- Cut the pizza dough into 2 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 9- to 10-inch circle.
- Place the cheese mixture in the center of each piece of dough, about 2 inches from the edges. Roll up two sides of the dough towards the center. Pinch or twist the ends together, creating a canoe or boat shape. Transfer the boats to the prepared pan.
- Brush the edges of the dough with the beaten egg.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven, and keep the oven at 425 degrees.
- Use a small spoon to make 5 indents in the cheese mixture of each bread, about 1/2-inch deep. Crack the quail eggs into the indents. Sprinkle the diced butter over the cheese, 1 tablespoon of butter per bread.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for 5 to 7 more minutes, until the egg white is cooked (the yolks can/should still be runny). Note that the eggs will continue to cook as they sit in the hot cheese mixture.
- Top with chives, if using, and serve immediately.