Khachapuri bread from clay oven - specialty from Georgia

In the meantime, Philipp and Micha have reported again, but this time from a somewhat unusual place, at least as far as their other activities are concerned: a Georgian bakery on the flat lands.

Unlike in many Western European countries, the daily bread is not baked in a form of oven known to us, but in a kind of bulbous barrel, which is also buried in the ground even in the backing room. This handmade barrel made of clay is made of thick-walled material, partially reinforced with clay tiles, that has about 1 meter in diameter. The Georgians lovingly call this "oven" a very special "tone".

In the clays they organize dry logs (often conifers, sometimes the bakers also use combinations to achieve a special flavor) and then burn them, then, after burning, the remaining ashes are swept together in the middle of the barrel and the now hot kiln walls cleaned with a kind of elongated worm from cloth, which is attached to a long stalk and circled through the clay. This removes ash and soot residues. The Georgians say that it is the residual smoke of embers in the oven that gives the bread its specific aroma. After cleaning, the baker claps the prepared bread cakes with well calculated momentum on the inner wall surface of the oven, where he has to bend down deep into the oven, sometimes stretching his legs high in the air, which in part looks as if the baker jumps into the oven with head first.

The wheat or maize flour thus produced is one of the staple foods in Georgia, as in many other countries. Everywhere and almost every hour you get a kind of cheese bread, the so-called khachapuri, which consists of the dough of wheat or corn, sometimes a puff pastry with stuffed, young cheese. Best suited for this, so at least Philipp and Micha, with freshly baked bread. Whether you are shopping for a snack in Georgia or dining extensively in a Georgian restaurant - a Khachapuri is always one of them.

Preparation Chatchapuri cheese bread (also possible without clay in the pan)

Put about 1 kg of flour (wheat or corn) in a bowl, dissolve the yeast in a little lukewarm water, add yoghurt, 2 eggs, melted, slightly cooled butter and salt. Knead the dough until it separates from the edge of the bowl. The dough should be quite soft. Cover the dough bowl with a cloth and leave to rise in a warm place.

For the filling crumble the cheese in a bowl, add remaining eggs and mix everything well. Take a piece of the dough, roll it out, make it out by hand and cover it with some cheese filling. Roll out a second layer of dough and place it on top of the cheese-covered slice, then knead the dough edges together. Then with a board, press the unbaked Khachapuri a bit flat, roll out a little on pans size.
Brush the pan with oil, let it warm, then adjust to a medium level. Put the cheese bread in the hot pan. When one side is seared, turn the khachapuri and roast from the other side. Then butter and serve immediately. Tastes best when hot.

Incidentally, the khachapuri can also be baked in the oven. If you do not have sheep cheese, you can also use half feta cheese, half mozzarella cheese. This should then be rubbed, otherwise it is too crumbly.

1 kg of wheat flour or cornmeal
50 g of fresh yeast
a little lukewarm water
1/2 liter room warm yoghurt
50 g of butter, melt
3 tbsp oil
4 medium egg (s)
1 kg sheep's cheese
Oil, for frying and butter, for brushing, flour, for processing

And other Georgian specialties

Chinkali are stuffed dumplings. They are considered one of the typical dishes of Georgian cuisine. The special feature is their preparation, which requires a high art craft.

Typical of Western Georgia, bread is called "mashad", usually eaten with a mozarella cheese, the "Sulguni", the ideal and most widely used starter or snack in the area.

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