Today’s offering, a Georgian (the country, not the state) cheese bread similar to pizza dough is made all the more authentic if you opt to make your own cheese. If you go the 100% home-made route, rest assured that your efforts will be rewarded with some awesome taste. If you decide to go with store-bought cheese, not to worry… the end result is still good.
If you are going to buy the cheese, jump to the cheese bread section. If you are a brave one…soldier on, comrade!
Nриятного аппетита! (Bon appétit!)
Farmer’s Cheese (Sulguni) Software:
· 1 gallon whole milk
· 2 tbs salt
· 2 tbs white pepper
· ½ cup lemon juice
Farmer’s Cheese (Sulguni) Hardware:
Cheese cloth
Colander
Preparation –
1. Pour the milk into a large pot and stir in salt and pepper.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the milk from scorching on the bottom of the pot.
3. When the milk begins to boil (small bubbles will first appear at the edges), turn off the heat. Stir in lemon juice (milk will curdle). Wait 10 minutes.
4. Line colander with a cheesecloth and pour the milk through the cloth to catch the curds. What is left in the cheesecloth is the Farmer's Cheese.
5. Gather the cloth around the cheese, and squeeze out as much of the whey as you can.
6. Hang overnight in refrigerator or in a cold location, to drain out as much liquid as possible.
7. In the morning, wrap in plastic, or place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. (Cheese will keep for 2 weeks.)
Georgian Cheese Bread (Khachapuri) Software:
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 7 tablespoons warm water (105-115°F)
- 1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon table salt
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup Farmer’s Cheese, coarsely grated (see above or substitute 1 cup of coarsely grated Havarti)
If you are going to buy the cheese, jump to the cheese bread section. If you are a brave one…soldier on, comrade!
Nриятного аппетита! (Bon appétit!)
Farmer’s Cheese (Sulguni) Software:
· 1 gallon whole milk
· 2 tbs salt
· 2 tbs white pepper
· ½ cup lemon juice
Farmer’s Cheese (Sulguni) Hardware:
Cheese cloth
Colander
Preparation –
1. Pour the milk into a large pot and stir in salt and pepper.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the milk from scorching on the bottom of the pot.
3. When the milk begins to boil (small bubbles will first appear at the edges), turn off the heat. Stir in lemon juice (milk will curdle). Wait 10 minutes.
4. Line colander with a cheesecloth and pour the milk through the cloth to catch the curds. What is left in the cheesecloth is the Farmer's Cheese.
5. Gather the cloth around the cheese, and squeeze out as much of the whey as you can.
6. Hang overnight in refrigerator or in a cold location, to drain out as much liquid as possible.
7. In the morning, wrap in plastic, or place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator. (Cheese will keep for 2 weeks.)
Georgian Cheese Bread (Khachapuri) Software:
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 7 tablespoons warm water (105-115°F)
- 1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon table salt
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 cup Farmer’s Cheese, coarsely grated (see above or substitute 1 cup of coarsely grated Havarti)
- 1 cup mozzarella, coarsely grated
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tbs garlic powder
- 1 tbs onion powder
- 1 tbs kosher salt
Georgian Cheese Bread (Khachapuri) Hardware:
Pizza Stone (Optional)
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tbs garlic powder
- 1 tbs onion powder
- 1 tbs kosher salt
Georgian Cheese Bread (Khachapuri) Hardware:
Pizza Stone (Optional)
Preparation –
1. Sprinkle yeast over warm water and stir in 1 tablespoon flour. Let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes. (If yeast does not activate, start over with new yeast.)
2. Stir together table salt salt and remaining flour in a large bowl, then stir in egg and yeast mixture to form a dough.
3. Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and turn to coat with flour, then knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Form into a ball and dust with flour. Let dough rest in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap, overnight.)
4. The next day, preheat oven to 500°F with rack in middle. (If you are using a pizza stone, make sure you pre-heat that too!)
5. Turn out dough, turning to coat in flour, then flatten with your fingers into a 7-inch disk.
6. Toss together cheeses with garlic powder, onion powder and kosher salt, and press into a compact ball with your hands.
7. Place cheese ball in middle of dough, then gather dough up around ball of cheese, squeezing excess dough into a topknot.
8. Press down on topknot with a damp fist to press cheese out from center. Continue to flatten dough and distribute cheese evenly, pressing outward from center, until dough is an 11-inch disk. 9. Cut a 6-inch X through top of dough to expose cheese.
10. Bake until pale golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Brush surface of dough with butter and bake until golden and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes more.
