Gurian Khachapuri (Christmas Pie)

Method

1. 01

   Make the dough. Stir 300 ml warm water, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 7 g yeast together and let stand until foamy. Add 550 g flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons sunflower oil, then knead until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky. Put it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled.

   ⏱ 75 min
2. 02

   Prepare the eggs while the dough rises. Hard-boil the eggs, cool them, peel them, and slice each egg lengthwise or into thick rounds so the pieces stay visible inside the finished pie.

   ⏱ 10 min
3. 03

   Make the filling. Mix 550 g crumbled Imeruli cheese with 150 g grated sulguni. Taste before adding any extra salt; the filling should be savory but not harsh. Keep the sliced eggs separate so they do not break apart.

4. 04

   Heat the oven to 230 C and line a large baking tray with parchment. Punch down the risen dough, divide it into 6 equal pieces, shape each into a ball, cover loosely, and rest for 10 to 15 minutes so the dough relaxes.

   ⏱ 15 min
5. 05

   Shape the pies one at a time. Roll one dough ball into a thin circle about 18 to 20 cm wide. Put a portion of cheese over one half, leaving a clear border, then arrange sliced boiled egg over the cheese.

6. 06

   Fold the empty half of the dough over the filling to make a half-moon. Press out trapped air, pinch the edge tightly, then curve the two pointed ends slightly inward so the pie reads as a crescent. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

7. 07

   Whisk the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon matsoni and brush the tops of the crescents. Make one or two small steam slits in each pie, then bake at 230 C until the dough is puffed, deeply golden, and cooked through.

   ⏱ 18 min
8. 08

   Brush the hot pies lightly with the 30 g melted butter and rest for 5 minutes before serving. Slice one open so the crescent shape, melted cheese, and boiled egg filling are clearly visible.

   ⏱ 5 min