A recipe from Gemo
Rachuli Lobiani with Ham
A Rachan Georgian bean bread filled with mashed kidney beans and smoky Rachuli ham. Unlike plain lobiani, this version gets its identity from the ham simmered with the beans and from the fatty ham or butter brushed over the hot round bread after baking.
Method
- 01
Rinse the dried beans, cover them generously with cold water, and soak overnight. Drain before cooking.
⏱ 480 min - 02
Put the soaked beans in a pot, cover with fresh water, bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then drain. Return the beans to the pot with the smoked ham, cover with fresh water again, and simmer until the beans are very tender, 90 to 105 minutes.
⏱ 100 min - 03
While the beans cook, stir the yeast and sugar into the warm water. Add the flour, beaten egg, sunflower oil, and 1 teaspoon salt, then knead to a soft but elastic dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until puffy, about 60 minutes.
⏱ 60 min - 04
Lift the ham out of the bean pot and chop it finely. Drain the beans well, then mash them while hot with the chopped ham, black pepper, butter, and salt to taste. The filling should be thick, smooth enough to spread, and smoky rather than soupy.
- 05
Heat the oven to 220°C. Divide the risen dough into 5 balls and rest them for 10 minutes. Divide the bean-ham filling into 5 portions.
⏱ 10 min - 06
On a lightly floured surface, flatten one dough ball into a round, place one portion of filling in the center, gather the edges over the filling, and pinch closed. Turn seam-side down and gently flatten to a round about 1.5 cm thick. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
- 07
Transfer the rounds to hot baking sheets, make a small vent in the center of each, and bake at 220°C until the bread is set and lightly golden, 12 to 15 minutes. If working in batches, keep the shaped rounds covered while they wait.
⏱ 15 min - 08
Brush the hot lobiani with a little butter or a fatty piece of smoked ham. Rest for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges so the smoky bean filling is visible.
⏱ 5 min
Nutrition
