Khachapuri
2 1/2 C. flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 egg
3 Tbs vegetable oil
1/2 C. club soda, at room temperature (have more ready if needed)
12 Tbs unsalted butter, melted
1 recipe Cheese Filling (see below)
Cheese Filling:
10 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated
8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
6 oz. cottage cheese
8 Tbs. unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into small pieces
1 egg
Salt to taste, if desired
1) Make filling: In a large bowl, combine all filling ingredients
except the salt and mix well. Taste and season with salt, if
necessary.
2) Sift flour and salt in a large bowl, then make a well in the
middle. Pour in the egg, oil, and club soda, stir into the flour,
adding more club soda, if necessary, to make a soft dough. Transfer
the dough to a floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, about
10 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball, cover with a kitchen towel,
and let stand for 1 hour.
3) Divide dough into four parts and shape each one into a ball. Cover,
and let stand for 15 minutes.
4) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two large baking sheets.
5) On a floured surface, roll out one of the balls to an
1/8-inch-thick square. Brush the dough with some of the melted butter.
Dip your fingers in melted butter and pull the edges of the dough in
different directions, stretching it evenly until it is almost
transparently thin. With a sharp knife, trim the edges of the dough
to form an even square. Fold the square in half, brush the surface
generously with melted butter, and fold in half again crosswise, to
form a smaller square. Adjust it as needed to be approximately 6 to 7
inches.
6) Brush the square with butter. Shape 1/4 of the filling into a ball
and place in the center of the square. Fold in the corners of the
square like an envelope. With your palm, flatten the pie so it is
about 1 inch thick. Brush the top with melted butter, and carefully
transfer to a prepared baking sheet.
7) Repeat steps 4 - 6 with the rest of the dough and filling.
8) Bake on center oven rack until golden brown; about 35 minutes. Serve warm.
Makes 4 pies, serves 8
