Khachapuri (georgian Cheese Bread)

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 3/4 cup milk, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 teaspoon table salt
• 3 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1/2 lb muenster cheese, shredded
• 1/2 lb jarlsberg cheese or 1/2 lb swiss cheese, shredded
• 1/2 lb white cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon water

Recipe

• 1 dissolve yeast and 1 tsp sugar in 1/4 cup water and let stand 5-10 minutes to proof until foamy. add milk, 2 tbs sugar, butter, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. knead until soft and smooth.
• 2 grease a bowl with oil. place dough in oiled bowl and turn to coat all sides. cover and let rise until double in bulk, 60-90 minutes.
• 3 grease a 9′ spring form pan very well. mix together filling ingredients until well-combined.
• 4 punch down dough, shape into a ball, and roll to a 20′ circle. ease dough into pan (fold in half to lift and unfold in pan), letting excess hang over the edge.
• 5 mound cheese filling dough in pan and bring dough up over the filling, folding to make 8-12 evenly spaced pleats. twist and pinch ends together in the center to make a rough knob.
• 6 cover with a buttered 12′ square of waxed paper and let rise until double in bulk, 30-45 minutes. remove and discard waxed paper.
• 7 beat together egg white and water with a fork. brush top of dough with glaze.
• 8 bake in a preheated 375f oven 40-50 minutes, or until deep golden brown. remove bread from pan, place directly on oven rack, and bake for an additional 5 minutes to brown bottom crust.
• 9 cool on rack at least 45 minutes before cutting into wedges.