Pkhlovani (Khachapuri with Spinach)

Hailing from the mountain regions of Georgia, this stuffed flatbread also known as mkhlovani is similar to khachapuri, however, it also includes greens in the cheesy filling.

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Servings 8

Prep Time 30

Additional Time 1 30

Total Time 2 20

Ingredients

Dough

90 ml (6 tbsp) whole milk
25 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter
1 egg
1 egg yolk
250 g (2 cups) bread flour
4 g (1 ⅓ tsp) instant yeast
5 g (1 tsp) salt (see note 1)

Filling

1 tbsp neutral oil
100 g (1 ½ cups) Swiss chard stripped from stems & roughly chopped
50 g (1 ½ cups) baby spinach
2 green onions thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic minced
100 g (1 cup) sulguni cheese or low-moisture mozzarella, shredded (see note 4)
75 g (⅔ cup) imeruli cheese or feta, finely crumbled or shredded
50 g (¼ cup) cottage cheese
10 g (¼ cup) cilantro/coriander chopped

Instructions

Add the milk and the butter to a small saucepan and set it over medium heat. Gently heat the milk only until the butter is melted. Pour the milk into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the egg and egg yolk and whisk until combined.
Add the flour and yeast and stir with a wooden spoon or flexible spatula (or in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook) until just combined and no dry spots remain. Cover the bowl and allow to rest for fifteen minutes.
Add the salt and knead briefly until fully incorporated into the dough. Turn out onto a clean work surface and knead until the dough is smooth, supple and elastic - about 10-15 minutes (see note 2). Avoid adding any extra flour unless the dough is unmanageably sticky. If using a stand mixer, knead on medium for 8-10 minutes.
Gather the dough into a tight ball. Add it to a large, lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic. Allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size - about 1 hour (see note 3).
Meanwhile, make the filling. Add the oil to a large skillet and set over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the chard along with a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until the chard wilts and shrinks, only a minute or 2. Add the spinach and green onions and cook until the spinach is wilted, only a minute longer. Add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.
To a large bowl, add the sulguni (or mozzarella) cheese, the imeruli (or feta) cheese, the cottage cheese, the coriander and the sauteed greens. Stir until well combined.
Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F. When the dough has risen, lightly flour a work surface and turn out the dough, pressing lightly to de-gas. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into an even circle about 5mm (roughly ¼ in) thick. Be careful not to use too much flour, as this can make it difficult to seal in the filling. Pile the filling into the centre of the dough, leaving a roughly 8 cm (3in) border.
Fold the border of the dough over the filling, pinching to encase the filling completely in the dough. Flip the dough over and gently roll out until it reaches about 25-30 cm (10-12 in) in diameter. Cut four 2 cm long (¾ in) slits in the centre of the dough, for steam release. Move to a parchment-lined baking tray and allow to rest until slightly puffed, about 30 minutes.
Move to the oven and bake until it's puffed, golden and crisp, about 20-25 minutes. Allow the pkhlovani to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing into 8 wedges and serving.

Notes

For best results, measure salt by weight, as different salts vary in crystal size and density.
You’ll know the dough is properly kneaded when it passes the windowpane test. Pinch off a small, ping pong ball-sized piece of dough and gently stretch it between your fingers. The dough should stretch into a thin, translucent sheet that lets light pass through without tearing.
I like to take a photo of the dough before letting it rise to gauge how much it has risen, as the time it takes can depend on the ambient temperature of the room.
If you're using mozzarella instead of sulguni, ensure that it is low-moisture mozzarella rather than fresh as the latter adds too much water content to the filling.

Nutrition

Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.

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