How the Georgians form their Filled Breads

The Georgians have developed a unique way of shaping khachapuri and other filled breads. They pat or roll their rather soft dough into a disc, heap the filling on top in a substantial ball, and then draw the dough up and around the filling to enclose it completely, pinching the dough together at the seams. The ball is then turned over – hiding the seams on the underside – patted once more into a disc shape, and sometimes rolled out to make the bread thinner. A small air hole is poked in the centre of the top, and the bread is baked, with or without an egg wash. (Alternatively, some people cook their breads in a dry skillet on the stove, without the added air hole.) Often the bread is started on a wood-burning stove or in a pan, and then finished in the oven.