About the Doughs

Every cook in Georgia has their own preferred method of making dough for khachapuri and other filled breads. They vary from slow-rising yeast doughs to doughs made more quickly that rely on acidic live yogurt (matsoni), baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) and even Georgian sparkling mineral water to activate the dough. The idea is to make a light, airy dough.

I’m opting for two doughs: a yeast dough as well as a dough that uses yogurt and baking soda. They’re both good but they produce different textures and styles for the breads. The yeast dough is the classic and makes a better bread crust, but the yogurt dough takes an hour less time so it’s useful when guests drop by unexpectedly and you want to whip up a quick khachapuri.