Filled Breads

Each region of Georgia has a local variation on the much-loved cheese bread, khachapuri. Popular fillings include meat, vegetables, and herbs. In remote Racha province, the specialty is lobiani, named for its filling of mashed beans. Georgian Jews in Kutaisi prepare kartopiliani, bread stuffed with potatoes and onions. And in Tskhneti, on the outskirts of Tbilisi, I tasted khachapuri tarkhunit, bread generously filled with salted cheese and herbs.

The European-style dough I offer here provides a rich envelope for 3 different fillings. This dough is a specialty of Mzia Gachechiladze. Her name comes from the Georgian word for “sun,” which perfectly suits her brightness.