Georgian Cheese Bread: Traditional Cooking At Its Best

 
Time for some good old-fashioned cooking from Georgia... but we don't mean the state! The "other" Georgia, nestled between the Caspian and Black Seas in central Asia, is known for a delicious baked bread stuffed with cheese. This national dish also shows how versatile pizza dough can be.

You'll need:

  • 1 round pizza dough
  • 1 mozzarella ball, cut into pieces
  • 5 dried tomatoes, halved lengthways
  • 7 oz ground meat (beef or pork)
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 clove of garlic, chopped up
  • 2.75 fl oz tomato sauce or tomato puree
  • salt
  • pepper
  • 3.5 oz grated cheddar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp chopped chives

Here's how:

  1. Roll out the pizza dough on a work surface dusted with flour. Now place the mozzarella on top in the shape of brackets on both sides of the pizza dough. Do the same with the dried tomatoes — they should be placed within the mozzarella brackets.
  2. Now carefully roll the pizza dough over the mozzarella and tomatoes, before slightly folding it in on itself. Then press each end together. The entire thing should now look a bit like a boat.
  3. For the filling, mix the ground beef with the onions, garlic, tomato sauce, salt and pepper in a bowl. Now spread the mixture inside the bread and level it out using a spoon.
  4. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top of the bread. Break an egg into the middle for the finishing touch.
  5. Bake the bread at 360°F for 25 minutes in a preheated convection oven.

Wow, check out the melted cheese oozing from the crust when you pull away the warm dough. As well as being a feast for the eyes (and stomach), this Georgian delicacy is also perfect for sharing with family and friends. Or, of course, you could keep it all to yourself!

Comments

Also hefty