Adjaruli Khachapuri (Georgian Cheese Boat with Egg)

Instructions

1. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the warm milk and oil and knead for 8 minutes until smooth. Cover and let rise for 1 hour, until doubled.
2. Heat the oven to 240°C (465°F) with a baking tray on the middle rack. Mix the mozzarella and feta in a bowl.
3. Divide the dough in two. Roll each piece on a floured surface into an oval about 28 x 18 cm (11 x 7 in).
4. Pile half the cheese along the center of each oval, leaving a 3 cm (1 1/4 in) border of dough on all sides.
5. Roll the two long edges inward toward the center to make walls, then pinch and twist the pointed ends so the boat holds its shape. Leave the cheese exposed in the middle.
6. Slide the boats, on baking paper, onto the hot tray. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the crust is golden and the cheese is bubbling.
7. Take the boats out and make a small well in the cheese. Slip a yolk into each and add the butter. Return to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes for a barely set yolk, or serve at once for a runny one.
8. Stir the yolk and butter into the hot cheese with a fork. Tear off pieces of crust and dip them into the filling.

Tips

• Use very fresh or pasteurized eggs, since the yolk stays barely cooked. Children, older adults and anyone pregnant should have the 2-minute return to the oven for a set yolk.
• Pinch the pointed ends of the boat hard, or the cheese will leak and burn on the tray. A 240°C oven and a preheated tray crisp the underside well.