Spinach & Cheese Georgian Khachapuri

By: Raheli Krut
Prep time: 25 minutes
Yield: 12 pastries, 10”x11” baking pan

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 7 cups white flour
• 1 tablespoon dry yeast
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt

For the filling:

• 1 package (1 lb) frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 package (9 oz.) Tnuva’s Light Feta Cheese
• 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup béchamel sauce:
• 2 tablespoons Tnuva Unsalted Butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• Sprinkle of salt
• Ground black pepper

For brushing:

• 1 egg, beaten

Instructions

1. Gradually add all the dough ingredients in the mixer bowl with a kneading hook. Knead for 10 minutes at medium speed. Cover with towel and let rise for an hour.
2. Prepare the béchamel sauce: heat the milk. Melt the butter in a separate saucepan. Gradually add the flour, stirring constantly, until the paste is smooth and starts bubbling. Gradually add the pre-heated milk. Continue to stir and bring it to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste, lower the heat, and cook for 2-3 more minutes, while stirring.
3. Mix all the filling ingredients and transfer to refrigerator.
4. Divide the dough into 15-20 pieces of equal size and roll thinly (about 0.2″) into elongated patties. Place a large tablespoon of filling in the center of each patty. Stretch the dough slightly from the edges inward to form a raised rim, and pinch both ends, so that the pastries do not open during baking.
5. Place the khachapuri in a 1″ deep dish, brush with the beaten egg and let rise for 15-20 minutes, while heating the oven to 370°F.
6. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the pastries are golden. Serve hot.