• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cristina's Kitchen
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes

    Shakshuka Bread (Shakshuka + Georgian Khachapuri)

    Published: Sep 1, 2019 · Modified: Dec 8, 2023 by Cristina · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This fusion of red pepper shakshuka and Georgian khachapuri cheese bread is a perfect match in this shakshuka bread.

    The sweet and slightly smoky shakshuka filling is complemented by briny feta and creamy egg yolk in a bread boat just asking to be torn and used for dunking.

    close up of shakshuka bread with eggs and melted butter

    Shakshuka khachapuri is a perfect marriage of two favourites. It's so good and makes a great meal for breakfast, dinner and everything in between.

    You can dress up the meal by making it a hot centerpiece served alongside other hot and cold dishes like roasted peppers, hummus, labneh, pickles, salad and cheese.

    If you're looking for classic Georgian cheese bread with just cheese and egg see my recipe for Georgian Cheese Bread (Adjaruli Khachapuri).

    Ingredients for shakshuka bread khachapuri

    prepared ingredients for shakshuka bread

    For the dough

    • Flour, water, yeast, salt: The dough used to make this shakshuka bread is a standard yeasted dough. This recipe is made with dry yeast but you can also use fresh (just use twice as much fresh yeast by weight as you would dry).

    For the shakshuka

    • Tomato and red pepper: The base of the shakshuka is tomato and red pepper which are both diced finely. You can also omit the red pepper and just use tomato. If you're making the shakshuka with both tomatoes and red pepper, go for at least a 50:50 ratio - the tomatoes bring some much needed moisture to the dish so they should make up at least half the base.
    • Onion and garlic: These are essential aromatics for shakshuka.
    • Dry seasoning: The shakshuka filling is seasoned with whole cumin seeds, salt, black pepper, dried oregano, chili flakes and smoked paprika. Other dry seasonings that would play well with the flavors in the shakshuka include finely ground coriander seeds, dried mint leaves and dried ground sumac.
    • Fresh herbs: The shakshuka is garnished with fresh parsley and fresh dill but you could also use fresh coriander or fresh mint (or all of the above).
    • Feta: Feta crumbled on the shakshuka before baking adds a nice salty counterpoint to the sweetness of the shakshuka.
    • Egg yolks: The egg yolks go in right near the end of baking so they only cook enough to set but keep that runny yolk (but if you don't like a runny yolk just cook a few minutes more until set).

    Method

    Making the shakshuka khachapuri dough

    Four steps to make khachapuri dough: 1) bloom the yeast in water 2) mix the flour and salt 3) pour the water into the flour and mix 4) once all the water is in the dough will be shaggy and ready to knead.

    To make the shakshuka khachapuri dough:

    1. Bloom the yeast in water: Add the yeast to tepid water and mix in. Wait until the yeast foams - this means it's active. If you're using instant yeast instead of active dry or fresh yeast, it won't foam.
    2. Mix the dry ingredients: Mix together the flour and salt. If you fancy adding any herbs to the dough, then this is the moment to do so.
    3. Pour the wet into the dry: Pour the water and yeast mixture over the flour and salt. Use a large wooden spoon or fork to mix it until there is no liquid water left.
    4. Knead then rest the dough: Once the wet and dry are mixed, you'll have a shaggy dough. Knead for about 5 minutes (or use an electric mixer with the dough hook attachment). Once the dough is smooth, put it in a container large enough for the dough to double in size).
    5. Proof the dough: Cover with cling film or a lid and rest until doubled in size (at minimum 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge - then allow to come back to room temperature).
    6. Shape the dough: Cut the dough into 4 equal sized balls. Use a rolling pin to flatten them to about the thickness of naan bread and then gently move them to a parchment lined baking tray. The reason for moving them before shaping is that they are easier to move before they're shaped into boats. My preferred method to shape the boats is to roll the edges inwards, then twirl each edge roll together into one to form a long knob. Do this for both the top and bottom as shown in the photos.
    7. Proof again: Once the dough is shaped, lightly cover it and let it proof again until it's inflated back up. It depends on the temperature in your kitchen but it can take from 40 minutes to 1 hour.
    8. Fill the dough: Once the dough has puffed back up, then you can gently apply the egg wash and spoon in the filling, leaving an empty spot in the middle for the egg yolk.
    dough balls and a piece of rolled out dough

    Roll out the dough then transfer it to the baking sheet.

    A parchment covered baking tray with one piece of rolled out dough and one piece of rolled out dough shaped into a khachapuri boat ready to be stuffed

    Shape into a boat in the pan.

    Quick hand kneading tutorial: Fold the dough over itself along the middle, flatten it down firmly with the heel of your hand, turn it a quarter turn, and then flatten it down again. Repeat this process until the dough is uniform and smooth. Dust with a bit more flour if it sticks to your palm or fingers too much. You can also use an electric stand mixer with a dough hook attachment.

    Making the shakshuka filling

    sauteed onion and cumin for shakshuka

    Sauté the onion, garlic and cumin seeds in oil until aromatic and the onions are slightly browned.

    sauteed onion and cumin seeds with red pepper for shakshuka

    Add the red pepper, tomatoes and dry seasonings. Sauté until soft and reduced in volume. The mixture should have a good amount of liquid (like a stew). If it doesn't, add another half cup of water and continue cooking until it has a stew-like consistency.

    Assembly

    Once you've made the shakshuka, set it aside to cool and begin shaping the dough boats directly on your parchment lined pan since they will be difficult to move afterwards.

    After the dough boats have proofed and puffed up, gently apply the egg wash and spoon in the shakshuka filling leaving some space for the eggs. Crumble feta on top of the shakshuka. For an extra special touch, you can sprinkle some herbs / sesame seeds on the dough after applying the egg wash.

    close up red pepper feta bread

    After the second proof, apply the egg wash and spoon in the shakshuka, leaving a space for the egg. Crumble on some feta.

    shakshuka bread with egg yolks before rebaking

    Once the khachapuri are almost ready, take them out of the oven and drop an egg yolk into each.

    Bake in preheated oven until golden (about 35-40 minutes) then take them out of the oven and drop an egg yolk into each boat. Bake another 3-4 minutes for runny yolks or 5-6 for firm yolks. Be careful as the eggs go from runny to very firm in just a few minutes

    Just before serving, sprinkle on the fresh herbs.

    Equipment

    A parchment lined baking sheet (or two if you want to make 4 khachapuri at the same time).

    Serving Suggestion

    This shakshuka bread is great served for any meal of the day and goes really well with other Middle Eastern / Balkan sides, spread and salads.

    The most important thing is to serve it hot and if you like, add a cheeky little bit of butter to the center for a really tasty treat.

    serving suggestion shakshuka bread with eggs and melted butter - piece of bread dunked into yolk

    Recipe

    close up of shakshuka bread with eggs and melted butter

    Shakshuka Bread (Shakshuka + Georgian Khachapuri)

    Homemade bread surrounding a rich spiced tomato and red pepper filling & topped off with salty feta and creamy egg. It's the perfect marriage of two favourites.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner, Lunch
    Cuisine: Fusion, Middle Eastern
    Keyword: Eggs, Savoury Baking
    Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Proofing Time: 2 hours hours 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 4 hours hours 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 715kcal

    Ingredients

    khachapuri dough

    • 550 grams flour Equals 4 cups and 6 tablespoons
    • 350 ml lukewarm water Equals 1.5 cups
    • 7 grams active dry yeast Equals 1 tablespoon, or substitute 20 grams fresh yeast
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 egg for eggwash optional
    • sprinkle of sesame seeds and Mediterranean herbs on crust optional

    shakshuka

    • 6 tomatoes finely diced
    • 2 sweet red peppers finely diced
    • 1 yellow onion finely diced
    • 2 cloves garlic minced or mashed
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • ½ teaspoon chili flakes or more to taste
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon salt

    to assemble and garnish

    • ½ cup feta cheese crumbled
    • 4 egg yolks
    • 2 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
    • 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
    • 2 tablespoon butter optional

    Instructions

    make the dough

    • Add the yeast and water to a large mixing bowl and wait until the yeast blooms i.e. foams up. In another bowl combine the flour and salt.
    • Once the yeast has bloomed, add the flour mixture and use a spoon or fork to roughly mix it until it's mostly incorporated. Once incorporated begin to knead it with your hands until it's completely incorporated and has a smooth surface.
    • Cover and proof until doubled in volume (at least 2 hours at room temperature or overnight in the fridge).

    make the shakshuka

    • Sauté the cumin seeds, onion and garlic in olive oil over medium-high heat until aromatic and the onions have begun to brown.
    • Add the red pepper, tomatoes and dry seasoning then sauté until the tomato and red pepper have softened and released water / reduced in volume.*

    fill and assemble the khachapuri

    • Cut the dough into 4 evenly sized balls. Lightly roll out on a well floured surface until around the size, shape and thickness of naan.
    • Move the rolled out dough to a parchment lined baking sheet. Roll the outer edges inwards to create the characteristic walled shape, pinching the dough together at the top and bottom to seal it.
    • Let the boats proof at room temperature until puffed up (40 minutes to one hour).

    Preheat oven to 200 C / 350 F.

    • Once the dough boats are proofed, gently apply egg wash (and any garnish on the dough) then spoon the shakshuka into each boat, leaving a spot in the middle for the egg yolk. Crumble the feta in on top of the shakshuka, again leaving space for the egg.**
    • Bake the boats until risen and golden (about 35-40 minutes). Remove from oven and drop an egg yolk into each.
    • Bake another 3-4 minutes for runny yolks, or 5-6 for firm yolks.
    • Garnish with fresh herbs and more feta if desired. Serve while hot with a knob of butter on the egg yolk if desired.

    Notes

    • * The shakshuka should have a stew-like consistently - if it gets too dry (i.e. there's no liquid left) then add a half cup water and heat through.
    • You can also crumble the feta in after baking if you prefer to keep it moist. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 715kcal | Carbohydrates: 122g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 211mg | Sodium: 1409mg | Potassium: 854mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 4186IU | Vitamin C: 107mg | Calcium: 190mg | Iron: 9mg

    More

    • close up Georgian cheese bread
      Georgian Cheese Bread (Adjaruli Khachapuri)
    • plate of cherry cheese danishes square
      Cherry Cheese Danishes with Walnut Crumble
    • cherry oatmeal cookies square
      Soft & Chewy Cherry Oatmeal Cookies with Pecans
    • close up square dill river rice
      Chicken Liver Pilaf with Dill (Pilaf cu Ficăței de Pui)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    No Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Cristina and I love creating special moments through food, whether it's a dinner party or a regular weeknight. This is where I share my recipes and tips to help you make well-executed dishes with a creative flourish that will delight your loved ones and leave you with lasting memories around the table.

    Main courses

    • sliced prosciutto covered meatloaf with carrots in roasting pan after cooking
      Prosciutto Wrapped Parmesan Meatloaf with Crispy Sage
    • Hoisin meatballs in a skillet in sauce with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.
      Super Saucy, Sweet & Spicy Hoisin Meatballs
    • Closeup of a pile of red pepper shrimp on creamy polenta with a dollop of roasted garlic aioli
      Red Pepper Shrimp
    • A plate of cooked potato stew with peas and smoked ham along with a slice of bread.
      Potato Stew with Peas and Ham Hocks
    • prosciutto wrapped pork tenderloin sliced on a plate overtop creamy polenta
      Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Pistachio & Red Pepper
    • A cast iron pot full of stuffed peppers with tomato lids in tomato sauce.
      Romanian Stuffed Peppers (Ardei Umpluți)
    • An overhead view of porcupine meatballs in tomato sauce garnished with fresh parsley.
      Porcupine Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
    • An overhead view of the pasta in a bowl garnished with fresh parsley.
      Caramelized Leek Pasta
    • A roll of roasted veal, cut into slices and stuffed with onion soubise sauce and mushrooms duxelles in between each layer of veal. In the background there is a small white pot of bechamel sauce and a small bowl of roasted vegetables.
      Veal Prince Orloff: Julia Child's Classic French Recipe
    • cabbage roll soup square
      Cabbage Roll Soup with Rice Meatballs

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Work with me

    Updates

    • Check out my Facebook page for updates.

    Fine print

    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility Statement

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Cristina's Kitchen