Short answer
Imeruli khachapuri is a round, closed Georgian bread with melted cheese baked inside. It is the everyday style of khachapuri, named after the Imereti region, and is cut into wedges like a pie and eaten warm.
Imeruli khachapuri is the most common khachapuri in Georgia: a round, closed bread stuffed with melted cheese, baked until golden and cut into wedges. It is named for Imereti, a region in western Georgia, and it is the style that works best as an everyday meal or a shared snack.
What is Imeruli khachapuri?
Imeruli khachapuri is a round bread made from a soft dough that wraps a cheese filling, then gets flattened and baked or pan-cooked. It looks like a flat pie with a golden top.
Khachapuri means cheese bread, from khacho for cheese curd and puri for bread. The Imeruli style is the plain, standard form, so many Georgian bakeries and restaurants list it first. The filling is usually a salty white cheese, sometimes mixed with egg to hold it together.
What is inside Imeruli khachapuri?
The filling is a salty, melting cheese, most often a blend of imeruli cheese and sulguni, sometimes mixed with an egg. The cheese should be soft, mild and a little tangy.
- Cheese: imeruli, sulguni or a blend that melts and holds shape
- Egg: often one egg mixed through the cheese for body
- Dough: flour, yeast, milk or water, salt, a little sugar and oil or butter
- Finish: a brush of butter or egg wash on top
Outside Georgia, cooks commonly use a mix of mozzarella and feta, or mozzarella and farmer cheese, to mimic the salt and stretch.
How is Imeruli khachapuri made?
Imeruli khachapuri is made by wrapping a ball of dough around a cheese filling, sealing it, rolling it flat and baking it until golden. The dough must be thin enough that the cheese shows through slightly.
- Mix and knead a soft dough and let it rise until doubled.
- Mix grated cheese with an egg and, if the cheese is mild, a pinch of salt.
- Flatten a dough ball and place a generous portion of cheese in the center.
- Gather the edges over the filling and pinch them closed.
- Turn the ball seam side down and roll gently to a flat disc, about a half inch thick.
- Bake in a hot oven or cook in a covered skillet until browned on both sides.
- Brush with butter and cut into wedges.
How is Imeruli different from Adjaruli and Megruli?
Imeruli has cheese only inside and is round and closed. Adjaruli is a boat with an egg, and Megruli is an Imeruli-style bread with a second layer of cheese on top.
| Style | Shape | Cheese location | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imeruli | Round, closed | Inside | Plain and everyday |
| Megruli | Round, closed | Inside and on top | Richer, more cheese |
| Adjaruli | Open boat | In the boat | Egg yolk and butter |
| Penovani | Flaky pastry | Inside, often square | Puff pastry, not yeast |
How do you eat Imeruli khachapuri?
You eat Imeruli khachapuri warm, cut into wedges like a pizza and eaten by hand. It is often shared as a snack or served with a salad, herbs or soup.
It goes well with fresh herbs, sliced tomato and cucumber, or a bowl of plain yogurt. Some people eat it for breakfast with tea. Because the cheese is salty, a light, fresh side keeps the meal balanced.
Can you make Imeruli khachapuri ahead and reheat it?
Yes, Imeruli khachapuri reheats well. Warm it in a hot oven or a dry skillet until the cheese is soft again, usually about eight to ten minutes in the oven at 375°F.
Freeze unbaked, shaped breads between sheets of parchment for later, then bake from frozen with extra time. Avoid reheating in the microwave if you can, because the dough turns soft and chewy.
What is the best cheese substitute for Imeruli khachapuri?
The best substitute is a blend of low-moisture mozzarella and a salty brined cheese such as feta, in roughly equal parts. The mozzarella supplies melt and stretch, and the feta supplies the salt and tang of Georgian cheese.
Some cooks add a spoonful of farmer cheese or ricotta to soften the mix. If the filling tastes flat, add a little more salt only after tasting, since the cheese may already be salty. Drain wet cheeses, or the filling will leak and the bread will tear while rolling.
What are common mistakes when making Imeruli khachapuri?
The usual mistakes are overfilling, rolling too hard and baking at too low a temperature. Each one causes leaks, torn dough or a pale, soft crust.
- Overfilling: keep the cheese in a flat, even layer, and leave a clear edge for sealing.
- Heavy rolling: roll slowly from the center outward and stop if the cheese begins to show through.
- Low heat: a hot oven or a hot skillet browns the crust before the cheese dries out.
- No steam hole: make a small slit in the top so the steam can escape.
Where does Imeruli khachapuri come from?
Imeruli khachapuri comes from Imereti, a region in western Georgia whose main city is Kutaisi. The name simply means Imeretian, and the bread became the standard khachapuri across the country and in Georgian restaurants abroad.
Georgians often describe khachapuri as a bread that changes with the map. Imereti gives the round closed loaf, Adjara gives the boat, and Samegrelo gives the Megruli with its extra cheese on top. Exact histories are debated, so these links between place and shape are best read as regional tradition.
What is a typical dough for Imeruli khachapuri?
A typical dough uses flour, warm milk or water, yeast, salt, sugar and a little oil or butter, kneaded until soft and left to rise for about an hour. Some home cooks replace part of the liquid with plain yogurt, which makes a tender crumb.
The dough should be softer than a pizza dough and slightly sticky. Let it rest after shaping for ten minutes, because relaxed dough rolls out thinner and does not spring back.
Is Imeruli khachapuri on the Genatsvale menu?
Yes. Genatsvale Georgian Bakery in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn lists Imeruli Khachapuri as a round Georgian bread filled with cheese, at $11 on its ordering pages as of November 2026.
The same pages list Megruli at $14, Acharuli at $14 and Penovani at $7, so the Imeruli is the middle-priced option of the cheese breads. Prices come from search summaries and may have changed, and the filling was not described in detail, so ask the bakery about cheese. See the menu page and the hours and location page. This guide is independent and takes no orders.
Common questions
What does Imeruli mean?
Imeruli means from Imereti, a region in western Georgia. The same name is used for a soft white cheese that often fills the bread, which is why the two are sometimes confused.
Is Imeruli khachapuri the same as Georgian cheese bread?
It is one kind of Georgian cheese bread. Georgia has many khachapuri styles, and Imeruli is the plain round version baked with cheese inside, usually seen as the standard everyday type.
Can Imeruli khachapuri be made without yeast?
Yes. Some home cooks use a quick dough with yogurt or baking powder instead of yeast. The result is denser and more like a flatbread, but it still holds the cheese filling well.
How long does Imeruli khachapuri keep?
Leftovers keep in the fridge for a couple of days in an airtight container. Reheat in a hot oven or dry skillet until the cheese softens again, since the microwave makes the crust soft.
Is Imeruli khachapuri vegetarian?
Its usual ingredients are flour, cheese, yeast, salt and butter, so it is normally vegetarian. Cheeses can contain animal rennet and recipes vary, so ask the bakery if that matters to you.
This page is part of the independent guide to Genatsvale Georgian Bakery | Shawarma, which has the address, hours and menu.
This article is general information from an independent guide, not from Genatsvale Georgian Bakery | Shawarma itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.