Mushroom Khachapuri

The night before baking or several hours ahead, mix together flour, yeast, and salt until combined. Add water; mix with an electric mixer until combined.

Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for at least an hour or up to 24 hours. When ready to use, the dough should be doubled in size and have a light, airy texture. Bubbles may appear on the surface of the dough.

When ready to make the khachapuris, preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C). Place pizza stone inside, if using.

Place a piece of parchment paper on a peel if using a pizza stone. Or if using baking sheets, dust them with flour.

Remove the dough from the bowl and lightly knead for several minutes until no longer sticky. Divide the dough into 4 portions. Flatten each portion into an 8-inch (20 cm) round and place on the pizza stone or baking sheet.

Cut the top off the head of garlic to expose just the tips of the cloves within. Lightly drizzle with 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Wrap garlic inside a piece of aluminum foil to ensure the heat gets trapped inside. Place in the oven and roast at 400°F (200°C) for 40 to 45 minutes. The garlic should be oozy and lovely when poked with a fork. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Once cooled to the touch, squeeze the pulp into a bowl and discard the casings.

Place butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When it begins to sizzle, add flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and whisk in cream, 1 tsp (5 mL) coarse sea salt, and roasted garlic. Return to the heat and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside. (For quicker assembly, the garlic cream sauce can be made up to 24 hours in advance and stored in the fridge.)

Heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) extra virgin olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. When hot but not smoking, toss in sliced onion and a generous pinch of coarse sea salt. Stirring frequently, sauté until onions are softened and caramelized.

Add mushrooms and another pinch of salt and, if needed, an extra splash of olive oil. Increase the heat to medium. Stirring often, allow mushrooms to cook through and just begin to get some colour on them. Add rosemary and sauté until fragrant. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.

Top each prepared round of dough with 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the remaining olive oil. Add a spoonful of garlic cream sauce and 1/4 of the onion and mushroom mixture, making sure to leave a 1 inch (2.5 cm) border free of toppings around the edge of the dough. Create a small well in the middle of the toppings for an egg to be added during baking. Pinch up two opposite sides of dough to make a “boat” shape. 

Slide khachapuris into the preheated oven and bake for 4 minutes. Open the oven and quickly crack an egg into each well. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake until the whites are firm but the yolks are a bit runny, about 5 minutes.

Remove khachapuris from the oven and top with a pinch of rosemary and red pepper flakes, if desired. Serve immediately.