Georgian Cheese Skillet Bread

I first posted this recipe about 3 1/2 years ago and totally forgot that I had posted it!  I am completely reconfiguring my recipe binder right now (which is seriously taking me a ridiculous number of hours!!!), and I was having trouble locating this recipe with a picture.  So.  Poor me...I had to make it again just so I could take a picture.  Ah, sacrifices. 

First of all, for the record, we are talking Georgia as in Russia, not Georgia as in the Peach State.  This is a King Arthur Flour recipe that I found in my mom's vast expanse of cooking literature.  In fact, when I  made this bread my mom asked me for the recipe.  She was surprised when I told her that I had gotten it from her in the first place.  

This is a fairly easy recipe and very versatile.  The dough is a simple quick bread, like a biscuit dough.  The filling is a mixture of several different cheeses and an egg.  You can vary the types of cheese that you use, add diced meat, or even increase the number of eggs in the filling to match this bread to any occasion.  My sister's brilliant idea was to make these for breakfast in the car on her long trip home.  With two hungry puppies, I am always looking for non-messy, non-crumbly (I tend to get a little freaky-outy about food in my car), kid friendly food to bring on trips in the car.  Whether in the car or for a casual lunch,  this bread will bring you back for more. Note: You can easily double the recipe, just divide the dough and filling into four instead of two, and proceed as directed.

Georgian Cheese Skillet Bread

Dough:

1 2/3 cups (7 ounces) all purpose flour

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup (6 ounces) plain unsweetened yogurt

3 Tablespoons canola oil

Filling:

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded white cheddar cheese

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese

1 large egg

For the dough, in a large bowl combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt.  In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt and oil.  Pour the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture, and mix together until a soft dough forms.  Divide the dough in half, form into two disks, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

For the filling, stir together the white cheddar and Swiss cheese with the egg, and mix until combined.  Place two sheets of plastic wrap on a work surface.  Divide the cheese mixture in half and place each half onto the plastic wrap to make two 5 inch disks.  Wrap and chill until you are ready to make the breads.

To assemble the breads, remove the dough from the refrigerator.  Roll each disk into a 10  inch circle, about 1/4 inch thick in the center, and thinner toward the outside edge.  Place one cheese disk in the center of each circle of dough, then pick up the edges of the dough and fold them over to cover the cheese.  Seal the folded edges with water.

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Heat a heavy bottomed oven safe frying pan (if you don't have an oven safe frying pan, you may transfer the bread to a baking sheet) over medium-low heat.  Lightly grease the pan, then put the bread into the pan with the sealed side up.  Cover the pan and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time to keep the bread from sticking.  After 5 minutes, turn the bread over and cook another five minutes.  Transfer the bread to the oven (in the pan or transferred to a baking sheet), and bake for 10 minutes more. This will ensure that the dough is fully cooked in the center.  Remove from the oven, cut into quarters and serve.  Makes 2 breads, 8 servings.

Enjoy!  -Cardamommy