This recipe from Claire Thomson's new book 'New Kitchen Basics' is a great bread recipe to have in your repertoire.

"This is cheese bread from Georgia, baked here with spinach and an egg. The butter on top forms a molten puddle, making these attractive gondola-shaped breads especially delicious. Baked in the traditional way, khachapuri would have enough of a lip that you can saw it off with a small knife, and then use the offcuts to dip into the runny yolk and melted cheese, before picking up the khachapuri and demolishing the rest."- Claire Thomson

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 500g (1lb 2oz) plain (all-purpose) or strong flour
  • 2 teaspoons fast-action dried yeast
  • 1 teaspoon caster (superfine) sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus extra to season
  • 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil, plus extra for frying
  • 350ml (12 oz) warm water
  • 1 onion, peeled and finely diced
  • 500g (1lb 2oz) spinach, use cooked fresh or defrosted, either way, squeeze out the water
  • 150g (5 1⁄2oz) mozzarella or halloumi cheese, chopped or grated (shredded)
  • 5 eggs
  • 40g (1 1⁄2oz) unsalted butter
  • 40g (1 1⁄2oz) shelled walnuts, roughly chopped (optional)
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, oil and water together in a large mixing bowl, until well combined to a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured or oiled surface and knead for a few minutes until elastic and smooth to the touch. Put back in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and put to one side until almost doubled in size (about 2 hours).
  2. Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/425°F/Gas 7. Line a baking sheet with baking paper, or, better still, heat a pizza stone in the oven.
  3. Put enough oil in a frying pan to coat the base, and place over a moderate heat. Add the onion and fry for 8 minutes or so, until soft. Stir through the spinach and season to taste with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly, then stir through the cheese.
  4. Divide the dough into 4 balls and roll each into an oval shape about 25cm (10in) long. Divide the spinach mixture between the pieces (at this stage it helps to leave an indent in the spinach to add the egg later), leaving a 3cm (1 1⁄4in) border all around the edge. Fold up the sides and pinch the ends to seal.
  5. Lightly beat one of the eggs in a bowl to make a glaze, and brush over each dough shape before gently placing them on the lined baking sheet or pizza stone. Bake for about 5 minutes, until the dough is beginning to brown in places underneath. Crack an egg into the centre of each dough shape and add a good-sized knob (about 2 tablespoons) of butter. Place back in the oven and continue cooking until the egg whites are opaque and the dough is cooked through.
  6. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the walnuts and serve immediately.

Recipe extracted from New Kitchen Basics by Claire Thomson (Quadrille, £25/€35) Photography: Sam Folan.