Achma Recipe with Homemade Layers and Cheese

This achma recipe makes a Georgian cheese pie with a crisp top and soft, rippled layers inside. Most of the dough sheets are briefly boiled before they meet the cheese and butter; the bottom and lid stay raw so they can form a proper crust in the oven. The result is richer than a simple cheese bread, with a texture closer to delicate baked pasta. Set aside a little over two hours, including the dough rest and the time the baked pie needs to settle. You will need a rolling pin, a wide pot and space to drain the sheets. Sulguni gives the filling its characteristic stretch, while a little feta provides a practical substitute for the sharper Georgian cheeses.

Choosing cheese and handling the dough

Use sulguni when you can find it. For an accessible alternative, combine low-moisture mozzarella with feta rather than using a wet fresh mozzarella ball. The filling should be moist enough to melt between the sheets without leaving pools of whey. Grate the firm cheese and crumble the feta so they distribute evenly.

The dough needs to be thin enough that light shows faintly through it. A short covered rest makes rolling easier; flour the work surface lightly rather than continually adding flour to the dough. Prepare the cold-water bowl and clean towels before boiling a sheet. Lay each cooled sheet loosely into the dish. Small folds create the tender, uneven layers that make achma distinctive; perfectly flat layers are unnecessary.

Recipe at a glance

Yield: 8 servings. Active preparation: about 60 minutes. Cooking: about 45 minutes. Total elapsed time: about 145 minutes. Total includes 40 minutes of resting or cooling.

How to make achma with homemade layers and cheese

Recipe card

Achma Recipe with Homemade Layers and Cheese

Prep 1 hrCook 45 minTotal 2 hr 25 minYield 8 servings

Adjust recipe Half batchOriginal batchDouble batchOnly numbered ingredient amounts change.

Equipment: 23 × 33 cm (9 × 13 inch) baking dish; rolling pin; wide stockpot; large cold-water bowl; slotted spoon; clean kitchen towels; cheese grater

Ingredients

Dough

500 g all-purpose flour, about 4 cups spooned and leveled; plus 30 g (1/4 cup) for rolling 3 large eggs, about 150 g without shells 120 ml water, 1/2 cup; room temperature 1 tsp fine salt

Filling

500 g sulguni cheese, grated; or low-moisture mozzarella, about 1 lb 2 oz 250 g feta cheese, crumbled, about 9 oz; reduce if the sulguni is very salty

Assembly

180 g unsalted butter, melted, about 3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp; includes greasing the dish

Instructions

1. Mix the dough

   Mix the flour and salt. Add the eggs and water, then knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and firm. If dry crumbs remain, wet your hands and continue kneading rather than pouring in water. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.

   30 min

   Start timer

2. Prepare the filling and workspace

   Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F), conventional. Combine the cheeses. Melt the butter and use a little to grease the dish. Bring a wide pot of water to a gentle boil and place a bowl of cold water and clean towels beside it.

3. Roll eight sheets

   Divide the dough into eight pieces, making two slightly larger for the bottom and lid. Keep covered while rolling. Roll each sheet to about 1 mm thick. The bottom sheet should extend a little beyond the dish edges; brush its surface with butter.

4. Boil the middle sheets

   Lower one of the six middle sheets into the water, loosely folded if necessary. Cook for 25–30 seconds, transfer to cold water, then spread on a towel and blot. Repeat one sheet at a time; do not stack wet sheets.

5. Build the layers

   Place a drained sheet over the raw base with loose ripples. Brush with butter and spread one-sixth of the cheese over it. Repeat with the remaining five boiled sheets, butter and cheese. Fold the base edges inward, cover with the raw lid and brush with the remaining butter.

6. Bake until golden

   Score the top lightly into eight portions without cutting through the base. Bake on the middle rack for 40–45 minutes until the lid is deeply golden, the edges are crisp and the filling bubbles at the sides. Shield the top loosely with foil if it browns too quickly.

   40 min

   Start timer

7. Let the pie settle

   Rest the pie for 10 minutes, then cut through the scored lines and lift out portions with a broad spatula. This short rest keeps the hot cheese from sliding out of the layers.

   10 min

   Start timer

How to tell when it is ready

The lid is golden and crisp, cheese bubbles around the edges, and the interior layers are soft rather than chalky. A 10-minute rest should leave the slices stable but still warm.

Tips

• Weigh the flour; a heavily packed cup makes this dough needlessly stiff.
• Keep unrolled dough covered so the edges do not dry and crack.
• Boil only one sheet at a time and lift it with support at two points.
• Blot every sheet before adding butter; excess water dilutes the filling.
• Use the raw sheets for the base and lid to give the pie a distinct crust.
• Rest before slicing so the cheese holds between the layers.

Troubleshooting

• Tearing sheets: patch small holes with an overlapping dough scrap; use the strongest sheets for the outside.
• Tough layers: roll thinner next time and avoid kneading extra dusting flour into the dough.
• Wet filling: drain damp cheeses and blot the boiled sheets more carefully.

Substitutions

• Use 500 g low-moisture mozzarella in place of sulguni; feta supplies the sharper flavor.
• Unsalted butter gives better control over a filling that already contains salty cheese.
• Lasagna sheets change the texture and assembly, so they are not a direct substitution for this dough method.

Variations

• Replace 100 g of the feta with a well-drained crumbly farmer cheese for a gentler filling.
• Add 2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley to the cheese for a herb variation.
• For a smaller batch, halve every ingredient and use a 20 cm (8 inch) square dish; start checking the top after 30 minutes.

Serving suggestions

• Serve small squares with a tomato and cucumber salad.
• Pair with roasted peppers for a vegetable-focused lunch.
• Offer pickled cucumbers to balance the buttery filling.
• Add a bowl of lightly dressed greens alongside larger portions.
• Cut into smaller pieces for a shared dinner table.

Make ahead

Prepare the dough up to one day ahead, wrap well and refrigerate. Let it soften enough to roll before proceeding. Grate the cheese ahead and keep chilled. Boil sheets during assembly; storing them in a stack makes them difficult to separate.

Storage

Refrigerate cooled portions promptly in covered shallow containers and use within 3 days. Freeze individually wrapped portions for up to 2 months for best texture. Thaw in the refrigerator, then reheat covered at 160°C (325°F) until the center reaches 74°C (165°F); uncover briefly to crisp the top.

Food safety

Contains wheat, eggs and milk. Do not taste raw dough. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 32°C (90°F). Use pasteurized cheese and keep the filling chilled until assembly.

Frequently asked questions

Is achma the same as khachapuri?

Achma is a layered member of the Georgian cheese-bread family. Its boiled interior dough sheets give it a different texture from a single dough shell filled with cheese.

Can I make achma without a pasta machine?

Yes. A rolling pin works well if you rest the dough and roll one piece at a time. Rotate the dough frequently and aim for an even, nearly translucent sheet.