Homemade food and drink are the heart of Georgian culinary culture.
For thousands of years, the tradition of making Georgian wine and Shoti bread has been passed down through generations.
In Georgian, "puri" means bread. Khachapuri and Shotis Puri are renowned Georgian foods, that are traditionally baked in a round, sunken clay oven, called a Toné.
Shotis Puri, the long, flat, canoe-shaped bread, is traditionally made with a mix of flour, water, salt, and yeast, pairs well with any dish and is most notable not only for its taste, but also for being baked in a Toné.
Since ancient times, Georgians have kept fermented dough – referred to as “purisded” - in a clay pot called a "kochobi." At Qarteli, we honour this tradition by combining water and flour and fermenting it for one day. The next day we add water, salt, yeast, hops and beer to the dough.
Once the dough is kneaded by hand and given time to rise, it is stretched over a special linen-covered pad with a wooden base – called a 'Lapati' - which provides the dough with its long canoe shape.
Our bakers then stick the dough directly on the salt sprinkled walls of the Toné, which is preheated to 300 °C degrees. The fire at the bottom bakes the bread to a golden-brown colour, which takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes. The freshly baked bread is then placed on wooden racks to cool and ends up with a soft inside and crisp outside consistency.
At Qarteli Winery + Bakery, we are proud to continue the generational Georgian traditions of Qvevri wine and Shotis Puri bread making, and we love that we can share these authentic Georgian culinary experiences with you!
