Achma – Georgian Layered Cheese Pie (Adjarian

Ingredients:

Preparation mode:

👉 Achma (აჩმა) is a cheese pie from Adjara, on Georgia’s Black Sea coast. Thin sheets of dough are boiled like pasta, then layered with salty cheese and lots of butter and baked until the top is golden and crisp. Inside it is soft, buttery and stretchy – many people call it “Georgian lasagna without the sauce”.

It takes a little time, but every step is simple, and one tray feeds a whole table. Achma is served warm, cut into squares, as part of a Georgian feast or with a cup of tea.

How to Make Achma

1. Make the dough. Mix the flour and salt, add the eggs and water and knead for 8–10 minutes into a smooth, firm dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
2. Prepare the cheese. Grate or crumble the cheese and mix it with the matsoni (or yogurt). Melt the butter.
3. Roll the sheets. Divide the dough into 8 pieces, one slightly bigger. Roll each piece very thin, a little larger than your baking pan (about 30 × 40 cm).
4. Bottom layer. Brush the pan with butter and lay the bigger sheet in it raw, letting the edges hang over the sides. Brush with butter.
5. Boil the sheets. Bring a wide pot of salted water to the boil. Boil the remaining sheets one at a time for about 1 minute, then dip them in cold water and drain well.
6. Layer. Lay a boiled sheet in the pan (it can wrinkle – that is fine), brush with butter and sprinkle with cheese. Repeat with the remaining boiled sheets, keeping one sheet for the top.
7. Close and bake. Cover with the last sheet, fold the overhanging edges over it and pour the remaining butter on top. Bake at 200°C (390°F) for 25–30 minutes, until deep golden.
8. Rest and serve. Let the achma rest for 10 minutes, then cut into squares and serve warm.

Tips for the Best Achma

• Use a mix of cheeses. Traditionally sulguni and imeruli. Outside Georgia, mix low-moisture mozzarella with feta for the right balance of stretch and salt.
• Don’t over-boil the sheets. One minute is enough – they finish cooking in the oven.
• Be generous with butter. It is what makes the layers rich and the top crisp.
• Short on time? Some home cooks use ready-made thin lavash or lasagna sheets. It is not traditional, but it works for a quick weeknight version.

Achma FAQ

What is the difference between achma and khachapuri?
Khachapuri is a leavened bread filled with cheese. Achma has no yeast: it is made of thin boiled dough sheets layered with cheese, closer to a cheese lasagna or Turkish su böreği.

Can I make achma ahead?
Yes. Assemble it, cover and refrigerate for up to a day, then bake. Leftovers reheat well in the oven or an air fryer at 180°C for 5–6 minutes.

Which pan should I use?
A metal baking pan of about 30 × 40 cm gives the crispiest bottom and top.

👉 More Georgian cheese dishes: Khachapuri, Megruli khachapuri, Gebzhalia and Elarji. See the whole feast in Georgian Supra: the feast explained.

Footnotes:

Adjarian tradition: in Batumi achma is a favourite breakfast and is sold by the square in bakeries.

Freezing: baked achma freezes well – reheat from frozen at 180°C for about 15 minutes.