Cepana Gibanica / “Torn” Phyllo Pie

One of the most well-known phyllo dishes from my neck of the woods is Gibanica, a layered dish of phyllo dough, feta cheese, eggs, and oil. Every household has their own family recipe, combining ingredients that they enjoy to make this Serbian staple. But sometimes, we don’t have time to dedicate the love and attention that this dish deserves. That’s how this recipe was born.

One day last week, I needed to make something that was easy to transport. My husband and I were going on a road trip and were leaving really early in the morning. So I thought a Gibanica would be the perfect, filling, thing for breakfast. But I was so tired from running errands I definitely did not have the energy to follow all the steps needed to make a Gibanica. So, instead of layering the phyllo dough neatly, I tore them apart and mixed them together with the filling. Then I transferred it all into a baking dish and baked until golden brown. It turned out delicious, so I’m so excited to share this recipe with you!

If you have little ones that love to help out in the kitchen, this is the recipe for you (and them!). You can either cut the dough or tear it, I prefer to tear it myself. Less things to clean 🙂

I will be posting a traditional Gibanica recipe in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, I hope you give this simplified version a try. It’s great for parties as well, and I plan to add it to my Fall mezze boards.

Cepana Gibanica / “Torn” Phyllo Pie

Recipe by The Balkan HostessCourse: AppetizersCuisine: Balkan, Serbian

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 – 1 lb package phyllo dough / Kore za pitu/gibanicu (450 g)

• 4 large eggs

• 1 cup (250 ml) Kefir or plain yogurt

• 1 cup (150 g) feta cheese, crumbled

• 1 cup (150 g) double cream feta OR cottage cheese, drained

• 1/4 cup ( 60 ml) oil + more for oiling pan ( I use sunflower)

• 1/2 tsp (3 g) salt

• 1/2 tablespoon (6 g) baking powder (Half a packet)

• 1 tablespoon (9 g) sesame seeds

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 F (200 C) and oil a 9×13 baking dish with a generous amount of oil. Make sure both the sides and bottom of the baking dish are oiled. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and then add the remaining ingredients aside from the phyllo dough and sesame seeds. Stir well to combine all ingredients.
• Unwrap your phyllo dough and remove the plastic sheets that are used to prevent the phyllo from sticking (if any). Tear each sheet into smallish pieces and put them in the mixing bowl. Continue tearing each sheet until you have used up all the phyllo dough.
• Stir the batter and the phyllo dough together using forks to ensure each piece is coated completely. If you use a spatula, the dough will clump together and you will end up with dry pockets. Continue mixing and separating the phyllo dough until everything is coated well.
• Transfer the mixture to the oiled baking sheet and sprinkle the top with sesame seeds. Bake at 375 F (200 C) for around 40 minutes. If the top begins to brown too quickly, cover with foil and continue baking until it is completely cooked through.
• Serve warm or room temperature.

Notes

• You can use any phyllo dough you like, but I always prefer to buy imported. For Gibanica, I like to use those labeled “Kore/Jufka za pitu”
• Make these in a cupcake pan for parties or for smaller, handheld versions. Oil a cupcake pan well and scoop out enough batter to fill each cup. Then bake as usual and you’ll have muffin shaped pieces.

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