Nothing tastes quite like a good old-fashioned Gibanica. Preferably in the morning with a big cup of yogurt. I grew up eating this feta cheese and phyllo dough delicacy but my favorite version of this dish has to be the village or country-style Gibanica, affectionately known as Seljačka Gibanica. And what makes it village-style or seljačka? Well, this recipe calls for feta cheese AND kajmak. Yup, you read that right….kajmak. It gives it a unique, rich flavor that can’t be replicated with anything else and I’m here for it. All of it.

This gibanica recipe is prepared gužvara style, meaning sheets of phyllo are scrunched up, dunked in the cheese sauce/liquid and assembled in the baking dish. It’s a super easy way to make this traditional pita and honestly takes no time at all. I like to double up on the phyllo dough and make a large gibanica when I have guests over. Not only does it feed a crowd but it’s guaranteed to be a big hit.

I don’t have to go on and on about how good this is. You have to try it for yourself. It’s a great make-ahead dish as it’s best served room temperature once everything has had time to set. Cut it every which way you’d like, big or small, kids and adults love it all the same. By the way, this makes a GREAT picnic treat, party treat, and even potluck contribution. No celebration is complete without Gibanica. And this decadent version is perfect for any party. Go ahead, impress your foreign friends with this salty, tangy, Balkan comfort food.

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Seljačka Gibanica/Country-Style Feta Phyllo Pie

Recipe by The Balkan HostessCourse: AppetizersCuisine: Balkan, Serbian

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

A traditional Gibanica recipe and a Serbian specialty.

Ingredients

2 packages of phyllo dough (1 kg) see note
4 large eggs
3 cups (600 g) crumbled feta cheese
1 cup (300-400 g) kajmak
1/2 cup (120 ml) oil + more for greasing pan
1 teaspoon (4 g) baking powder (1/2 kesice)
1 1/3 cup (330 ml) sparkling water
1/2 cup (120 g) yogurt
Salt, to taste
Sesame seeds, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 F/200 C and grease a round baking pan (tepsija) with oil. For this amount, I use a 12 inch round baking dish with high sides.
In a mixing bowl combine all of the ingredients except for the phyllo dough and sesame seeds. Whisk well to combine.
Unroll the phyllo dough and place 1 sheet halfway into 1/2 of the pan and anothersheet halfway into the other half of the pan. Your pan’s bottom should be covered with the phyllo dough and you should have excess phyllo dough hanging on the outside of the pan.
Next, taking one sheet at a time, scrunch it into a loose ball and submerge the phyllo sheet into the bowl with the filling ingredients making sure the phyllo dough is well coated. Lift the phyllo sheet out of the liquid, allow the excess to drain, and then place the phyllo dough into the bottom of the baking dish.
Continue this process until you’ve used up all of the phyllo dough. You should have some liquid remaining in your bowl.
Fold over the phyllo dough that is hanging outside of the pan towards the middle of the pan to sort of “close” the gibanica. Next, pour all of the remaining liquid on top.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired and bake in a 400 F/200 C oven until golden brown. Remove from the oven, cover with aluminum foil and a dish dish towel. Allow to cool slightly and serve warm.

Notes

Only cover the Gibanica with the foil and dish towel briefly (until it deflates and cools slightly). Then make sure to remove the foil and re-cover with the dish towel only. If the foil is left on too long, the water droplets from the steam will fall back onto the Gibanica and make it wet, which is not what you want.
Any phyllo dough will work, but try not to use sheets that are too thick. These will be labeled as “debele kore“. I prefer to use those labeled as “kore za pite”” as they tend to thinner. If you don’t have imported phyllo dough in your supermarket, use any brand.