Flaky, crumpled phyllo soaked in a rich yogurt–egg custard with brined white cheese—golden top, tender middle. Fun fact: the name comes from gibati (“to fold/move”), hence the nickname gužvana pita. 🧀🥧
Hook: Mix, crumple, bake—no rolling, just layers of salty-creamy bliss. ⚡
Ingredients
Custard & cheese
🧀 White brined cheese (sirene/feta), crumbled: 500 g (4 cups / 17.6 oz)
🥛 Thick yogurt or kefir: 300 g (1¼ cups / 10.6 oz)
🥚 Eggs: 4 large (≈200 g / 7 oz)
🧈 Melted butter or neutral oil: 80 ml (⅓ cup / 2.7 fl oz)
💧 Sparkling water (for lift): 60 ml (¼ cup / 2 fl oz)
🔺 Baking powder (optional): 4 g (1 tsp / 0.14 oz)
🧂 Salt: to taste (≈2 g / ⅓ tsp) — adjust to cheese
🧈 Extra melted butter/oil for pan & top: 40 ml (3 tbsp / 1.4 fl oz)
🌰 Sesame seeds (optional): 1 tbsp (9 g / 0.32 oz)
Preparation
1️⃣ Heat & pan: Preheat oven to 190°C / 375°F. Brush a 30×20 cm (9×13 in) pan with butter/oil.
2️⃣ Make custard: Whisk eggs, yogurt, melted butter, sparkling water, baking powder, pepper, and a pinch of salt. Fold in the crumbled cheese.
3️⃣ Crumple: Reserve 2 sheets for the bottom and 2 for the top. Lay 2 sheets in the pan, brushing lightly. Tear remaining sheets into large pieces, drag through the custard, and loosely crumple into the pan until half is used. Spoon a little custard over; repeat with the rest.
4️⃣ Top: Lay final 2 sheets, brushing each; drizzle any leftover custard. Sprinkle sesame if using.
5️⃣ Bake: Bake 35–45 min until puffed and deep golden. Rest 10–15 min before slicing.
Total Time
🕒 Prep: 20 min
🔥 Cook: 40 min
⏳ Total: 1 h
Nutritional Value
🔋 Energy: ~420 kcal
💪 Protein: ~16 g
🧈 Fat: ~26 g
🍞 Carbohydrates: ~30 g
🧂 Sodium: ~760 mg
Advice
Use well-drained, crumbly cheese—excess moisture makes the center soggy; a splash of sparkling water creates steam that lifts the sheets.
Why it works
A yogurt–egg custard seeps into crumpled phyllo, setting into a creamy interior while buttered top sheets bake shatter-crisp; the brief rest lets steam settle for clean cuts.
Twist
Layered (slagana) gibanica: keep sheets whole and spread the custard + cheese in 3 even layers for a neater slice.
Status
From gibati to glorious—true Serbian gibanica with a crackly top and custardy heart. #grannyzen #gibanica 🧀✨
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