Prekmurska Gibanca
A rich and layered pastry from the Prekmurje region of Slovenia, featuring a delightful combination of cottage cheese, poppy seeds, walnuts, apples, and raisins, all encased in thin layers of dough.
🧂 Ingredients
- 500 g All-purpose flour(for the dough)
- 2 large Eggs(for the dough)
- 250 g Butter(melted, for the dough and brushing)
- 150 g Sour cream(for the dough)
- 1 tsp Salt(for the dough)
- 500 g Cottage cheese(full-fat, for the filling)
- 200 g Poppy seeds(ground, for the filling)
- 200 g Walnuts(ground, for the filling)
- 4 medium Apples(grated or finely chopped, for the filling)
- 100 g Raisins(for the filling)
- 150 g Sugar(divided, for fillings and dough)
- 1 tsp Cinnamon(for the apple filling)
- 1 packet Vanilla sugar(or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- 2 large Eggs(for the filling)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Prepare the dough: Combine flour, salt, eggs, sour cream, and about 100g of melted butter. Knead until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
⏱️ 30 minutes💡 Tip: The dough should be soft but not sticky. - 2
Prepare the fillings: In separate bowls, mix cottage cheese with 50g sugar, vanilla sugar, and 1 egg. Mix ground poppy seeds with 50g sugar. Mix ground walnuts with 50g sugar. Mix grated apples with cinnamon and the remaining 1 egg.
💡 Tip: Ensure each filling is well combined. - 3
Divide the dough into 10-12 equal portions. Roll each portion very thinly into a rectangular shape, about the size of your baking dish.
💡 Tip: The thinner the dough layers, the better the gibanca. - 4
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a baking dish (approx. 25x35 cm) with butter.
⏱️ 10 minutes - 5
Layer the dough in the baking dish, brushing each layer generously with melted butter. Spread the fillings over the dough layers in alternating order: cottage cheese, poppy seeds, walnuts, apples. Repeat the layers until all dough and fillings are used, ending with a dough layer.
💡 Tip: Ensure even distribution of fillings. - 6
Brush the top layer of dough with the remaining melted butter. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
⏱️ 50 minutes💡 Tip: Check for doneness by inserting a skewer; it should come out clean. - 7
Let the gibanca cool slightly before slicing and serving. It can be served warm or at room temperature.
💡 Tip: Gibanca is often dusted with powdered sugar before serving.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓The key to a good gibanca is rolling the dough extremely thin.
- ✓Don't be shy with the butter between the dough layers; it creates flakiness.
- ✓Allowing the dough to rest is crucial for easy rolling.
🔄 Variations
- Some recipes add a layer of sour cream mixed with sugar.
- The type and amount of nuts can be adjusted to preference.