👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the dough: Mix flour, 1 egg yolk, a pinch of salt, and about 50g of melted butter. Knead until smooth, then cover and let rest for at least 30 minutes.

   💡 Pro Tips: A well-rested dough is easier to roll thinly.
2. 2

   Prepare the fillings: Mix cottage cheese with 2 egg yolks, half the sugar, vanilla sugar, and lemon zest. Mix ground poppy seeds with the remaining sugar and a little melted butter. Mix ground walnuts with the remaining sugar and a little melted butter. Squeeze excess liquid from grated apples.

   💡 Pro Tips: Ensure apples are well-drained to prevent a soggy gibanica.
3. 3

   Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a baking dish (approx. 25x35 cm).

   💡 Pro Tips: A rectangular dish is traditional for gibanica.
4. 4

   Divide the dough into 9-12 equal portions. Roll each portion as thinly as possible, almost paper-thin. Layer the dough sheets in the baking dish, brushing each layer with melted butter. You can sprinkle breadcrumbs between some layers to absorb moisture.

   💡 Pro Tips: The key to gibanica is the very thin dough layers, similar to strudel dough.
5. 5

   Spread the fillings over the layered dough in alternating sections: cottage cheese, poppy seeds, apples, walnuts. Ensure even distribution.

   💡 Pro Tips: Create distinct sections for each filling to maintain their individual flavors.
6. 6

   Cover the entire gibanica with a final layer of thinly rolled dough, brushing it with melted butter. Whisk the remaining 2 egg whites until stiff peaks form and gently spread over the top layer of dough.

   💡 Pro Tips: The egg white topping helps create a slightly crisp crust.
7. 7

   Bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Let it cool slightly before slicing.

   💡 Pro Tips: Allowing it to cool slightly makes it easier to cut without crumbling.