Incredible traditional Slovenian dessert - Prekmurska gibanica
The combination of all these layers is fabulous. If you want to try one Slovenian dessert, you need to try this one.
- baked in one large baking dish, and you can serve large or small slices
- in this recipe, you can find shortcrust pastry, phyllo pastry, and four fillings: poppy seed, walnut, farmer's cheese, and apple
- dessert perfect for any season
- a fabulous dessert for holidays and special occasions, and even weddings
- feel free to store any leftovers in the fridge or freezer
You can read even more about Prekmurska gibanica on slovenia.si
Tips and tricks for success
In the past, Prekmurska Gibanica was served for special occasions and celebrations because its ingredients were expensive. We still only make it for special events, and these are the ultimate tips and tricks to follow when making it at home.
Why do we add wine to the poppy seed mixture? Wine adds some acidity to the poppy seed mixture and makes it juicy. Feel free to use water instead of wine.
Grind walnuts at home. This way, you will always have fresh ground walnuts, which are better in this recipe than store-bought.
How to make the Gibanica even better? Make homemade phyllo pastry. When making it, divide the pastry into ten pieces to get all the needed pastry sheets.
How to serve Gibanica? Gibanica should rest for at least 2 hours or, even better, overnight, to set. Then, serve it warm by reheating it in the oven or microwave, or serve it cold. Sprinkle with powdered sugar right before serving.
Storing and freezing
Feel free to store this Prekmurska gibanica in two ways.
First, leave the slices to cool to room temperature. We recommend leaving them in the fridge overnight.
Keep them chilled in a sealed, airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
We can freeze the Prekmurska gibanica too. Freeze the whole dessert or separate slices. Keep the slices in an airtight container or freezer bag. Place in the freezer for up to 1 month. Before serving, defrost it by bringing it to room temperature.
How to make Prekmurska gibanica at home (video)
Check this quick video to master making Prekmurska gibanica at home. This recipe is made in collab with slovenia.si.
Next, try these desserts
- Custard Cream Slices (Kremšnite)
- Donauwelle
- Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- German Poppy Seed Cake
- Walnut Baklava
- Apple Custard Slices
- Tres Leches Cake with Fruit
METHOD
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pastry
First, make the pastry. Add flour to a bowl, along with butter cut into cubes, sugar, a pinch of salt, baking powder, and vanilla extract. Crumble into a sand texture using your fingers. Add an egg and knead into a dough. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes. Optionally make the dough up to 2 days ahead.
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walnut filling
Stir to combine ground almonds, sugar, cinnamon powder, and vanilla extract in a bowl. Set aside until needed.
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poppy seed filling
Add poppy seeds, sugar, white wine, vanilla extract, and cinnamon powder to a bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.
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farmer's cheese filling
Add farmer's cheese, egg, sugar, and vanilla extract to a bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.
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apple filling
Add grated apples, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon powder, and grated lemon zest to a bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.
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sour cream mixture
Combine sour cream, an egg, and a pinch of salt using a whisk. Set aside until needed.
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baking prep
Grease a 20 cm x 30 cm (8 inches x 12 inches) deep baking dish (height 7 cm / 3 inches) with butter. Place a rack on the second lowest position in the oven and preheat it to 190 °C / 375 °F.
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assemble gibanica
Sprinkle your working surface with flour. Roll out the dough to the size of your baking dish using a rolling pin. The dough's thickness should be 3-4 mm or 1/8 Inch. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking dish with your rolling pin and divide the dough evenly. Prick all over with a fork. Place the first sheet of phyllo pastry (in the size of the baking dish) over the dough and prick it with a toothpick. Brush with melted butter and spread half of the poppy seed filling on top. Drizzle with a couple of tablespoons of the sour cream mixture and drizzle with melted butter.
Place the next sheet of phyllo on top, prick it all over with a toothpick, and drizzle with melted butter. Add half of the cheese filling. Drizzle with a couple of tablespoons of the sour cream mixture and drizzle with melted butter. Place the next sheet of phyllo on top, prick it all over with a toothpick, and drizzle with melted butter. Add half of the walnut filling. Drizzle with a couple of tablespoons of the sour cream mixture and drizzle with melted butter. Place the next sheet of phyllo on top, prick it all over with a toothpick, and drizzle with melted butter. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and add half of the apple filling. Then repeat the process in the same layering with the rest of the ingredients. Start with the poppy seed filling, followed by cheese, walnut, and apple filling. In between, add the phyllo pastry, sour cream mixture, and melted butter. Finish with a phyllo pastry layer. Combine the rest of the sour cream mixture with melted butter and arrange on top of the last layer. -
bake
Place the baking dish with the Prekmurska gibanica into the preheated oven. Bake for 1 hour at 190 °C / 375 °F or until golden brown on top. Cut into 12 large slices or 24 small slices and serve warm or cold. We prefer warm and sprinkled with a bit of powdered sugar.
