2Line the base of a 20x20cm/8x8inch square tin with a square of parchment and grease the sides.
3Using a large bowl take a fork and press down on the feta crumbling it but leaving a few little lumps of feta.
4Add the beaten eggs, minced garlic, grated parmesan or pecorino, yogurt, milk, oil, salt and baking powder.
5Place the sparkling water and tablespoon of oil in a separate cup and have a pastry brush ready.
6Open the filo pastry and cover it with a tea towel.
7Layer two pieces of filo criss cross across the bottom, one covering the top to bottom and the other from side to side.
8Brush with some water/oil on the base.
9Reserve one sheet of filo for the end.
10Take a sheet of filo and crumple it up and dip it in the cheese mixture. Make sure to soak it well, you don't want any dry pastry bits.
11Scrunch into a loose ball and place the wet pastry it on the base of the tin. Don't worry if you have a lot of cheese mixture and it pools - you want it wet.
12Repeat until you get a layer of 9 or so rounds, then repeat with a second layer of this on top of the first - try and use up all of the cheese mixture.
13Fold in the filo on the side and then add the extra reserved sheet of filo on top and tuck it under the sides.
14Brush generously with the oil/water mixture all over the top of the pastry, particularly down the sides of the gibanica.
15Beat the extra egg with what is left in the bowl of the cheese mixture and pour over the top brushing it out to the edge.
16Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake for 40 minutes.
17Cool for 10 minutes and then slice and serve.
Ingredients
400 g feta cheese (Danish or Bulgarian feta is ideal)
5 eggs, beaten
5 cloves garlic, minced
120 g grated pecorino or parmesan cheese
350 ml natural or Greek yogurt
165 ml milk (skim milk is fine)
125 ml oil (canola, grapeseed or rice bran oil is fine)
1.5 teaspoons salt
2.5 teaspoons baking powder
0.5 cup sparkling water
1 tablespoon oil
375 g filo pastry
1 egg, beaten for egg wash
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Equipment
large bowlfork20x20cm/8x8inch square tinparchment paperpastry brush
Tips
Gibanica is typically served as a breakfast or as a side dish with other meals, can be served with some Ajvar (capsicum paste) on the side.
Gibanica is best served warm and fresh from the oven but can be refrigerated or frozen once baked too. Just thaw it in the fridge and then heat it in the oven on 180C/350F for 10-12 minutes.
Variations of Gibanica: adding diced ham and green onions, finely chopped spinach or cooked, minced beef or finely chopped sun dried tomatoes or chives.