Blini with Smoked Salmon and Sour Cream

About This Recipe

Blini are Russia's thin yeasted pancakes, traditionally made partly with buckwheat flour, which gives them a faint nutty flavor and slightly darker color than a plain crepe. The batter rests until it develops a light fermented tang and bubbles form throughout, a step that can't be rushed if you want the characteristic lacy, slightly spongy texture. Cooked in a hot, well-buttered pan just until the edges curl and the surface is dotted with tiny holes, blini are traditionally wrapped or topped rather than folded like a Western pancake. Smoked salmon and a generous dollop of sour cream is the classic pairing, sometimes finished with a spoon of red caviar for special occasions. Blini appear year-round but are especially tied to Maslenitsa, the Russian pre-Lenten festival where their round, golden shape is said to symbolize the sun returning after winter.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 cupbuckwheat flour
• 1 cupall-purpose flour
• 2 cupswhole milk(warmed)
• 2.25 tspactive dry yeast
• 2eggs(separated)
• 2 tbspgranulated sugar
• 1 tspfine sea salt
• 3 tbspmelted butter(plus more for the pan)
• 6 ozsmoked salmon
• 0.75 cupsour cream
• 2 tbspfresh dill(chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Bloom the yeast

   Whisk yeast and sugar into 1 cup of the warm milk and let sit 10 minutes until foamy.

2. 2

   Make the batter

   Whisk in both flours, egg yolks and salt until smooth. Cover and let rise in a warm spot for 1 hour until bubbly.

3. 3

   Add remaining milk

   Whisk in the remaining warm milk and melted butter until the batter is loose and pourable.

4. 4

   Fold in egg whites

   Whip the egg whites to soft peaks and gently fold into the batter just before cooking.

   Folding in whipped egg whites right before cooking is what gives blini their signature light, lacy texture.

5. 5

   Cook the blini

   Heat a small buttered skillet over medium heat. Pour in a thin layer of batter, swirling to coat, and cook 1-2 minutes per side until the edges curl and turn golden.

6. 6

   Stack and keep warm

   Stack the cooked blini on a plate covered with a towel to keep them warm and pliable.

7. 7

   Assemble

   Top each blini with a smear of sour cream, a piece of smoked salmon and a scatter of dill, then fold or roll to serve.

Variations

• •

  Top with caviar and a squeeze of lemon for a more festive presentation.

• •

  Make sweet blini by omitting the salt and adding jam or honey with the sour cream.

• •

  Use all-purpose flour only if buckwheat flour isn't available, though the flavor will be milder.

Storage

Store cooled, uncooked blini between sheets of parchment in the fridge up to 2 days, or freeze up to 1 month; reheat in a dry skillet. Assemble with toppings only right before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions