Blini

About This Recipe

Blini are thin Russian pancakes made from a yeasted buckwheat batter that gives them a distinctive nutty flavor and slightly spongy texture. One of the oldest Slavic dishes, blini have been eaten in Russia for over a thousand years and are central to Maslenitsa (Butter Week) celebrations. Served with a lavish spread of sour cream, smoked salmon, caviar, or simply butter and jam, they are one of Russia's most iconic foods.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 150 gbuckwheat flour
• 100 gall-purpose flour
• 500 mlwarm milk
• 2 largeeggs
• 1 tspinstant yeast
• 1 tbspsugar
• 30 gbutter(melted, plus more for cooking)
• 1 pinchsalt
• 150 gsour cream(for serving)
• 100 gsmoked salmon(for serving)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the batter

   Combine flours, yeast, and sugar. Add warm milk and eggs. Mix until smooth. Stir in melted butter and salt. Cover and let rise for 1 hour.

2. 2

   Cook the blini

   Heat a non-stick pan with a little butter. Pour thin rounds of batter. Cook until bubbles form on top, then flip. Cook 1 minute more.

3. 3

   Keep warm

   Stack blini on a plate, brushing each with a little butter. Keep covered.

4. 4

   Serve

   Serve warm with sour cream, smoked salmon, dill, or your preferred toppings.

Variations

• •

  Make mini blini as elegant canapes for parties.

• •

  Use all white flour if buckwheat is unavailable.

Storage

Stack with parchment between layers. Refrigerate 2 days or freeze for 1 month.