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Russian Blinis

Tiny buckwheat pancakes to bring in brighter days.

  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Yield: 20-24 small pancakes 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp active dry yeast
  • 2 large eggs, separated
  • 2 Tbsp oil or melted butter
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (or use ⅔ cup buckwheat flour + ½ cup all-purpose flour)
  • ½ tsp salt

To serve (optional):

  • lox and scrambled eggs
  • salmon roe and creme fraiche, topped with fresh dill or parsley

Instructions

  1. To make the batter, heat the milk until just warm (between 90-110°F). Add sugar and yeast to the warm milk, and let it activate for 5 minutes.
  2. Separate the eggs, add the egg whites to a medium bowl, and whisk until thickened and stiff peaks form. Set aside.
  3. To a large bowl, add the 2 egg yolks, oil/butter, and the milk and yeast mixture.
  4. Sift the flour and salt together. Add the flour mixture to the egg yolk and milk mixture. Whisk together until smooth, about 30-60 seconds.
  5. Gently fold in the whipped egg whites until just combined; be careful not to over mix so as to retain the lightness from the whipped egg whites.
  6. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap, and place in a warm non-drafty place in the kitchen. Allow the mixture to rise for 45-60 minutes, or until bubbly and thickened.
  7. To make the blini, heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat (if your blinis brown too fast, reduce the heat as needed). Once hot, add a little oil or butter to the pan; I like to brush a thin amount of oil or melted butter onto the pan between each batch.
  8. For appetizer-sized blinis, add a heaping tablespoon of batter to the pan for each blini. For a more standard-sized pancake, use ¼ cup of batter per pancake. Once bubbles form on the top of the pancake, flip it and cook the other side for 20-30 more seconds. Transfer to a plate or sheet tray as you continue to work in batches. 
  9. Serve warm or at room temperature with your favorite toppings.
  • Author: Sonya Sanford
  • Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Russian