Ingredients
- 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
- 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.
- Separate the eggs, add the egg whites to a medium bowl, and whisk until thickened and stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- To a large bowl, add the 2 egg yolks, oil/butter, and the milk and yeast mixture.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with your favorite toppings.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Russian