About this Dish
Russia's iconic thin pancakes — made from yeasted buckwheat or wheat batter and cooked in a hot pan. Served at Maslenitsa (Butter Week) before Lent and year-round with soured cream and caviar (the most luxurious version), smoked salmon, jam or butter and honey. The round shape symbolises the sun in pagan Russian tradition.
IngredientsServes 4
🌾Buckwheat flour, 150g
🌾Plain white flour, 100g
🥛Warm whole milk, 500ml
🧈Unsalted butter, 50g melted, plus extra for frying
🥚Eggs, 2 large, separated
🧂Fine salt, 1 tsp
🍬Caster sugar, 1 tsp
🫙Fast-action dried yeast, 7g (1 sachet)
🍶Soured cream and caviar or smoked salmon, to serve
🐟Smoked salmon or caviar, to serve
Method
1
Warm the milk until it is just body temperature — not hot. Sprinkle the yeast and sugar into the milk, stir gently and leave for 10 minutes until it looks slightly frothy.2
Whisk together the buckwheat flour, plain flour and salt in a large bowl. Pour in the yeasty milk and melted butter, then whisk until you have a smooth, lump-free batter. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place for 1 hour — the batter will puff up and develop small bubbles on the surface.3
Separate the eggs, whisking the yolks into the rested batter. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks, then gently fold them into the batter in two additions — this is what makes your blini light and airy.4
Heat a small non-stick frying pan or crêpe pan over medium-high heat and brush it lightly with melted butter. Pour in about 3 tablespoons of batter per blini, tilting the pan quickly to spread it into a thin circle roughly 12–15cm across.5
Cook for 1–2 minutes until bubbles appear across the whole surface and the edges look set and slightly dry. Flip carefully with a spatula and cook for another 30–60 seconds until golden on the underside.6
Stack the finished blini on a warm plate, placing a small knob of butter between each one to keep them soft and prevent sticking. Cover loosely with foil while you cook the rest of the batch.7
Serve warm with soured cream and a spoonful of caviar or draped smoked salmon for a classic Russian spread, or simply with butter and a jar of good jam.User Reviews
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