What is the difference between a blini and a pancake?

In the West, blini traditionally refers to small savory pancakes made with leavened batter . In modern Russian, the term most often refers to pan-sized leavened thin pancakes, although smaller leavened pancakes are also called blini.

What are blinis made of?

Blini are a type of pancake made from wheat or sometimes buckwheat flour. Traditionally from Russia and the Ukraine, blini come in a variety of sizes and can be served in different ways. I used the yeasted bite-sized version for my blini recipe.

Should blinis be hot or cold?

Blinis are typically served at room temperature . That makes these bite-sized treats the perfect party food. You can make them and even top them in advance. This being said, blini can also be enjoyed hot out of the pan.

What do Russians eat with blini?

Blini toppings usually involve smoked salmon, caviar or herrings , but really, you can add anything you fancy. I also enjoy making a few sweet versions, too, with fruit jams, sour cream and honey.

What country is blini from?

They are among the most popular and most-eaten dishes in Slavic countries and an essential part of Russian cuisine. Traditional Russian blini are made with yeasted batter, which is left to rise and then diluted with milk, soured milk, cold or boiling water.

What is a fun fact about blini?

Due to their round shape, blini were considered to be a symbol of the sun in pre-Christian times . The East Slavic people would cook and eat blini at the end of winter, to mark the return of the sun (otherwise known as butter week or pancake week). This tradition is still practiced today.

Are Blintz and blini the same?

Russian blinis tend to be thicker than blintzes (which came by way of Eastern Europe to the U.S. via Jewish immigrants) because blinis are made with a yeasted batter that's left overnight to rise, whereas blintzes — like crêpes — are made of flour, milk, and eggs.

What are British pancakes called?

Not only are " flapjacks " their own thing in the UK, British cuisine also has a different understanding of what makes a pancake. Though they'll call it a "pancake," the British version is unleavened and closer to what we Yanks might call a crepe than the fluffy, pillowy food we tend to think of.

What do Southerners call pancakes?

Pancakes are sometimes called hoecakes in the South. Most Southerners are familiar with lacy cornbread, aka hot water cornbread. A hoecake is a rustic fried version of a pancake made with ground cornmeal.

Blini recipe | Gourmet Traveller recipe (2024)

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Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for blini.

Oct 26, 2011 10:55pm

By Emma Knowles

20 mins preparation
30 mins cooking plus proving
Serves 36

A staple in traditional Russian cooking, the blini is as versatile as it is enduring, writes Emma Knowles.

Let's get this straight from the outset: blini is plural. Blini are multiple blin. There is no such word as blinis. There, now that's done, we can get on with the ins and outs of making these dainty mouthfuls, a must-have in the entertainer's arsenal, perfect as they are to elegantly snack on, drink in hand.

Blini are yeast-leavened buckwheat pancakes (if they don't contain buckwheat, they're not blini) hailing from Russia and dating back to pagan times - as far back as 2 AD. Maslenitsa, a sun festival celebrating the end of winter and the imminent arrival of spring, spanned an entire week (not surprising given the length and bitterness of a Russian winter). The round and golden blini were said to represent the sun, and were consumed with gusto throughout the festival. Suffice to say, skilled blini-makers were in hot demand at such times.

Many centuries later, the cultural importance of the blin in Russian tradition remained strong: a new mother would eat a blin to bring luck to her newborn; blini were considered essential eating at funerals. And today, they are embraced just as wholeheartedly around the world.

According to Alan Davidson's Oxford Companion to Food, a blin is "10cm in diameter and only a few millimetres thick… made from a batter of buckwheat flour leavened with yeast and further lightened with beaten eggwhite and whipped cream."

While we've used buckwheat flour - available at select delicatessens and health-food shops - we've lightened it by mixing it with plain flour. Instead of whipped cream, we've opted for the subtle lactic tang of buttermilk. By all means you can make a 10cm version à la Mr Davidson, but we've opted for bite-sized blini about 4cm in diameter - all the better to eat in one neat, co*cktail-friendly bite.

Making blini isn't difficult, but it does require patience and a certain lightness of touch. You can't rush the process; you need time for the yeast to prove and then more time to stand at the stove, flipping the little rounds of batter.

It's important to note the temperature of the milk mixture when adding it to the dry ingredients. The liquid needs to be at blood temperature to allow the yeast to develop and leaven the mixture: 37C or just lukewarm to the touch. Too hot and the yeast will be killed; too cool and the yeast will fail to activate. Cover the bowl of mixture with a damp tea towel and set it in a warm place to facilitate the proving process - when it's ready, the surface of the mixture will be a mass of bubbles.

Additional leavening comes from the whisked eggwhites, so be gentle when folding them into the base mixture after proving - you'll want to retain as many of the yeast bubbles as possible and keep the air in the eggwhite. And, at all stages, be careful not to overwork the mixture to ensure delicate, tender blini.

In terms of equipment, a non-stick frying pan is the ideal cooking vessel. You'll also need a pastry brush for greasing the pan lightly with butter, and a small palette knife for turning the blini.

Russian tradition aside, we think the reason they've stood the test of time is their subtle nutty flavour and pillowy texture. That, and the fact that they make a perfect vehicle for all manner of toppings. Anyone who has enjoyed them still warm from the pan with caviar will already be converted to the joys of blini. Other traditional accompaniments include chopped boiled egg, herring, smoked fish and sour cream. Modern variations include scrambled egg, and the smoked trout topped with a delicate fennel salad and salmon roe we've made here. 

Ingredients

100 gm buckwheat flour
75 gm plain flour (½ cup)
7 gm dried yeast (1 sachet)
170 ml milk
1 tsp honey
50 gm butter, coarsely chopped
120 ml buttermilk
2 eggs, separated

Method

Main

1
Sift flours into a large bowl, add yeast and a pinch of salt, stir to combine and form a well in the centre.
2
Warm milk, honey and 20gm butter in a small saucepan over low heat to lukewarm, remove from heat, add buttermilk and yolks, whisk to combine.
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3
Gradually add warmed milk mixture to flour mixture and mix to combine.
4
Stir until a smooth, thick batter forms. Cover with a damp tea towel and set aside in a warm place to prove (1 hour).
5
Whisk eggwhite and a pinch of salt in a clean bowl until soft peaks form (1-2 minutes).
6
Gently fold eggwhite through flour mixture.
7
Brush a non-stick frying pan or crêpe pan with a little butter, heat over medium heat. Add tablespoonfuls of blini mixture in batches, cook until bubbles form on the surface (2-3 minutes).
8
Turn, cook until golden (30 seconds), remove from pan. Wipe out pan with absorbent paper, repeat with remaining butter and batter. Blini are best eaten on day of making.

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Blini recipe | Gourmet Traveller recipe (2024)

Ingredients

Method

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