Tasty savoury sourdough buckwheat blinis made using natural leaven. Perfect served as a base for canapés, or as breakfast pancakes with a difference
There is no time of day at which the right answer can’t be pancakes. From fluffy American for breakfast (like our Banana, Nectarine & Linseed Pancakes or Mango & Blueberry Pancakes), served with butter, maple syrup and a couple of rashers of bacon, to Breton galettes made with buckwheat and crêpes at lunchtime to drop scones or Scotch pancakes in the afternoon, finishing the day with a spectacular crêpes Suzette flambé.
There’s one pancake missing from that list above, the Russian blini. Small, served warm and classically topped with sour cream, dill and smoked fish, it’s a perfect pre-dinner snack or canapé. Like pancakes on Shrove Tuesday, they’re traditionally served just before lent, but unlike our thinner, larger versions, it’s a fluffy, yeast raised offering. And far too good to be reserved for just one day of the year.
We made these blinis using both sourdough starter or leaven as well as bread maker’s yeast. The sourdough adds a sourness, that really works with the savoury flavours from buckwheat flour, but by using yeast to raise and aerate the batter, you won’t have the longer wait associated with natural, sourdough yeasts.
A traditional topping for these little morsels is smoked fish, especially smoked salmon, with some sour cream and maybe a little pinch of fish roe, but there are a myriad of ways to top them. A little smear of chopped egg, cress and mayonnaise? Cream cheese and a roast pepper relish? Goat’s cheese and a little slice of fig? Or replace the fig with a little slice of Prosciutto or another dried ham? They’re so versatile that the only limit is your imagination.
Blinis, like many bite sized foods, aren’t difficult to make, but can be a little fiddly. Dissolve the yeast in warm milk, add the sourdough leaven and egg yolk and stir it in: by stirring the yeast into the liquid, you make sure it’s evenly distributed through the batter. Add the dry ingredients, and then leave for an hour or so to let the yeast aerate the batter. By whisking the egg white and stirring it in, you will be adding extra aeration to the final batter to give the lightest fluffiest blini possible.
So for your next party, why not answer the question with the right pancake answer: sourdough buckwheat blinis.
- 130 ml milk
- ½ tsp dried yeast
- 80 g ripe sourdough leaven
- 1 egg separated into yolk and white
- 40 g white flour
- 40 g buckwheat flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp butter for cooking
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Warm the milk to about 30°C, and whisk in the yeast to dissolve it.
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Add the sourdough leaven and egg yolk to the milk and mix together.
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Then mix in the flour, buckwheat flour and salt. Cover, and leave for about one hour to allow the yeast to work – it’s ready when spongy, aerated and bubbly.
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When ready, preheat a heavy bottomed frying, pancake or blini pan on a medium to low heat.
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Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks and fold into the batter.
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Wipe the pan with a little butter, and spoon in the mixture, using about 1 tablespoon per blini, to make them sized for an easy mouthful.
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Turn once, when brown on the bottom.
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Allow to cool before adding the toppings: we went for smoked salmon, sour cream and lumpfish roe, but let the imagination reign. How about smoked trout with a horseradish soured cream; or a delicate slice of roast beef, again with horseradish? Or make them a little larger and serve for a breakfast treat with rich and creamy scrambled eggs, garnished with smoked salmon.
- Use up leftover leaven in our leftover sourdough leaven loaf
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Emma @ Supper in the Suburbs
I love blinis but have never tried making them myself. They are the start of all my favourite festive canapes! One to pin for Christmas I think…
Helen
A blini is not just for Christmas!
Elizabeth
It’s been such a long time since I’ve worked with a sourdough starter, but this recipe has inspired me to keep it on hand once again! Yum!
Helen
We love our sourdough. Once you get into the habit it seamlessly slots into your routine.
Deanna
This looks perfect for a Sunday Brunch!!!!
Helen
Absolutely ideal!
Dahn
Oh my goodness what perfect timing, I just bought some buckwheat flour and have been thinking of all sorts of uses for it. This has been added to my list. And I don’t think I can wait for a party to try these haha
Helen
We love buckwheat flour here!
Sarah Bailey
Hands up I don’t think I’ve ever tried a blini myself, I most definitely need to rectify that and give one a go ASAP!
Helen
They are delicious! The perfect canape base
Tori
I love blinis and have always thought they’d be too tricky to make. I’m going to try this recipe and see if I can do it! Looks great!
Helen
They are basically just mini yeasted pancakes
five little doves
Blinis are my husbands all time favourite snack!! He goes crazy for them and so I will make these for him – if he is lucky! I love sour dough!
Helen
We love these, so easy to make too!
Mel
I’ve never tried making them myself but I think I will have to give them a try now – might even make them for breakfast!
Helen
So easy to make!
Mummy Times Two
I love the look of these, it’s my mum’s 60th soon and these would make a wonderful treat.
Helen
Ideal for a party canape!
Helen
I’ve never seen blinis before, they are so cute and look really tasty too. Definitely something I’ll try the next time I have a party at home.
Helen
We love them, so useful for parties
Jenni
These look very tasty. I love salmon! It would be a great idea for when guests come over and the lumpfish roe makes them looks very sophisticated!
Helen
Those jars of lumpfish roe are my favourite posh it up ingredient.
francesca
This is going to sound crazy but I’ve never had a blini!! I’d love to try though with something that doesn’t make home in the sea (not a fish eater)
Helen
They are the perfect base for canapes
Nichola - Globalmouse
Yum! I adore pancakes at any time of the day and love the idea of using sourdough in them. Delicious.
Helen
Oh a stack of these for breakfast would be lovely!
Whatlauraloves
These would be absolutely PERFECT for a dinner party where you’re looking to impress your guests! xxx
Helen
the ideal thing!
Emily Leary
I was surprised how easy blinis were to make the first time I tried, and there’s nothing better than fresh!
Helen
so easy – we love our sourdough version.