Buckwheat Crêpes (Russian Blini)
Most buckwheat blini recipes call for yeast and long rising times, and they take hours to make. Our version delivers great buckwheat flavour, and the batter comes together in a snap.
1 cup buckwheat flour (5 oz; 140g)
½ cup all-purpose flour, unbleached (2½ oz; 70g)
2 tsp. sugar (8 g)
½ tsp. kosher salt (2 g)
½ tsp. baking powder (2 g)
¼ tsp. baking soda (1 g)
2 cups buttermilk (475 mL)
2 Tbsp. butter, melted (28 g)
2 large eggs, separated (110 g)
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil (15 mL)
To Serve:
sour cream or crème fraîche
chilled caviar or smoked salmon
shallots, finely minced
chives, sliced
hard-boiled eggs, chopped
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat the oven to 150°F (65°C) or its lowest possible setting.
In a medium bowl, whisk together buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, kosher salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, melted butter, egg yolks, and vegetable oil. Add buttermilk mixture to bowl with dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula to stir until just combined.
In a small bowl using a whisk, or using an electric mixer, whisk egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold egg whites into batter until just combined.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes (or use an electric griddle set to 350°F/177°C). Add a small amount of vegetable oil to the skillet and spread with a paper towel until no visible oil remains. Using a spoon, place silver dollar pancake-sized circles of batter (about 2½" in diameter) in the skillet. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface of the blini and bottom sides of blini are light golden brown, about 2 minutes.
Carefully flip blini and cook on second side until light golden brown and completely set, about 2 minutes longer. Wrap finished blini in a clean kitchen towel, place towel on a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet, and transfer to oven to keep warm. Repeat blini-cooking process until all of the batter is used up.
Serve blini with sour cream or crème fraîche, chilled caviar or smoked salmon, and traditional accompaniments, such as finely minced shallots, sliced chives, and chopped hard-boiled eggs.