Rye Blini
Makes 12 – four inch blini
1-1/2 cups warm milk (at about 110F)
1 package dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup Bluebird Grain Farms rye flour
3 large egg yolks
4 ounces unsalted butter at room temperature
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 large egg whites
In a medium size bowl combine the milk, yeast and sugar. Allow to develop until foamy, about 10 minutes. Whisk in the flours. Whisk in 4 tablespoons of the butter. Whisk in the egg yolks. Allow to rise, covered with a clean cloth, until double about 30 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until slightly thickened. Fold into the blini batter along with the salt.
In another separate bowl, whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Fold into the batter.
To cook:
Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large non stick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1/4 cup of the batter to form a blini, repeating until your pan is utilized. Cook until golden, indicated by bubbles rising to the uncooked surface of the blini, about 2 minutes. Turn over and cook until done, about 1 minute. Transfer to a warm plate, keeping separate and warm in a 150F oven if necessary. Repeat with the remaining batter. Top as you like.
WHAT IS A BLINI? Blini is a thin Russian pancake that traditionally was yeast leavened and made from oats or buck wheat, poor flours for bread making.
WHAT IS THE HISTORY? Blini were traditionally enjoyed for the Maslenitsa festival of the sun, celebrating the imminent end of winter and the coming of spring. Blini were a symbol of good luck marking significant times through your lifetime such as birth.
WHY DO THEY TASTE SO GOOD? The flavor from the yeast activity develops the blini’s unique taste. This recipe is enriched with butter and cream, and becomes lighter due to the air captured in the whipped egg whites. The use of rye flour adds a certain unique nuttiness to the blini too.
TRICKS OF THE TRADE – Do not refrigerate your blini batter as the yeast leavening effect will decrease resulting in dense texture.
Created by Chef Jimmy Schmidt