Few foods carry as much meaning in Russia as the humble pancake. Bliny have been made since the Middle Ages, and their name goes back to an old Slavic word connected with milling grain. They belong above all to Maslenitsa, Butter Week, the festival at the very end of winter before Orthodox Lent, when families cook stacks of them every day. Round, golden and hot, a blin is often described as a little edible sun, which is a lot of symbolism for something that disappears in three bites.

The traditional batter is raised with yeast, which gives the pancakes a faint tang and a surface covered in tiny holes, perfect for soaking up butter. They are cooked thin in a hot pan, brushed with butter and stacked, then eaten with whatever the table offers: smetana, the thick Russian sour cream, red salmon caviar for a celebration, smoked fish, or jam, honey and condensed milk for the sweet course. Smaller, thicker pancakes are a different dish called oladyi.

A stack of bliny is endlessly sociable. The cook stands at the stove, the plate empties as fast as it fills, and everybody agrees that the first pancake is always a failure. A Russian proverb says exactly that, and it remains the most reliable fact in cooking.

The batter

Ingredients

• 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 3/4 cups (220 g) all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (30 g) buckwheat flour
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons (45 g) butter
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) boiling water

Method

1. Heat 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) of the milk in the small saucepan until it is just warm, like a baby's bottle, about 100°F (38°C). Do not let it get hot or it will kill the yeast.
2. Put both flours, the yeast, sugar and salt in the large bowl and stir. Pour in the warm milk while whisking, and keep whisking until you have a smooth, thick batter with no dry pockets.
3. Cover the bowl with the towel or plastic wrap and leave it somewhere warm, such as near the oven or in a sunny spot, for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
4. Whisk the eggs with the remaining 1/2 cup (120 ml) cold milk and the melted butter, then whisk this into the risen batter. Finally pour in the boiling water in a thin stream while whisking fast; it loosens the batter and makes the pancakes lacy. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.

Cooking the bliny

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) neutral oil
• 4 tablespoons (60 g) butter

Method

1. Set the pan over medium high heat for 2 minutes. Dip a folded paper towel in the oil and wipe a thin film over the pan. You will wipe it again every two or three pancakes.
2. Stir the batter, then scoop up about 1/4 cup (60 ml). Lift the pan off the heat, pour the batter into the center and immediately tilt and swirl the pan in a circle so the batter runs to the edges in a thin even layer. Put the pan back on the heat.
3. Cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes without touching or moving it, so the underside can set and brown evenly.
4. Slide the spatula under the pancake, lift and turn it over in one smooth movement. Cook the second side for 30 to 45 seconds.
5. Slide the blin onto the warm plate and brush the top with melted butter. Keep cooking, stacking each new pancake on the last and buttering each one, and cover the stack with the towel to keep it warm and soft. Adjust the heat if they color too fast or too slowly.

To serve

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240 g) smetana or full fat sour cream
• 3 1/2 oz (100 g) salmon roe
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 1/2 cup (160 g) berry jam, honey or sweetened condensed milk

Method

1. Spoon the sour cream, roe, dill and the sweet toppings into small bowls. Bring the stack of bliny to the table under its towel.
2. Each person takes a blin, spreads it with a spoonful of sour cream, adds a teaspoon of roe and a pinch of dill, then folds it in half and in half again into a triangle, or rolls it up. Use the sweet toppings the same way for a second round.

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