Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)
Quick Ingredients
- 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk, warm (105–110°F)
- 2 1/4 tsp (7 g) active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp (25 g) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter, melted (plus more for the pan)
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) warm water, to thin after rise
- For sweet: 8 oz (225 g) farmer’s cheese/tvorog, 3 tbsp sour cream, 2 tbsp sugar, 1/2 cup jam
- For savory: 1 lb (450 g) mushrooms, 2 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp oil, 1 shallot, 1 garlic clove, 1/2 cup sour cream, dill
- Honey butter: 4 tbsp butter + 2 tbsp honey + pinch salt
Do This
- 1. Bloom yeast: whisk warm milk, yeast, and sugar; stand 5–10 minutes until foamy.
- 2. Make batter: whisk in flour and salt, then eggs and melted butter until smooth.
- 3. Rise: cover and rest 45–60 minutes until puffed and bubbly.
- 4. Thin: whisk in 1/2 cup warm water to heavy-cream consistency.
- 5. Cook: heat an 8-inch nonstick pan over medium; brush with butter. Pour 2–3 tbsp batter, swirl thin; cook 45–60 seconds, flip 15–20 seconds. Keep warm at 200°F.
- 6. Sweet: mix tvorog, sour cream, sugar; fill blini and add jam or honey butter.
- 7. Savory: brown mushrooms in butter/oil; add shallot, garlic, dill; stir in sour cream; spoon onto blini.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Delicate, lacy, yeasted blini with irresistibly buttery edges.
- One batter, endless fillings—sweet tvorog and jam or savory mushrooms and sour cream.
- Make-ahead friendly: batter can rest, blini can be frozen, and reheat beautifully.
- Approachable technique with professional results at home.
Grocery List
- Produce: 1 small shallot, 1 garlic clove, fresh dill or parsley, lemon (optional)
- Dairy: Whole milk, eggs, unsalted butter, farmer’s cheese/tvorog (or farmer’s cheese), sour cream
- Pantry: All-purpose flour, active dry yeast, granulated sugar, fine sea salt, neutral oil, jam (apricot or strawberry), honey, black pepper
Full Ingredients
Blini Batter
- 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk, warmed to 105–110°F
- 2 1/4 tsp (7 g) active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp (25 g) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) warm water, for thinning after the first rise
For Cooking
- 2–3 tbsp clarified butter or unsalted butter (or neutral oil), for the pan
- Extra melted butter, for brushing finished blini (optional but recommended)
Sweet Tvorog Filling & Jam
- 8 oz (225 g) farmer’s cheese or tvorog (well-drained)
- 3 tbsp (45 g) sour cream
- 2 tbsp (24 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste (optional)
- Pinch of fine salt
- 1/2 cup (160 g) apricot or strawberry jam, slightly warmed
Honey Butter
- 4 tbsp (56 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tbsp (30 g) honey
- Pinch flaky salt
Savory Mushrooms & Sour Cream
- 1 lb (450 g) cremini or mixed mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil or neutral oil
- 1 small shallot (about 1/3 cup/50 g), finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill or parsley, plus extra for garnish
- 1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice (optional)
Optional Garnishes
- Chopped dill or chives
- Lemon wedges (savory)
- Extra sour cream, melted butter, or honey
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Bloom the yeast
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the warm milk (105–110°F) with the yeast and sugar. Let stand for 5–10 minutes until the surface turns foamy. If it does not foam, your yeast may be inactive—start again with fresh yeast and verify the milk temperature.
Step 2: Make a smooth batter
Whisk the flour and salt together in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the milk mixture in two additions, whisking until mostly smooth. Whisk in the eggs and then the melted butter. The batter should be pourable with no dry pockets. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap.
Step 3: First rise for flavor and lift
Let the batter rise at warm room temperature for 45–60 minutes, until puffed and bubbly with a light yeasty aroma. This rise builds the delicate, lacy texture typical of classic blini.
Step 4: Adjust consistency and preheat the pan
Whisk in 1/2 cup (120 ml) warm water to bring the batter to the consistency of heavy cream. If it ever looks too thin, whisk in 1–2 tbsp flour; if too thick, splash in a bit more warm water. Preheat an 8-inch nonstick or crepe pan over medium heat for 3–4 minutes. Lightly brush with clarified butter or a mix of butter and oil.
Step 5: Cook the blini
Pour 2–3 tbsp batter into the hot pan, immediately lifting and swirling to coat in a thin, even layer. Cook until the top looks set, the edges turn lightly golden, and the bottom is speckled brown and lacy, 45–60 seconds. Flip with a thin spatula and cook 15–20 seconds more. Transfer to a wire rack and brush with a whisper of melted butter. Repeat, greasing the pan lightly as needed. Keep finished blini warm in a 200°F oven, loosely covered.
Step 6: Make the sweet tvorog filling
In a small bowl, mix the farmer’s cheese (tvorog), sour cream, sugar, vanilla (if using), and a pinch of salt until creamy and spreadable. Warm the jam slightly so it is spoonable. To serve, spread a thin layer of tvorog down the center of a warm blin, roll or fold into quarters, and add a spoonful of jam. Alternatively, smear with honey butter.
Step 7: Prepare savory mushrooms with sour cream
Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms in an even layer and cook undisturbed for 3 minutes, then stir and continue until deeply browned and their moisture evaporates, 6–8 minutes total. Stir in shallot and cook 1–2 minutes; add garlic for 30 seconds. Season with salt and pepper, then off the heat stir in dill, sour cream, and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Step 8: Assemble and serve
Serve blini stacked or folded. For sweet, use tvorog and jam or honey butter. For savory, spoon on warm mushrooms and finish with a dollop of sour cream and dill. Enjoy immediately while edges are still delicately crisp.
Pro Tips
- Use clarified butter or a butter–oil blend in the pan to prevent scorching and keep edges beautifully golden.
- First blini is a tester—adjust heat and batter thickness so it coats the pan in a thin veil and cooks in about 1 minute.
- For extra lacy holes, make sure the batter is thin (heavy-cream consistency) and the pan is fully preheated.
- Keep cooked blini on a wire rack so steam escapes, then stack and cover loosely; brush with a touch of butter to prevent sticking.
- Overnight option: reduce yeast to 1 tsp, mix batter, cover, and refrigerate 12–16 hours. Bring to room temp, whisk, thin if needed, then cook.
Variations
- Buckwheat Blini: Replace 1/2 cup (60 g) all-purpose flour with buckwheat flour for a nutty, traditional flavor. You may need an extra 1–2 tbsp warm water.
- Gluten-Free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and add 1 extra tbsp melted butter for tenderness.
- Smoked Salmon: Top warm blini with a smear of sour cream, smoked salmon, dill, and a touch of lemon zest for a classic savory bite.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Refrigerate cooked, cooled blini stacked with parchment between layers for up to 5 days; reheat in a lightly buttered skillet over medium heat 20–30 seconds per side or in a 300°F oven for 5–7 minutes. Freeze up to 2 months (well-wrapped); thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat as above. Batter can be held in the fridge up to 16 hours (see overnight tip). Sweet tvorog filling keeps 3 days refrigerated; mushroom topping is best fresh but can be gently reheated over low heat.
Nutrition (per serving)
Approximate for 3 plain blini (before fillings): 290 calories; 35 g carbohydrates; 12 g fat; 8 g protein; 360 mg sodium. Fillings will vary.
