The history of Russian pancakes dates back to the 9th century. There are small thick ones called oladyi and big round ones called bliny. Traditional pancakes are made with yeast, which makes them soft and spongy. Such pancakes are nourishing as an everyday meal. They are also made in great quantity at Shrovetide, a week-long spring festival the last week before Lent. Bliny are one of the most popular dishes on the Russian table. They can be served as a main dish or as a dessert.
Ingredients:
4 cups of flour
4 cups of milk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoons salt
25g yeast
25g butter
100g cream
Mix the flour, the milk and the yeast to make batter. Set the mixture aside and let it rise. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Add sugar to the egg yolks and whisk up the egg whites with cream. Then add the egg whites and the egg yolks to the batter. Stir the batter, then put it aside to rise again. Now you’re ready to start cooking – heat up a little oil in a big pan; when the oil is hot, add the batter mix. Fry the pancake until it’s brown on one side, then turn it over to brown the other side. When the pancakes are brown on both sides, put them on a warm plate. Spread a little butter on each pancake and add a topping of your choice \(chocolate, whipped cream, caviar or yoghurt\). Pancakes are also good with herring or salted salmon. Enjoy your pancakes!