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Buckwheat blini

https://fannyzanotti.com/buckwheat-blini/
Fluffy, nutty buckwheat blini with tangy pickled shallots, creamy smetana, and silky smoked salmon - a dish that feels both indulgent and comforting. Perfect for special occasions, an elegant fika, or even a relaxed weekday dinner. On school nights, I like to serve it buffet-style: a platter of blini, a jar of smetana, and smoked salmon arranged on my favourite plate. Everything in the centre of the table, ready for the three of us to assemble their own.
Author: Fanny Zanotti
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Makes 30 blini

Ingredients

For the blini

  • 25 g fresh yeast
  • 3 dl whole milk
  • 75 g buckwheat flour
  • 120 g plain flour
  • 2 eggs separated
  • a pinch of flaky sea salt
  • 50 g salted butter melted

For the pickled shallots

  • 2 shallots peeled and thinly sliced
  • 50 ml distilled vinegar [12%]
  • 90 g caster sugar
  • 150 ml water

Toppings

  • smetana
  • wholegrain mustard
  • smoked salmon sliced
  • fresh dill to garnish
  • avocado
  • lemon sliced into wedges

Instructions

Pickled shallots:

  • Combine the vinegar, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, then set aside to cool.
  • Add the sliced shallots to the cooled liquid and leave to pickle while you prepare the blini batter.

Blini:

  • Crumble the yeast into a large mixing bowl. Warm the milk to 30°C and pour it over the yeast, stirring until dissolved.
  • Gradually whisk in the buckwheat flour and plain flour until the batter is smooth.
  • Separate the eggs, reserving the whites. Beat the yolks and salt into the batter. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise for 30-40 minutes.
  • Melt the butter and whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Stir the melted butter into the batter, then gently fold in the whisked egg whites.
  • Heat a blini or non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add a little butter. Spoon small amounts of batter into the pan to form individual blini. Cook until golden on both sides.

To serve

  • Place a dollop of smetana on each blini, followed by a slice of smoked salmon and a few rings of pickled shallots. Garnish with fresh dill and lemon juice. Some freshly crushed black pepper or grated horseradish is a favourite too!
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

I’m partial to my plättlägg when making blini. It’s a Swedish pancake pan with shallow indentations, perfect for creating evenly sized, golden rounds that hold their shape beautifully. It’s traditionally used for plättar – small Swedish pancakes – but works wonderfully for blini, too. If you don’t have one, a non-stick frying pan will do just fine.