Blini Pancakes

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the buckwheat flour, all-purpose flour, salt and yeast.
2. Make a well in the centre, pour in the warm milk, and whisk until smooth.
3. Cover and leave to rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
4. Stir the melted butter and egg yolk into the batter.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg white until stiff but not dry, then fold it into the batter.
6. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes.
7. Heat butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Drop in quarter-sized dollops of batter, without overcrowding, and cook for about 1 minute until bubbles form.
8. Turn and cook for about 30 seconds more.
9. Keep the finished blini warm under a clean towel, adding more butter to the pan and repeating with the remaining batter.

Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen

• Give the yeasted batter a proper rise; that's what keeps the blini light rather than dense.
• Folding the whisked egg white in at the very end adds the final bit of fluff, so resist the urge to overmix.
• Cook them small and leave space between each one in the pan, otherwise they steam instead of frying.
• As they come off the heat, tuck the blini under a clean tea towel to keep them warm and pliable.