These yeast-raised buckwheat pancakes may be served with butter and jam or with savory accompaniments like Sautéed Mushrooms or smoked fish and sour cream. For best results, cook in cast-iron. For miniature blini, which make excellent bases for canapés or for serving with caviar use a heaping teaspoonful of batter for each blini.

Combine in a small saucepan:

Heat until the butter is melted. Let cool to between 105° and 115°F. Stir in:

Let stand 5 minutes, then stir until the yeast is completely dissolved. Whisk together in a large bowl:

Whisk the milk mixture into the flour mixture until well combined. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Make the blini immediately or stir the batter down and refrigerate, covered, for up to 8 hours. If the batter has been refrigerated, let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before proceeding.

Stir to deflate the batter, then whisk in:

Let the batter stand 5 minutes. To cook, follow the instructions in Pancakes or Griddle Cakes, using a heaping tablespoon of batter for each blini. If the batter becomes puffy, gently stir it down before making more cakes. To make larger, crêpe-like blini, whisk an additional:

into the batter. Use ⅓ cup batter per pancake and tilt the skillet to allow the batter to spread into an 8- to 9-inch round. Cook, turning once, until browned on both sides.