Sourdough Discard Cottage Cheese Blini
Tender, herbaceous blini made with tangy sourdough discard and creamy cottage cheese, creating a rustic Eastern European pancake with subtle sourness and delicate crumb. Pan-fried until golden, these are best served warm with dollops of sour cream and fresh chives.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Wait
- 5 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Makes
- 12–15 blini (3 servings)
Steps
Before you start
- Have your sourdough discard at room temperature (it should be fed and active, not cold).
- Measure all dry ingredients and mince the fresh herbs before you start mixing.
- Use a nonstick skillet or well-seasoned cast iron for the best results.
Combine wet ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard, cottage cheese, and eggs until well combined.
- The mixture will be creamy and slightly loose—this is correct.
- Let it rest for 5 minutes so the flour absorbs evenly after you add it.
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Tip: Do not overmix the wet ingredients; keep the batter slightly loose for tender blini.
Mix dry ingredients
- While the wet mixture rests, combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl.
- Whisk together until evenly distributed.
Fold in dry ingredients and herbs
- Gently fold the dry ingredient mixture and the minced fresh dill and sliced fresh chives into the wet ingredients using a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Mix just until combined—do not overmix.
- The batter should be thick but pourable, with visible dill and chives throughout.
- Small lumps are fine.
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Ready when: Batter is just combined, still slightly lumpy
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and will make blini dense and tough. Stop folding as soon as you see no dry flour.
Heat the skillet
- Place a 12-inch (30 cm) nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the unsalted butter and let it melt, tilting the pan to coat evenly.
- The butter should foam gently and smell nutty.
- If it browns too quickly, lower the heat to medium.
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Ready when: Butter is foaming and light golden
Tip: Use medium-high heat so blini brown and cook through without burning. If the butter browns, it means the pan is too hot.
Cook first batch of blini
- Working quickly, drop rounded tablespoons of batter onto the hot skillet, spacing them about 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
- You should fit 4–5 blini per batch in the 12-inch (30 cm) skillet.
- Cook for 2–3 minutes on the first side without moving them, until the bottoms are deep golden brown and the edges look dry and set.
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Ready when: Bottoms are deep golden brown; edges appear set and dry
Tip: Do not stir or flip too early—blini need 2–3 minutes undisturbed so they develop a crispy, golden crust and stay cohesive.
Flip and finish cooking
- Using a spatula, carefully flip each blini and cook on the second side for 1–2 minutes until light golden and cooked through.
- The second side will not brown as deeply as the first.
- Transfer the finished blini to a warm plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
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Ready when: Second side is light golden; blini are tender when pressed gently
Tip: If the second batch burns or cooks too fast, reduce heat to medium. The pan may require less butter for subsequent batches.
Cook remaining batches
- Repeat with the remaining batter, adding about ½ tablespoon more butter to the skillet before each batch as needed.
- Maintain medium-high heat.
- Work in 2–3 batches total, depending on how quickly the batter cooks.
- Stack finished blini on the warm plate under foil.
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Ready when: All blini are golden brown on both sides and cooked through
Tip: If the pan becomes too hot, spatters batter, or blini brown too fast, let it cool for 10–15 seconds between batches.
Serve warm
- Arrange the warm blini on a serving platter.
- Top each with a dollop of cold sour cream and a pinch of fresh chives.
- Serve immediately while the blini are still warm and slightly crispy on the outside.
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Tip: Cold sour cream against warm blini creates the best flavor and texture contrast.
Good to know
Tips
- Sourdough discard does not require feeding before use—use it straight from the refrigerator or at room temperature. If your discard is very thick (like paste), thin it with 1–2 tablespoons of water before mixing into the batter.
- These blini are best served immediately while still warm and slightly crispy on the outside. If you must hold them, place the finished blini on a wire rack (not directly on a plate, which traps steam) and tent loosely with foil.
- For a more substantial meal, top blini with smoked salmon, capers, and sour cream, or with a poached egg and fresh herbs.
- The first blini from a freshly heated skillet are often the best—use them as a tester to judge if your heat level and batter consistency are correct.
Make ahead
Batter can be made up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. Stir gently before cooking. Cooked blini can be reheated on a skillet over medium heat for 1–2 minutes per side or wrapped in foil in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5 minutes.
Storage & reheating
Store cooled blini in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Do not freeze—cottage cheese-based blini become grainy when thawed. Reheat gently on a skillet or in the oven to restore crispness.
Substitutions
- whole milk cottage cheese → Ricotta cheese (lightly drained if very wet). Use the same weight. Ricotta will make blini slightly more delicate; reduce flour by 1 tablespoon if the batter seems too loose.
- fresh dill → Fresh parsley or fresh tarragon. Use the same amount. Parsley is milder; tarragon will add a more pronounced anise note.
- fresh chives → Thinly sliced green onion (scallion) tops. Use the same amount. Adds slightly more bite and onion flavor.
- sour cream, for serving → Greek yogurt or crème fraîche. Use the same amount. Greek yogurt is tangier; crème fraîche is richer and less tart.
