Russian thin yeasted pancakes (Bliny)

1. Warm half the milk to lukewarm, dissolve the yeast and sugar in it and leave for 10 minutes until frothy.

2. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl, add the yeast milk and eggs and stir until lump-free; then gradually add the rest of the milk and the oil – the batter should be as thin as cream.

3. Cover and leave in a warm place for 1 hour until bubbly; after rising, don't stir it vigorously.

4. Heat a crêpe pan, wipe it with oiled kitchen paper and pour in a thin ladleful of batter, swirling so it spreads evenly.

5. Cook for about 1 minute per side until lacy, full of holes and golden; brush each finished blin straight away with a little melted butter and keep them warm in a stack.

6. Serve folded into quarters with melted butter and honey (or sour cream or jam).

Tip: Thanks to the yeast, Russian blini are full of holes, "lacy" and slightly tangy – that's what sets them apart from French crêpes; as the saying goes, "the first blin is always lumpy", so don't lose heart.