Try my kefir pancakes if you are looking for a different recipe to up your breakfast game! Kefir makes them plump, fluffy and ridiculously delicious!
If you can’t source kefir, check our Classic Pancake Recipe for fluffy and buttery pancakes served with maple syrup.
Russia is famous for her blini, which are thin and lacy crepes served with caviar or fruit preserves. But fat and pillowy soft pancakes are little known outside of the country’s borders.
It’s a shame though because once you try my kefir pancakes aka ‘oladi‘, you will find it hard to go back to your regular recipe. It’s a promise!
What are oladi?
If I had to describe oladi, I would say they are somewhat of a cross between a pancake and a fritter. They are fried in a bit more oil than your standard pancakes, which puffs them up to almost a doughnut-like height!
The magic ingredient of course is the kefir, a fermented milk drink made with kefir grains. It has gained much popularity in recent years in the West but has been a staple in Eastern Europe for ages.
Along with plenty of nutritional benefits, kefir is a great way to add puffiness to baking like these pancakes. It also adds moisture and richness to the recipe, which is one of the secrets behind the amazing taste!
Why you’ll love them
Oladi are traditionally made with an addition of yeast, which makes them “grow’ right in front of your eyes as soon as the batter comes in contact with hot oil.
They are incredibly delicious but more time consuming, as yeasted dough takes time to prove. Not something you’d want to wait for in the morning!
So to cut corners one clever soul thought of using kefir and baking soda as raising agents instead. The rest is history.
Kefir pancakes are more common in Russia nowadays than the traditional yeasted ones. A modern woman waits for nothing, not even delicious yeasted dough!
When fried in oil, the dough puffs up a remarkable amount. They are full of flavour, soft and incredibly moist.
I hope you give these delicious kefir pancakes a go. They might look very similar to your regular pancakes but I assure you they have quite a unique taste!
How to serve
These pancakes are often served with smetana. This is a type soured cream although calling it that doesn’t do it justice.
Smetana is a sweet tasting, silky smooth sauce that does belong on desserts while sour cream is a bit too tart and thick for delicate sweet creations! I did a side by side taste comparison when I made these oladi and was astounded by the difference.
If you have an Eastern European shop nearby, I would recommend getting real smetana and seeing it for yourself!
But they are also delicious with any other pancake toppings such as syrup or jams.
Recipe tips and tricks
- If you can’t find kefir, buttermilk will work well as a substitute. You can use it in the same proportions as you would kefir.
- Let the batter stand for 15 minutes after mixing it together. This gives the baking soda time to activate, so be careful not to rush this step.
- The oil in the pan is essential to cooking these right, and results in a crispy outer crust. Keep adding oil throughout the cooking process as it will run low.
- These are best when not made too big. They will puff up quite a bit as well. A spoonful is perfect as they will almost double in size. If too big, they will burn on the outside but be uncooked on the inside.
- Oladi taste the best when eaten immediately after cooking, especially as this is when they have the best texture.
More pancake and crepe recipes
If you make any of these pancakes, I would love to see you creations! Tag @Vikalinka in your Instagram snaps!
Kefir Pancakes ‘Oladi’
Ingredients
- 500 ml /2 cups kefir plain
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 350 g /2 ⅓ cups all purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- Powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl mix kefir, an egg, sugar and salt with a whisk.
- In a separate bowl mix flour and baking soda. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and stir to combine. The batter will be thick! Let it sit for 15 minutes without stirring.
- Heat a non-stick pan with enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan up to 1 cm/1/3 inch deep. Drop kefir pancakes with a large spoon or a small ice-cream scoop into hot oil and fry on one side until golden and the batter is cooked halfway through, then flip carefully taking care not to splash hot oil. Use two spatulas if necessary. The pancakes will puff up as soon as you flip them over. Maintain medium heat to ensure each pancake is cooked all the way through as they are going to be tall. (Add oil throughout the frying process as needed.)
- Serve dusted with powdered sugar, whipped cream or smetana/creme fraiche and fresh fruit.
