Mom made these Ukrainian Oladi, or Blinchiki as we call them, all the time when we were kids and she still makes them regularly. These buttermilk pancakes are excellent with all kinds of toppings: sour cream, fresh fruit, jam, maple syrup…
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
They are nothing like boxed pancakes or the junk from Ihop because they won’t taste like soggy bread the next day. These almost have the texture of homemade jelly donuts and they feel like a treat for breakfast! The yeast and buttermilk add great depth of flavor to these and they rise beautifully.
Ingredients for Yeast Pancakes:
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 cups warm water (about 115˚F)
1 egg, room temperature
2 Tbsp extra light olive oil, plus more to saute the pancakes
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 1/2 tsp instant yeast or rapid-rise yeast
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, measured correctly
½ cup raisins (optional)
How to make Yeast Pancakes
1. Whisk together the first 6 ingredients (buttermilk, water, eggs, salt, sugar and yeast).
2. Add the flour one cup at a time until it is the texture of cake batter. There should not be lumps of flour. My husband likes to add raisins at the end.
3. You have to put the batter in a warm place to rise. We use the oven. Warm your oven and then turn it off so it’s just about 90˚F in there. Not too warm. Pour the batter in an oven proof bowl and cover it with a kitchen towel. Let it sit in a warm oven for 1 hour. It will about double in volume. You can put it outside in summer.
4. In a large skillet, heat 3-4 Tbsp of oil over medium heat.
5. Place heaping Tbsp of dough onto the skillet and sauté until golden brown, then turn over. You can get better shaped pancakes if you use a wet Tbsp to put the dough in the skillet and scrape it off with a teaspoon.
6. Continue to oil your skillet in between each batch. They turn out nicer on a well-oiled skillet.
You know the pancakes are ready to flip when you see bubbles forming and starting to pop on the surface, or about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Be sure to oil the skillet between batches to help the pancakes form the golden crisp edges. They almost taste like donuts – so, so good!
Mom’s Yeast Pancakes (Oladi)
Ingredients
- 1 cups warm water, about 115˚F
- 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 Tbsp extra light olive oil or other neutral oil, plus more to sautee pancakes
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 tsp instant yeast , or rapid rise yeast
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, measured correctly – scoop and level
- ½ cup raisins, optional
Instructions
- Whisk together the first 6 ingredients (water, buttermilk, egg, oil, sugar, salt, and yeast).
- Add the flour one cup at a time until it is a thin cake-batter consistency. There should not be lumps of flour.
- Cover with plastic wrap and leave the batter at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or in a warm place* for 1 hour. It's ready when has nearly doubled in volume and is very bubbly.
- Set a large skillet over medium heat and add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom.
- Place heaping tablespoons* of dough onto the hot skillet and sauté until golden brown on the first side and you see bubbles form and start to pop on top, about 1 1/2 minutes per side.
- Continue to oil your skillet in between each batch. They turn out nicer on a well-oiled skillet.
Notes
*You can get better shaped pancakes if you use a wet tablespoon to put the dough in the skillet and scrape it off with a teaspoon.