Instructions: For the sponge: Mix the ingredients together in a medium-sized mixing bowl, cover, and set aside.

For the batter: Beat the egg yolks until light, then beat in the milk, sugar and salt. Blend this mixture into the sponge, and let it rest for 30 to 45 minutes. Set aside the egg whites and let them warm to room temperature. While youre waiting, you can get together the things you want to serve with the blini. We suggest any (or all!) of the following: melted butter, sour cream, caviar, thinly sliced smoked salmon, pickled herring, kippers, chopped onion or scallions, chopped hard-boiled egg, capers or, for something sweet, jam!

Just before youre ready to cook the blini, beat the egg whites until they form peaks, and fold them into the remaining batter. Whisk in the melted butter.

Use a heavy, well-seasoned cast-iron griddle, if you have one. If not, use any heavy frying pan or griddle. Heat the pan over low to medium heat and wipe it with butter. (You shouldnt need to grease the pan again once you start cooking.)

Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons batter onto the griddle for each blini. They should be about 4 inches in diameter. Cook them as you would pastry flour. Add enough of the bread flour to form a cohesive dough, and knead the dough till its smooth and supple, adding additional flour as needed. Cover the dough, and allow it to rise for 1 hour; it wont rise very much, if at all. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface.

Bread Machine Method: Place all of the ingredients into the pan of your bread machine, program the machine for manual or dough, and press Start. When the machine has completed its cycle, transfer the dough to a lightly greased work surface.

Divide the dough into eight pieces. Round each piece into a ball, then flatten each ball slightly. Place the balls on a lightly greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet, cover them with plastic wrap, and allow them to rest for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Again, they wont rise much; thats OK.

About 10 minutes before the end of the rising time, heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or in a deep saucepan. If youre using a deep fryer, pancakes, until bubbles appear that break and dont fill in. Flip over and cook until lightly browned. These can be stacked on a warm plate in a warm oven until serving.

Yield: about 2 dozen 4-inch blini

The following are pancakes of another feather. These are Russian, and were (its no longer officially recognized) eaten at the revelrous pre-Lenten feast known as Maslenitsa, or "butter week," from the Russian word maslo, butter. Along with eating blini, the Russians threw themselves into this festival with great exuberance. Many of the traditions associated with this time date back to pre-Christian revelry when they were, as we say in New England, trying to "break the back of winter." Theyd build great ice hills upon which theyd haul effigies of winter, which were then sent crashing down the slopes. Huge bonfires were built to drive winter away. They even wrapped themselves in animal skins and made fearful noises to scare away evil spirits.

Although all of this can be traced back to superstition about the sun and the passing seasons, most of it became an excuse to break up the long, dark winter days with some fun. What the Russians loved best during Maslenitsa was eating blini, which they did with great abandon before the beginning of the Lenten fast. No meat was allowed during this week, thus the relish with which they consumed dairy products and fish. Blini batter needs to ripen all day or overnight, so plan ahead when preparing it.

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