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1
Heat the milk and 4 tablespoons of butter over low heat until butter is melted, and let cool slightly.
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2
Meanwhile, combine the sugar and 2 tablespoons of warm water and stir to dissolve the sugar.
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3
Sprinkle the yeast over the sugar water and let stand in a warm place until yeast is frothy, about 5 minutes.
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4
Pour in the milk mixture, add egg yolks and whisk to blend.
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5
Combine the flours and salt and gradually whisk into the yeast mixture until smooth.
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6
Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let batter rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
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7
Stir to deflate the batter.
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8
(Batter can be covered and refrigerated for 24 hours before proceeding.)
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9
Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
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10
Gently fold whites into batter just until blended.
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11
Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
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12
Melt enough butter to coat a large griddle or skillet over medium to medium-high heat.
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13
When butter sizzles, drop tablespoons of batter onto surface to make blini roughly 2 inches in diameter.
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14
Cook until bubbles appear on top and the bottom is golden brown.
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15
Turn and cook until bottom is lightly browned.
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16
Place blini, overlapping but not stacked (they will get soggy), on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven while cooking the remaining batter.
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17
Stop using the batter when bubbles no longer appear on the top (there may be about 1 cup left), or the blini will be thin and tough.
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18
To serve, brush blini lightly with melted butter and top each with a dab of creme fraiche or sour cream and a small dollop of caviar.
