Eastern European breakfast
Fluffy Yeasted Kefir Oladi
These are not ordinary thin pancakes. Yeast makes the centers soft and bread-like, while kefir gives the browned edges a gentle tang.
Time15 minutes, plus 90 to 120 minutes rising and 35 minutes cooking
MakesAbout 30 small pancakes
Make it
Method
- Whisk the warm water, kefir, egg, batter oil, sugar, yeast, and salt in a large bowl.
- Add the flour and stir until no dry pockets remain. The batter should be thick and soft, but too loose to knead.
- Cover and leave in a moderate room for 90 to 120 minutes, until visibly airy and almost doubled.
- Warm a heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Spoon in 30 g batter for each pancake without crowding the pan.
- Cook until the edges set, bubbles open on top, and the underside is brown. Turn and brown the second side.
- Split one from the first batch. If the outside browned before the center cooked, lower the heat and keep the same portion size.
Why these flavors work
Yeast provides most of the lift. Kefir adds dairy richness and enough acidity to keep the pancakes from tasting heavy.
Store it
Refrigerate within 2 hours, keep for up to 3 days, and reheat until hot.
A substitution that works
Serve with berries, jam, honey, or spreadable kefir cheese.
If the texture is wrong
Dense centers usually mean the batter needed more rising time. Dark outsides with wet centers mean the pan was too hot.