Injera is a soft, thin pancake-like flatbread made from fermented teff batter. A staple food in Ethiopia/Eritrea usually used as a serving base for scooping stews, meat, and vegetables like Doro wat, gomen wat, and much more.
Injera is a delicious sour flatbread. It’s light and slightly spongy and it’s made with just two ingredients – Teff flour and water. A regular appearance on lunch and dinner tables in Ethiopia.
When talking about injera, what comes to mind is the beautiful air pockets that look like works of art. To achieve these pockets, you really don’t need any leavening. All you need is a good starter.
Is Injera Gluten Free?
It has a consistency somewhere between a pancake and a crepe with a distinctive fermented tang, and it is served with almost everything.
A special pan is used for making injera. It is called…..however; you can make perfect injera without the…… I used a 12 inch round nonstick pan, and it worked out beautifully well.
Teff is an ancient super grain and one of the most important grains in Ethiopia. It grows in the high land of Ethiopia, and it has been cultivated for thousands of years.
Injera Ethiopian Flatbread Recipe
Teff is probably the smallest grain in the world. It is so fine, just like sand with a mild, slightly nutty taste. It is the main ingredient for making traditional injera because it gives a bubbly texture when fermented within a short period of time.
The injera starter is also known as Ersho. When making injera, the starter is always where to start. That’s why it is called the starter.
The process of making this is similar to the process of making a sourdough starter. It is made by combining water and teff flour in a 2:1 ratio. The mixture is left to ferment undisturbed in a warm dark place for up to three days to ferment before using for making injera.
Authentic 1 Day Ethiopian Injera: Gluten Free 100% Teff Flatbread
When making the starter, it is best to use a non-reactive container like a glass bowl or a food-grade plastic container. Also, be sure to use a fairly large container because the mixture will grow after some time.
Foamy water will stay over the starter, and when you tap the starter, little air pockets should pop up to the top.
The dough is a combination of the starter, teff flour, and water. This should also be done in a glass bowl or a non reactive container with a lid.
Soft, Fluffy Teff Bread (gluten Free, Dairy Free)
In this process, we are dealing with a thick batter that requires a lot of mixing. You can either mix with hand or use a stand machine. I prefer to use a stand machine because it makes the process less stressful.
Once the batter is well mixed, firmly press it down to the bottom of the bowl and add some plain water over it. Don’t mix this water because it’s meant to protect the surface of the dough from molding during fermentation.
Fermentation takes one to seven days depending on how sour you want the batter to be. However, be sure to change the surface water at least every three days in order to have a healthy fermentation process.
Gluten Free Teff Flour
The absit acts as an emulsifier—it holds the injera together and it also helps to give it a pleasing texture so that it wouldn’t dry out and turn out crackly after cooking.
To make this, bring some water to a boil, and turn off the heat. Then, mix some room temperature water with some teff flour and pour the mixture inside the boiled water, constantly stirring to prevent lumps until the mixture dissolves.
The absit thickens and forms a crust while cooling down, so I like to stir with some cool water immediately after the absit is done cooking. This will bring down the temperature of the absit and make it less thick. I also like to add some water, just enough to cover the surface of the absit while it cools down to prevent it from forming a crust.
Authentic Injera (ethiopian Flatbread)
Ideally, after fermentation, you will see tiny bubbles on your batter. If this doesn’t happen for some reason, it’s okay, calm down and don’t throw the batter away.
Simply add a teaspoon of baking soda inside the batter, stir well, and leave for ten minutes. The batter should start bubbling. Then, you can start cooking.
I often hear people say once you make it too runny it’s irreversible. The good news is that it can be reversed. All you have to do is to add some more teff flour until you reach the desired consistency. Be sure to stir well until the teff flour is completely dissolved in the mixture and leave to ferment for an extra day before cooking it.
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The starter should smell sour but not bad. The longer the starter sits, the more sour it will become. After few days, the starter should smell sour. If it smells bad, then it means the starter is spoilt and you will need to start the process all over again. Add water to the batter a little bit at a time because there is a thin line between making it right and getting it too thin.
Calories: 374.9 kcal | Carbohydrates: 73.6 g | Protein: 13 g | Fat: 3 g | Sodium: 28.7 mg | Fiber: 12 g | Calcium: 152.2 mg | Iron: 6.8 mg
This is my first time making injera. I really enjoyed the process and plan on making more in the future. Thank you for this guidance.
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Hi Lola! I’m so excited to try your recipe and in the last stage of fermentation. Is there a way to store the unused batter? Or would you recommend cooking all of it then freezing the final product? Thank you. :)
Hi Hillary, the unused batter can be refrigerated for a few days ( I haven't kept it longer than 3 days), and it works better if it comes back to room temperature before cooking. You can also refrigerate leftover injera for up to a week but since injera dries up quickly you need to make sure it is tightly wrapped with plastic wrap or kept in a ziplock where it is airproof. It freezes well too. I haven't frozen it for more than a month. I hope that helps?
Hi Lola, I wanted to know if there is a difference in using ivory colored teff flour compared to the darker teff. I ordered some teff flour today from Amazon and I believe, from what I can see of the package it is ivory colored. Will there be a difference in taste? Can I use the ivory teff? By the way, I was in Ethiopia last month and I loved it, people, food, everything was wonderful! I am also going to make the shirt to go with the injera! thank you, Maureen
Injera Ethiopian Bread
Nutrient-wise, there is no difference between the two. However, their flavor profiles differ slightly. The ivory teff has a subtle sweet, mild flavor, while the brown teff has a deeper rich, earthy flavor. That being said, either the white or ivory teff can be used to make injera.
I am excited to try to make this wonderful bread. Thank you for the recipe and steps. How long can it keep? Is it best to keep the batter and use as wanted or is it best to make the pancakes and keep them in the refrigerator ? Thank you.
Injera batter can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days. It's best to store it in an airtight container to prevent it from drying out. When you're ready to make the injera, just leave to come to room temperature, whisk until it's smooth and pour it onto a hot griddle. You can also store the cooked injera in the refrigerator. Allow them to cool completely, then stack them with parchment or wax paper between each layer to prevent sticking. Place the stack in an airtight container or sealable bag and store them in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Between I apologize for the late response. I hope you still found it helpful?
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