Injera

Part of the fermented batter is boiled and stirred back in, and that is what binds it.

Vegan.

Ingredients

• 600 g teff flour
• about 900 ml water, and more for the absit
• 4 tablespoons ersho, the liquid saved from a previous ferment, or 1/2 teaspoon dried yeast for a first batch
• 1 teaspoon salt

Method

1. PART OF THE FERMENTED BATTER IS BOILED AND STIRRED BACK IN, AND THAT IS WHAT BINDS IT. Its article names the step and the thing: after the primary fermentation, A PORTION OF THE DOUGH IS ADDED TO WATER AND BROUGHT TO A BOIL, FORMING A PREGELATINIZED STARCH PRODUCT KNOWN AS ABSIT, WHICH FUNCTIONS AS A DOUGH BINDER. About a tenth of the batter, with roughly three times its own volume of water.
2. SO THE BATTER IS COOKED TWICE AND POURED ONCE. Nothing else in this country's bread does that, and it is why injera holds its holes instead of tearing.
3. THE STARTER IS SAVED LIQUID, NOT SHOP YEAST. The article describes ersho as A CLEAR, YELLOW LIQUID THAT ACCUMULATES ON THE SURFACE OF FERMENTING TEFF FLOUR BATTER AND IS COLLECTED FROM PREVIOUS FERMENTATIONS, about 16% of the flour, and notes that commercial yeast is faster but gives INOPTIMAL FLAVOR AND TEXTURE. A first batch has to start somewhere, so use yeast once and keep the liquid after.
4. MIX FLOUR AND WATER TO A WATERY BATTER, BY HAND. The article's ratio is the useful part: FROM EQUAL PARTS TO TWO-THIRDS water to flour. Start at the thin end if the pan is new to you.
5. FERMENT IT FOR ONE TO THREE DAYS AND WATCH FOR THE YELLOW LIQUID. The article gives 24 TO 72 HOURS, with the greatest rise in the first 18 to 24, and a yellow liquid surfacing at 30 TO 33 HOURS WHICH IS DISCARDED. Pour that off; keep a spoonful back as the next batch's ersho.
6. MAKE THE ABSIT AND LET IT COOL BEFORE IT GOES BACK. A tenth of the batter into three times its water, brought to the boil and stirred until it thickens like a sauce. Hot absit stirred into live batter kills the ferment.
7. REST IT AGAIN FOR TWO HOURS AFTER THE ABSIT. The batter comes back to life and thins slightly. This is when the salt goes in.
8. THE PAN MUST BE FIERCE AND DRY. The article puts the heat at 300 TO 600 DEGREES, which is hotter than a domestic pan reaches: get the widest heavy pan you have as hot as it will go, ungreased, and accept a thicker bread than a mitad makes.
9. POUR FROM THE OUTSIDE IN, IN A SPIRAL, AND THEN LEAVE IT ALONE. Thirty seconds and the surface fills with eyes. Lid on for a minute to set the top, and it is never turned.
10. LIFT IT OFF WHEN THE EDGES RELEASE THEMSELVES. Underdone it sticks; done it comes away on its own. Cooled on a cloth, never stacked hot, or the steam welds them.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under Ethiopia · All recipes