Ethiopian: Injera (Ethiopian Flatbread)

Recipe by Paul Young <info@cooking-with-paul.com>

(makes six 9-inch rounds)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups teff flour
• 2 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 cups lukewarm water, plus more to thin the batter
• Spray oil (for the skillet)
• Instant yeast (optional)
• Apple cider vinegar (optional)

Procedure:

1. In a large mixing bowl, blend teff flour, all-purpose flour, and salt
2. Add water, stirring or whisking until smooth
3. Cover loosely with a wet kitchen towel and let stand overnight at room temperature undisturbed (70° is the ideal temperature)
4. In the morning, gently agitate the mixture (note bubbles forming on the surface, slight separation is normal)
5. Repeat the process of resting overnight and agitating in the morning for 3 to 5 days; the fermented batter is ready when it is bubbly and should smell sour:
6. Just before cooking, stir the mixture gently one more time
7. Test the batter: Pre-heat a large cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat; spray lightly with oil
8. Pour about 1 tablespoon of batter into skillet, flip the injera when bubbles form on the surface; taste the injera
9. Add salt and/or vinegar (if needed); add more water for thinner batter, or add more teff flour for thicker batter (if needed)
10. Make the injera: slowly pour about 1 cup of the batter into the skillet: make a large outer circle first to form an edge, then fill in the center to form a flat “pancake”; cover and cook until bubbles form on the surface (about 3-4 minutes); if needed, flip the injera with a spatula, then cover and continue to cook until the injera’s surface is dry (about another 2 minutes)
11. Transfer the injera to a plate to cool, use wax paper to separate each round to prevent sticking
12. Repeat until almost all of the batter is used; save a small amount of leftover batter as a starter for the next batch; store starter in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a year (see storage tips)
13. Cover the stack of cooked injera with a damp cloth until it's time to eat (leftovers can be stored in your freezer)

Tips:

• Check your injera batter often; pitch it and start over if the batter goes bad and gets moldy (it will have an unpleasant, stinky odor)
• A warmer environment decreases fermentation time; some people like to keep the fermenting batter in the oven with the light on
• Use less salt to speed up the fermentation process, you can always add more salt just before cooking
• If the injera lacks a distinctive sourdough taste, you can cheat by adding a little apple cider vinegar just before cooking
• If the injera is not bubbly enough, you can cheat by adding some instant yeast and let sit another hour before cooking