An authentic Injera recipe, the famous Ethiopian flatbread that makes the perfect accompaniment to a whole host of Ethiopian dishes, including Doro Wat, Sega Wat, Misir Wat, and Gomen!
If you’ve ever been to an Ethiopian restaurant – certainly if you’ve ever set foot in Ethiopia – you will have heard of injera. Â It’s a sourdough flatbread unlike any other sourdough. Â It starts out looking like a crepe but then develops a unique porous and slightly spongy texture. Â The thin batter is poured onto the cooking surface, traditionally a clay plate over a fire though now more commonly a specialized electric injera stove, and the bottom remains smooth while the top develops lots of pores which makes it ideal for scooping up stews and sauces.
And that’s exactly how injera is used, as an eating utensil. Â And as a plate. Â And often in place of the tablecloth. Â A variety of stews, vegetables and/or salads are placed on a large piece of injera and guests use their right hands to tear portions of the injera which are used for gripping the food. Â The porous texture of the injera makes it ideal for soaking up the juices.
Injera is traditionally made out of teff flour, the world’s tiniest grain and also one of the earliest domesticated plants having originated in Ethiopia and Eritrea (where injera is also widely consumed) between 4000 and 1000 BC. Â Its production is limited to only areas with adequate rainfall though so it’s relatively expensive for most African households. Â As such, many will replace some of the teff content with other flours like barley or wheat. Â For those who can afford it, injera made entirely of teff flour has the higher demand.
Injera is the traditional accompaniment to Doro Wat, Ethiopia’s famous spicy chicken stew, and together these constitute the national dish of Ethiopia.
Injera is likewise served with Sega Wat, the delicious beef version of Doro Wat.
There are different varieties of teff ranging from white/ivory to red to dark brown. Â In Ethiopia white is generally preferred and will also produce a 100% teff injera that is a lighter in color than what is shown in the first photo and preparation photos. Â I’m using 100% dark teff flour which produces a very dark injera with a deeper flavor.
The challenge is that if you’re looking for a specific type of teff and like to grind your own grains, most manufacturers don’t differentiate the teff type on their package labeling.  It’s mostly an aesthetic preference though and for most baking I do with teff it really doesn’t matter either way.  With the injera it will make a difference in the color though if that’s an important factor to you.
I have found only one brand that differentiates the types: Â Ivory Teff and Brown Teff. Â Maskal also makes an ivory teff flour.
Traditionally a clay plate, a mitad, placed over a fire is used for making injera.
A special woven basket, called a mesab, in which the freshly made injera are placed.
More commonly now specialized electric injera stoves are used. Â The most popular one in the U.S. is called the Heritage Grill. Â But unless you’re making injera constantly, a simple non-stick pan on the stovetop will do the job.
Read to make some injera?
And I don’t mean short-cut, one-day, cutting corners injera. Â I mean the real deal, authentic injera.
Authentic Injera Recipe
Let’s get started!
***IMPORTANT NOTE before we begin: Both the texture and color of the injera will vary greatly depending on what kind of teff you use (dark or ivory) and whether or not you’re combining it with other flours. Gluten-based flours (e.g. wheat and barley) will yield a much different texture than 100% teff. In the pictures and recipe below I’m using 100% dark teff, something you will not find in restaurants and will look different than what most are accustomed to, but is traditional to Ethiopian home cooking.
You can buy pre-ground teff flour or grind your own. Â I like to grind my own grains because 1) the flour has far more nutrition because it’s fresher and the oils haven’t oxidized and 2) I have more control over the texture of the flour.
I use and LOVE the German-made KoMo Classic Grain Mill. Â It comes with a 15-year warranty. Â It’s a stone-grinding mill and you can grind grains as finely or as coarsely as you like. Â It’s an awesome piece of machinery and it’s just downright gorgeous!
You’ll need 2 cups of flour. Â I’m using all teff flour, and mine happens to be dark teff flour which will produce a very dark injera with a deeper flavor.
As mentioned above, using 100% teff flour is traditionally considered the most desirable (it also happens to be naturally gluten-free), but you can substitute part of it with other flours such as wheat or barley.
However, if you’re new to making injera I recommend substituting a portion of teff with barley or wheat flour as 100% is more challenging to work with.
Stir in 3 cups of distilled water (and the yeast if you’re using it).
I made two versions to show you the difference – both are identical but in one of them I added some commercial yeast (left) and the other one I didn’t (right). Â What that does is prevent the formation of wild yeast because the commercial, store-bought yeast dominates.
Loosely cover the bowls with plastic wrap so that air can still get in (but no critters can) – cheesecloth is also a great option. Â Let it sit undisturbed at room temperature for 5 days. Â You don’t have to let it ferment that long but at least 4 days is ideal and longer it ferments the deeper the flavor will be.
Note: Depending on what kind of flour you’re using, you may need to add a little more water if the mixture is becoming dry.
After 4-5 days both versions will be fizzy when you jiggle the bowl.
Notice the difference between the mixture prepared with commercial yeast (left) and the wild yeast mixture (right).  The version made the traditional way allowing wild yeast to form is not only much darker in color, it has a film of aerobic yeast on top that you may initially think is mold but it isn’t. If your batter forms actual mold on it it will need to be discarded.
It looks disgusting, I know – like why would I eat this?  But rest assured it’s perfectly normal.  That isn’t mold, it’s aerobic yeast caused by the fermentation process. Going the traditional route of relying on wild yeast – a naturally fermented product – over commercial yeast results in an injera with a richer and more complex flavor.  It’s the way injera has been made and enjoyed for centuries. Again though, if your batter forms actual mold on it, it will need to be discarded.
We’re simply going to discard this top layer and use what’s underneath.
Pour off the top layer and as much of the liquid as you can.
You’ll be left with a clay-like batter. Â Give it a good stir.
Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Â Scoop 1/2 cup of the fermented teff batter and stir it into the boiling water until the mixture is thickened. Â This will happen pretty quickly.
Stir the cooked/thickened batter back into the original mixture.
Add some water to the batter to create roughly the consistency of crepe batter. Â I added about 2/3 cup of water though this will vary from batch to batch. Â The batter will have a sweet-soured nutty smell.
Heat a non-stick pan on medium. Â Depending on how good your non-stick surface is, you may need to very lightly spray it with some oil.
Coat the surface of the pan with a thin layer of injera batter. Â It should be thicker than making a crepe but not as thick as a pancake.
Continue to cook – bubbles will form, allow them to pop. Â Then cover the pan with a lid and turn off the heat to let it steam cook for a couple more minutes or so until cooked through. Â Be careful though, if you the injera cooks too long it will become gummy and soggy.
Remove the injera and repeat.
Enjoy!
Serve your homemade injera with our authentic Ethiopian:
Authentic Injera (Ethiopian Flatbread)
Ingredients
- 2 cups teff flour, brown or ivory , or substitute a portion of it with some barley or wheat flour
- Note: If you're new to making injera I recommend using a combination of teff and barley or wheat as 100% teff is more challenging to work with.
- 3 cups distilled water (fluoride and chlorine will both interfere with the fermentation process)
- Note: This method involves wild yeast fermentation. See blog post for details about using commercial yeast as a starter (you'll use about 1/4 teaspoon dry active yeast)
Instructions
- *See blog post for detailed instructions*NOTE: Using mostly or all teff (which is the traditional Ethiopian way) will NOT produce the spongy, fluffy injera served in most restaurants which are adapted to the western palate and use mostly wheat, sometimes a little barley, and occasionally a little teff added in.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and water (and yeast if you're using it). Loosely place some plastic wrap on the bowl (it needs some air circulation, you just want to keep any critters out) and let the mixture sit undisturbed at room temperature for 4-5 days (the longer it ferments, the deeper the flavor). (Depending on what kind of flour you're using, you may need to add a little more water if the mixture is becoming dry.) The mixture will be fizzy, the color will be very dark and, depending on the humidity, a layer of aerobic yeast will have formed on the top. (Aerobic yeast is a normal result of fermentation. If however your batter forms mold on it, it will need to be discarded.) Pour off the aerobic yeast and as much of the liquid as possible. A clay-like batter will remain. Give it a good stir.
- In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Stir in 1/2 cup of the injera batter, whisking constantly until it is thickened. This will happen pretty quickly. Then stir the cooked/thickened batter back into the original fermented batter. Add some water to the batter to thin it out to the consistency of crepe batter. I added about 2/3 cup water but this will vary from batch to batch. The batter will have a sweet-soured nutty smell.
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Depending on how good your non-stick pan is, you may need to very lightly spray it with some oil. Spread the bottom of the skillet with the injera batter - not as thin as crepes but not as thick as traditional pancakes. Allow the injera to bubble and let the bubbles pop. Once the bubbles have popped, place a lid on top of the pan and turn off the heat. Let the injera steam cook for a couple or so more minutes until cooked through. Be careful not to overcook the injera or they will become gummy and soggy. Remove the injera with a spatula and repeat.
- IMPORTANT NOTE: Both the texture and color of the injera will vary greatly depending on what kind of teff you use (dark or ivory) and whether or not you're combining it with other flours. Gluten-based flours (e.g. wheat and barley) will yield a much different texture than 100% teff. In the pictures and recipe below I'm using 100% dark teff, something you will not find in restaurants and will look different than what most are accustomed to, but is traditional to Ethiopian home cooking. Make your injera according to what you prefer.
Nutrition
Images of serving platter and woman cooking courtesy Maurice Chédel and Rob Waddington via CC licensing
Lisa Nunez says
Hello. I am getting ready to attempt my first batch. What you say a “portion” of the teff flour can be replaced with another such a whole wheat, what percentage would you recommend? I was thinking of using 33% whole wheat and 66% teff. Am I on the right track?
Thank you for any assistance you can give.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Lisa, I don’t have a set ratio in mind and there’s no right or wrong, it’s purely personal preference. Gluten flours are easier to work with and they also produce injera that most westerners are used to – the texture and consistency of 100% teff injera is significantly different. In any case, when it comes to what ratio to use you’ll need to experiment and see what works best for you and which outcome you prefer.
Sarita Noel says
I have an Alaskan sourdough starter made with wheat flour. Could I use a spoonful of that to jumpstart the fermentation of the teff flour?
Peter says
Came here to ask the same thing–did you give it a try? I assume it would speed up fermentation to a matter of hours rather than days?
Sunny says
Once mixed do you keep it in the fridge for the next 4 to 5 days?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Sunny, no you keep it at room temperature so that it can ferment. Refrigerating it will prevent it from fermenting.
Kelly says
Hi, I am getting ready to embark on my first attempt to make Injera, I purchased a Heritage Grill but it is the stainless steel version, not the nonstick. Do you think this will be a problem if I spray it with oil or should I exchange it for the nonstick model? Thanks so much!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Kelly, I have only used nonstick for making injera so I’m afraid I can’t comment on that. Perhaps some of our readers have tried stainless steel with success and can chime in….
Holly says
At what point is the yeast added? I have read through a few times and can’t seem to find it. I assume before it’s left to sit for 5 days? Where does one find wild yeast?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Holly, sorry for the confusion. You stir it in with the water in the very first step. That’s if you’re using store-bought yeast. “Wild yeast” isn’t something you add, it develops naturally from microbes in the air.
Tiffany says
Hi Kimberly! Thanks so much for sharing your recipe. I am trying out a small batch and after two days, I’m noticing something white and fuzzy, it looks like mold to me, starting to form on top. It doesn’t quite look like what’s in your pictures. They look more like little trees rather than a flat layer. Is it possible that what I’m seeing is the aerobic yeast?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Tiffany, I can’t say without seeing it but if the flour is all settled on the bottom with water covering it all then what you’re seeing on top is almost certainly aerobic yeast.
Tiffany says
Thanks! Mine is growing directly on the flour. There’s no water later. I’m thinking it’s safest to toss it and start over. Do you think humidity could be the cause? I live in a pretty dry climate normally but we’ve had a storm system come through the past couple of days.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Okay, yes, that’s the problem – the flour has to be kept under a layer of water in order to ferment so what you’re seeing is mold (yes, you’ll need to toss it). If the water layer is evaporating because of the dry environment then keep adding water as needed to ensure the flour is always submerged under water.
Tiffany says
Thanks so much! Looking forward to trying again.
Curious says
Hi, I’m curious what the purpose of precooking part of the batter is?
Linda says
Hello, I’ve managed to “sourdough” my 100% teff (it’s fermenting), how do I know when it’s done? I don’t have any of that colored “mold” on the surface, but it’s very thick and smells sour. Thank you. Also, can I keep what I don’t use in the refrigerator, like sourdough?
Eric B says
Hello! I’ve been diligently using your recipes for a year or two now and found some difficulty in getting this to work initially. As first time makers, we were daring to try just the Brown Teff mixture but struggled to form bubbles. After turning the pan up to really high heat, the bubbles started to form no problem. On medium heat or medium-high it would slowly crack and turn gummy as you say.
Any reason why our mixture would not be clay like? As we add the half cup to boiling water it doesn’t turn gummy — instead it stays as quite a loose mixture.
Gruesse
Eric
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Richard Ganulin says
Kimberly, I am about to make my seventh batch of batter over the past year as I continue to use up a 25-lb. bag of ivory teff flour. The flavor of the batter always seems right after a four-day ferment. Because I fail at the cooking stage (no or few bubbles, sticks to pan/griddle) I began to experiment with adding a bit of baking soda, salt, etc.) right before cooking. But still mostly unsuccessful (the baking soda does increase bubbles). I have tried nonstick Scanpans, Lodge cast iron, preheating in oven, and everything else I can think of). I cover as recommended. But I remain a frustrated failure. Will an electric mitad increase the likelihood for a successful end result? How hot should the pan/griddle be? You say “medium” and perhaps that is my problem (your “medium” may be different than my “medium”). Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Richard, thanks for the feedback. I admire your determination, seven batches is a lot! No, a different kind of pan really won’t make a difference. Injera made with 100% teff is challenging, there’s no doubt about it. I’ve even had born and bred Ethiopians tell me they’ve never been able to master it. I have also had a couple of failed batches. It’s like the bacteria has a mind of its own and sometimes it’s willing to cooperate and at other times it wants to do its own thing. In any case, injera is one of those things that is successfully made after lots of practice and everyone seems to find their own set of tricks. As I mention in the blog post, I recommend starting off using a combination of teff and wheat flour until you’ve got the method down and then move up to the higher challenge of 100% teff injera.
Anonymous says
Hi. Thanks for publishing this recipe and sharing the awesome explanation, history, and culture. The cook and prep times are misleading; however. Please including the days that one has to wait for the fermentation. When that time is included it is not a 20 min process. Thanks.
Gr0m1t says
I bought some teff flour yesterday. I had a spelt sourdough starter in the fridge so I woke that up with some teff flour. I’m going to jumps a bit of your recipe by using the starter. Hopefully decreasing the timeline and with no detrimental effect.
Here goes….
sara says
I’m an ethiopian and what you made, my dear is insulting. please stop gentrifying my food. thanks
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m sorry you’re choosing to take insult where none was intended. How is this possibly a gentrification? The ingredients are simply teff flour and water. No embellishments whatsoever.
Sally Mae says
Hi. I just bought 2 lbs of dark teff flour. I want to make these vegan tortillas at home for breakfast burrito wraps. Since store bought one’s are very expensive. However, I have really bad yeast allergy. I can’t consume it. I was wondering if I could substitute for a little bit of raw apple cider vinegar instead. PLEASE let me know! THANKS ♡
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Sally, if you go the natural fermentation route you don’t need to add yeast or anything else (the blog post and recipe directions explain the two options you can take – one with yeast and one without).
Semhar says
Most Eritrean and Ethiopian women I know who make injera at home let it sit for 2-3 days, not 4. Also, I’ve never seen what you describe as aerobic yeast on the batter and I grew up in a home where fresh injera was regularly made. I’m curious who taught you this method because there are some pointers that are missed – especially the note about the aerobic yeast. Most women Ii consulted, who learned to make injera from their mothers in Ethiopia and Eritrea (doesn’t get more authentic than that), agree that seeing the aerobic yeast is a sign that the batter did not come out right.