Injera

Ingredients

• 3 cups teff flour
• 7 cups water – divided
• 1 tsp fine sea salt

Instructions

1. In a large nonreactive bowl, whisk the teff flour with 5 cups of the water until very smooth, with no dry pockets.
2. Cover the bowl loosely (plate or cloth) and let the batter ferment at room temperature for 48–72 hours, stirring once daily, until tangy and bubbly with a pleasantly sour aroma.
3. After fermentation, stir the batter, then transfer 0.5 cup of it to a small saucepan. Whisk in 1 cup of the water until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens into a glossy paste, 3–5 minutes. Let cool 5–10 minutes. (This cooked paste is the absit.)
4. Whisk the absit back into the main batter until uniform. Stir in the fine sea salt. Thin the batter with up to the remaining 1 cup water to a pourable, thin-cream consistency that flows easily yet lightly coats the pan. Rest 20–30 minutes to allow bubbles to develop.
5. Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet, well-seasoned cast-iron, or electric mitad over medium to medium-high until a test drop of batter sizzles and sets on contact.
6. Pour about 0.5 cup batter into the center and quickly spiral outward, tilting the pan to spread into a thin, even circle 10–12 inches across. Cover immediately with a lid and cook without flipping until the surface is set with many tiny holes and the edges lift slightly, 1–2 minutes; the underside should be lightly golden.
7. Slide the injera onto a clean cloth or mesh rack to cool 1–2 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter, adjusting heat so the bottoms do not brown too deeply and whisking the batter occasionally to redistribute bubbles.
8. Stack cooled injeras and keep covered so they stay soft and pliable. Serve the same day for best texture or store covered at room temperature up to 1 day or refrigerated up to 3 days.