Like sourdough, Injera is made from a fermented starter, a thin batter that is fed with water and grain flours and left to rise. Here in the United States, it’s common to make Injera using grains other than teff. When I first came to the US, I tried to make Injera using only teff flour, but I had difficulty getting the batter to ferment. In Ethiopia, the fermentation had been easy—perhaps because of the climate, or perhaps because the fermented starters had been so long established. When I began a starter here, I would add additional flours such as brown rice, barley and wheat, until the batter began to ferment. Once my Injera starter was strong and active, I then switched to 100% teff flour. Now I make Injera with only teff, which means it’s much closer to Injera made in Ethiopia where I grew up, and it’s also gluten-free.
