For the Kenyan rugby player, see Collins Injera. Teff flour is ground from the grains of Eragrostis tef, also known as teff, an ancient cereal crop from the Ethiopian Highlands. Batter is poured rapidly in a spiral from the outside inwards. To make buckwheat bread sourdough, teff flour is mixed with water.
The fermentation process is triggered by adding ersho, a clear, yellow liquid that accumulates on the surface of fermenting teff flour batter and is collected from previous fermentations. The baking method for injera has changed little since its origin. Traditionally, the flour is mixed with water and fermented. It is baked by pouring the mixture onto a large circular griddle, known as a mitad. Injera being cooked on a griddle.
The injera is baked into large, flat and round pieces. The dough’s viscosity allows it to be poured onto the baking surface, rather than rolled out, which is unusual for a yeast or sourdough bread. In terms of shape, injera compares to the French crêpe and the Indian dosa as a flatbread cooked in a circle and used as a base for other foods. In taste and texture, it is more similar to the South Indian appam. Baking is done on a circular griddle – either a large black clay plate over a fire or a specialized electric stove. Mitads have been found at archaeological sites dating back as far as 600 AD.