Chicken Free Injera
Injera is one of those breads that feels almost magical — a spongy, tangy flatbread with a texture unlike anything else, built entirely from teff flour, water, yeast, and salt. Those four humble ingredients are all it takes, and not a trace of poultry anywhere in the process, making this a naturally safe and satisfying choice for anyone avoiding chicken or other bird-based products. The real secret here is the 48-hour fermentation, which develops a pleasantly sour depth of flavor and creates those signature "eyes" — the tiny bubbles that give injera its iconic porous surface and make it so perfect for scooping up stews and sauces. Teff is an ancient Ethiopian grain that's naturally gluten-light and packed with earthy, slightly nutty flavor, so the bread stands on its own even before anything is piled on top. The cooking technique is a little like making a crepe — a quick swirl of thin batter in a hot pan, no flipping required — and once you get the rhythm down, each round comes together in just a couple of minutes. Stack them up, let them cool, and you have a gorgeous, restaurant-worthy flatbread made entirely from scratch in your own kitchen.
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Learn more →Ingredients
6 servings
- 2 cups teff flour
- 2 ½ cups water, divided (plus more as needed)
- ¼ tsp active dry yeast
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- 1
Whisk together the teff flour, 2 cups of the water, and the yeast in a large mixing bowl until smooth and no dry flour remains. The batter will be thick at this stage, similar to a dense pancake batter.
- 2
Cover the bowl loosely with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 48 hours, until the batter smells pleasantly sour and small bubbles are visible on the surface. Stir once or twice a day.
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