Nightshade Free Injera

Total time48 hr 45 min

Prep time15 min

Cook time30 min

4.5

(19)

Injera is one of those ancient, living breads that feels almost magical to make — just teff flour, water, a whisper of yeast, and two days of patient fermentation transform into a soft, spongy, slightly tangy flatbread with those signature bubble-pocked "eyes" across the surface. Teff is naturally a nightshade-free grain, so there's nothing in this recipe that needs swapping or second-guessing — it's clean and straightforward from start to finish. The fermentation process is where the real flavor develops, giving the finished bread a gentle sourness that makes it genuinely craveable rather than just functional. Cooking it is a bit of a skill to pick up — the swirl technique and the single-sided cook are key — but once you get the rhythm, each round comes out beautifully thin and pliable. It's the kind of bread that doubles as both utensil and vessel, perfect for scooping up stews, braised greens, or any saucy dish you want to pair it with. If you've been missing bold, textured bread options that don't rely on any nightshade-derived ingredients, this one is deeply satisfying to have in your repertoire.

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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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