Why do Injera recipes call for adding boiling water or cooking down tef with some water?
Very often in Injera recipes you will see step toward the end of the process, right before cooking that involves cooking some Tef flour with some water and then mixing that into the batter. Can anyone explain what this step is for?
The rough recipe I'm thinking of works like this (also see here:
1) Mix equal parts Tef sourdough starter and Tef flour. Let that ferment for some days.
2) (optional) Mix some more Tef flour into the dough (1 cup) and then wait again.
3) Mix 1/2 cup Tef with 1 cup water in a pot and cook until it thickens, while whising. Let it cool. Then mix it into the batter.
4) Add water slowly to the batter, while mixing, until it is quite thin. Let it ferment again until small bubble form on the surface. Then it's ready to bake.
It's the step #3 that I'm wondering about.
Best Answer
I can’t give a definitive answer for Injera, but in baking, a boiled water/flour mixture (called tangzhong or water roux) is added to increase the dough’s water content, effectively binding more water in the dough than a plain dough could. The results are typically very fluffy and light.
I suspect that Injera with this water roux would turn out more pliable and a bit softer. Considering that you use bits of it to scoop up the stew that is usually served with, I would expect it to be more “bendable” and texture / mouthfeel would certainly also benefit.
Pictures about "Why do Injera recipes call for adding boiling water or cooking down tef with some water?"
How do you make injera Fluffy?
If your injera has no bubbles, this suggests that kneading the dough affects the bubble content, and the baking powder has a lot to do with it. Try adding a bit of baking powder to your batter and see if that improves things.What happens when you mix boiling water with flour?
The act of adding boiling water to flour is actually a very common technique used in Scandinavian and Asian baking to pre-cook the starch in the flour so it takes on a jelly-like texture (via Virtuous Bread). The result is a softer, squishier bread without the addition of any extra fat.What are the steps to make injera?
Why does injera have holes in it?
Outside of Ethiopia, people use electric non-stick frying pans. As it cooks, tiny bubbles form on top. The batter doesn't have enough gluten to hold the air, so it escapes, leaving behind a spongy batter with air holes in it.Ethiopian best food enjira by perry water
More answers regarding why do Injera recipes call for adding boiling water or cooking down tef with some water?
Answer 2
It's a choux pastry trick (Eclairs). When starch is mixed in hot water, it will absorb the water and start swelling to the point where it's rubbery (it may be called gelatinizing) or spongy, which is what you want in injera. This idea is also applied when you make a roux (not a slurry!).
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