Canjeero – Somali Spongy Flatbread

About This Recipe

Canjeero (known as lahoh in Yemen and injera in Ethiopia) is the everyday bread of Somalia, eaten at breakfast dipped in tea or honey, and at lunch and dinner as a scoop for stews and sauces. Made from a fermented batter of self-raising flour and teff or sorghum flour, the bread is cooked in a circular pan without flipping — the characteristic holes that form on the surface as it cooks trap sauces beautifully. The fermentation, typically 12–24 hours, gives canjeero its distinctive slightly sour tang and makes it more digestible.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 300 gself-raising flour
• 100 gteff flour or sorghum flour
• 1 tspinstant yeast
• 1 tspsugar
• 700 mlwarm water
• 0.5 tspsalt
• 1 tspvegetable oil (for the pan)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the batter

   Combine self-raising flour, teff flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in warm water until a smooth, thin batter forms — thinner than pancake batter. Cover and leave at room temperature for 12–24 hours to ferment.

2. 2

   Check the batter

   After fermentation the batter will be slightly bubbly and have a mild sour smell. Stir gently. The consistency should coat the back of a spoon thinly.

3. 3

   Heat the pan

   Lightly oil a non-stick frying pan (25–28 cm diameter) and heat over medium heat until a drop of batter sizzles on contact.

4. 4

   Pour and cook

   Pour a ladleful of batter into the centre of the pan and immediately swirl to coat the base in a thin, even layer. Small bubbles should form across the surface within 30 seconds.

5. 5

   Cook on one side only

   Do not flip. Cover with a lid and cook for 2–3 minutes until the surface is no longer wet and the edges lift freely. The top should be fully set with many holes (eyes) visible.

6. 6

   Cool and repeat

   Remove canjeero with a spatula and cool on a clean cloth, porous side up. Repeat with remaining batter. Wipe the pan between rounds if needed.

Variations

• •

  Use 100% teff flour for a more intensely earthy, Ethiopian-style bread.

• •

  Add a small amount of cornmeal for extra texture.

• •

  Serve with butter and sugar, or honey and black sesame seeds for breakfast.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Stack cooled canjeero between sheets of baking paper in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for 1 month.

Frequently Asked Questions