You know it’s bad when even the wildlife won’t eat something you make. The kitchen smelled so rancid this morning after uncovering the fermented teff seed sourdough that we threw it outside and, inside, turned on fans and lit candles.
So, my injera flatbread experiment failed. I think I didn’t grind the seeds into a fine enough flour. I will try again, beginning with teff flour rather than trying to grind the minuscule seeds myself. Maybe cut back on the fermentation time, too. Actually, I guess it didn’t really fail because I learned what not to do next time. It also made me think more deeply about what was going on in that bowl of bubbling flour and water; far more than I can explain here.
I’m sure my ancestors did lots of experimenting with food before getting it right, and now I have the benefit of using recipes. Going “off-recipe,” though, can be freeing. I don’t know exactly where this path is heading, but I do know that off-road experiences along with failures can deepen and enrich my life. And for that I am grateful.
Bread for the Journey 