Hi - this is my first post. Technically, it's my third try at my first post. I'm going to see if it works before going into why I like using Teff in my starter and bread, so my basic query is whether anyone else uses it and what they think, compared to other flours.
Welcome to TFL. I hope you find this site friendly and informative.
I have no teff experience. Are you shooting for a gluten-free baking experience or are you using teff for other reasons?
I have used teff for GF bakes and it adds a lovely, nutty flavor. I haven't used it in wheat-based breads simply because of the cost-it is costly here (US-Upper Midwest).
However, there are FreshLoafers that have posted about making Injera-an Ethipopian flatbread. Some of the posts have been quite detailed. I also know there is a teff grower in either the Dakotas or Montana that you can order brown and ivory teff from. Still quite costly.
Thank you for replying!
No- I'm not using Teff for gluten free baking. Since my father is on a low sodium diet, I wanted to bake him a flavorful bread that didn't rely on salt as much. I love the flavor & texture of injera, so it seemed like a good choice. I balance out the expense of teff by pairing it with white APF when I bake.
My starter ("Buffy") was 100% teff at first, but evolved to 30% teff with 70% APF at 70% hydration. She triples in 4-5 hours and is really strong. She'll be a year old on Feb 2.
My bread is roughly 1 part teff to 2 parts APF. Gluten forms nicely despite the APF not being a "strong" flour, and oven spring is nice. It makes for small to medium crumb, but it's literally a network of tiny holes like a beehive - no dead space in between. It's always really chewy, and I like the taste/aroma, without missing the extra salt.
The only downside is that you have to watch the proofing stage very carefully - there is a ton of enzyme activity b/c the starter is higher protein/more acidity - so I've seen my dough turn to soup after 3 or 4 hours in the first rise.
All said, I really like it and would love to try more flours at some point, but Buffy will always be a teff/apf starter b/c of the scent & strength.
I use teff flour in both gluten-free and 'regular' bread. For the latter I sometimes make a sourdough with 25% teff flour. I found the dough to be very soft and extensible but not very elastic. It has a nice crumb and a nice flavour (and colour!).
Wow - that looks like movie-star bread!
Do you ever run into a problem with enzyme activity making it seem over-proofed? Sometimes, my dough cannibalizes itself at the end of proofing. The end results are good looking and tasty, but it def can look like a zombie loaf going into the oven. I may be using too much starter, but I've also read that high protein flours can get too active as it ferments.
Thanks for the tips! Sunday I discovered a new bag of Bob's Teff in the freezer. Haven't used it before, bought it because of a prior thread and then life got in the way. I recalled that it acts differently; now I can play with it.
I used teff in GF-breads and, like Lazy Loafer, in smaller amounts (22%) in regular breads. I like the nutty taste.
Karin