CO-FERMENTATION OF KOCHO WITH BARLEY FOR AN IMPROVED INJERA

Abstract

Injera, a pancake type sour bread, was prepared by co-fermenting
kocho with barley to determine its nutrient composition and the microorganisms involved in the fermentation process. The predominant organisms identified were Lactobacillus, Bacillus and yeasts. The fermentation process was characterized by the fall in pH from 5.0 to 4.2 and rise in the titratable acidity from 0.20% to 0.50% during 96 hrs of fermentation. The co-fermentation of kocho with barley increased the protein content of the fermented injera by 2.6-fold. The injera
prepared from co-fermented dough of kocho and barley was found to be acceptable to Ethiopian consumers and bad very good keeping qualities. A fermentation scheme was therefore developed for the production of injera with improved protein content in which kocho and barley flour were fermented for 96 hrs with barley flour.