Canjeero (Sourdough Pancake)

By Ifrah F. Ahmed

Updated April 13, 2026

  • Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Media 1 of 1
Ready In
8 hr 45 min
(45 min plus overnight fermentation)
Rating
(0)
Comments
Read comments

This thin sourdough pancake (pronounced ahn-je-ro) is one of the most recognizable Somali foods. Also known as laxoox or canjeelo depending on the region, canjeero is typically mixed at night — the distinctive slapping sounds of canjeero batter being beaten is a core childhood memory for many. After it’s mixed, the batter is left to ferment overnight and then cooked the following morning. It’s properly made if the pancake has little air bubbles called indho (eyes) and a spiral pattern achieved by adding the batter to the pan in a circular motion from the center to the edges. This version uses wheat and corn flours, although sorghum is also common. The longer you ferment the batter, the tangier the flavor.

Featured in: My Mother Taught Me to Cook Like a Somali. I Want to Teach the World.

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:12 (9½-inch) pancakes

  • 2 teaspoons active dry yeast

  • 2 cups plus 4 teaspoons/500 milliliters warm water

  • 2 cups/256 grams all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons/128 grams white corn flour (see Tip)

  • Pinch of fine sea salt

  • Vegetable oil, for greasing the pan

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

32 grams carbs; 168 calories; 1 gram monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 17 milligrams sodium; 4 grams protein

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl, combine the yeast and ¼ cup/60 milliliters of the warm water; wait 10 minutes for the yeast to activate. 

  2. Step 2

    When the yeast is foamy, add the all-purpose flour, corn flour, salt, and 1¼ cups/300 milliliters of the warm water and mix with your hand until evenly incorporated. Use a downward scooping motion to pick the thick batter up and then slap it into the bowl from your palm; repeat for 5 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Add the remaining ½ cup plus 4 teaspoons/140 milliliters warm water and mix it into the dough. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature to allow the dough to rise and ferment overnight.

  4. Step 4

    The next day, mix the separated batter back into itself until it’s smooth and slightly thinner than pancake batter. Grease a 10-inch nonstick crepe pan or cast-iron griddle with oil (spread it with a paper towel) and heat the pan over medium-high until it’s hot but not smoking. Ladle ¼ cup of the batter into the center of the hot pan and spread it in a circular swirling motion with the back of the ladle, spiraling out from the center to the edges, as far as the batter will allow. Immediately cover the pan with a lid and cook until the canjeero is browned on the bottom and the batter on the surface has dried, 1 to 2 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Remove the lid and transfer the canjeero from the pan to a plate; cover with a second plate so the pancake doesn’t dry out. Repeat the process until all the batter has been used, greasing the pan as needed so the canjeero doesn’t stick. Serve warm.

    Tips

    • If there is difficulty finding white corn flour in stores, order it online instead (look for Asli Fine Foods or SWAD brands).

    • Do make sure to also save a little bit of the batter to use as a starter for a future batch of canjeero: Refrigerate about ¼ cup of the fermented batter and use it instead of the yeast and warm water in step 1.

    Private Notes

    Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

    Ratings

    0 user ratings
    Your rating

    or to rate this recipe.

    Have you cooked this?

    or to mark this recipe as cooked.

    Comments

    Curious cook

    How are these pancakes typically served? Are there common fillings or toppings?

    DJ

    Confused: why use yeast for sourdough? Use sourdough starter instead?

    Prakash Nadkarni

    This recipe seems similar to Ethiopian Injera, except that Injera uses teff flour and only natural fermentation from airborne yeasts & lactobacilli, much like South Indian dosa. Yes, you can use sourdough starter, which also makes for a more reliable/predictable recipe. As a cheat for those who lack starter and want to use yeast, 1 tbsp of live-culture yoghurt mixed with the flour & salt would introduce the lactobacilli.

    gonebamboo

    Could you use sourdough discard rather than doing the yeast/water step?

    KayJ

    This looks good but doesn’t confirm with current US baker’s understanding of the term sourdough. I wonder about the name translation.

    Private comments are only visible to you.

    Recipe Tags

    or to save this recipe.