Flour Tortillas

It is probably safe to say that most foods, when made from scratch, taste much better than their supermarket counterparts. There are some foods for which this is an understatement, and one of them is flour tortillas. Homemade flour tortillas are not just “better” than prepackaged supermarket tortillas they are superior. The first time I made them it was just for fun, but I have never been able to go back. If you try it yourself you won’t be able to either, but don’t worry, they’re not all that hard to make! With a little practice you can turn out a dozen tortillas in no time.

 My recipe is adapted from “Flatbreads & Flavors” by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. I like it because it uses oil as the fat instead of the more traditional lard or shortening, two things I prefer not to feed to my family. As with pasta dough, this dough can be mixed together by hand or with a food processor.

Flour Tortillas
3 cups unbleached white flour
¾ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons vegetable oil (or other oil of your choice, the original recipe uses corn oil)
¾ cup warm water

1. Place the flour and salt in the workbowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and run for a few second to mix (or stir together by hand in a large bowl).

Then, with the machine running, slowly pour in the oil until well combined (or use your hands to thoroughly mix the oil into the flour in the bowl).

Next, with the machine running again, slowly pour in the warm water. The resulting dough should not be overly wet or dry but should be fairly soft and easy to knead. If it sticks to your hands, add a little bit of flour. If it is very stiff and hard to work, or doesn’t hold together, add a little bit more water, a tablespoon at a time.

2. Take the dough out of the bowl and knead briefly on a clean work surface.

Using a dough scraper or a knife, divide into 12 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and then flatten it between your palms into a little round disc. Cover the discs with a sheet of plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.

3. To cook the tortillas you will need a heavy skillet, preferably cast-iron, 8 inches or larger. Heat the skillet dry over medium heat until very hot. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the first tortilla. Roll it out paper thin, to a diameter of about 8 or 9 inches.

Don’t worry about making it a perfect circle, irregular tortillas taste just as good as perfectly symmetrical tortillas

The dough should be very thin

Put the tortilla in the hot skillet and cook for about 45 seconds.

You should see little bubbles beginning to form on the surface.

The cooked side should be speckled with golden brown spots. Flip the tortilla over and cook on the other side for about 30 to 40 seconds. 

Remove from the skillet and place in a folded kitchen towel. As each tortilla cooks, you should have just enough time to roll out the next one. Stack the finished tortillas inside the kitchen towel as they come off the stove.

4. Serve warm with your favorite fillings! In the winter I regularly make these for bean burritos. In the summer my favorite way to eat them is filled with grilled veggies, pico de gallo, and guacamole. Store any unused tortillas in a plastic bag. To reheat, place in a dry, hot cast-iron skillet and warm for a few seconds on each side. These tortillas also freeze well.