Flour Tortillas
Make delicious flour tortillas from scratch with this simple family recipe. Using only four ingredients, you can make buttery soft tortillas far superior to store-bought varieties. Find out why my family has been making tortillas de harina this way for three generations.
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour (preferably unbleached)
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ cup vegetable shortening
- 1 cup hot water (plus 1-2 tablespoons, as needed)
Instructions
Forming the Tortilla Dough
- Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in a mixing bowl until well blended.
- Add shortening to the dry mixture, and blend it well with your hands until no large clumps are left.
- Heat the water 1-2 minutes in a microwave or on the stove. It should reach a temperature that is as hot as you can safely handle for the next step.
- Pour about ¼ of the water into the center of the mixing bowl, gently folding in a portion of the dry mixture. Squeeze the moist clumps that form together with your hands, but do not knead the dough. Remove one small batch of dough at a time and transfer it to a cutting board.
- Continue adding water in small amounts and removing the balls of dough that form until no dry mixture remains.
- Knead the combined dough on a cutting board until it reaches a smooth, consistent texture throughout.
- Place a paper towel on the bottom of the mixing bowl and return the dough to the bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel, and let the dough rest 15-30 minutes.
Forming Dough Balls (Testales) and Tortillas
- Pinch off a small amount of dough to fit in the palm of your hand, and gently roll it into a small disc shaped like a mushroom cap (called a testal). Optionally, you can divide the dough by halving it until you have 12-14 equal portions.
- To roll the tortillas, begin with your rolling pin in the middle of the testales to roll up, and return to the middle to roll down. Then rotate the dough 90º and repeat the process, rolling once in each direction, until the disc reaches your desired thickness. If the dough sticks, sprinkle flour on the cutting board.
Cooking Flour Tortillas
- Heat a comal (griddle) over medium heat for 8-10 minutes.
- Cook the tortilla for 1-2 minutes. As soon as bubbles begin to form on the surface, flip the tortilla. The first side should look slightly undercooked.
- Cook the second side of the tortilla for 1-2 minutes. Press the tortilla down with a spatula as air pockets form. Once the second side is browned to your taste, flip the tortilla once more.
- Cook the tortilla on the first side again for 1-2 minutes or until it is browned to your taste. Repeat this process until all of the tortillas are cooked.
Notes
Tips for Success
- Unbleached flour yields the best texture for flour tortillas, but bleached flour works well and is often more readily available.
- The hotter the water, the better the results.
- If you still have dry mixture remaining, add 1-2 tablespoons of hot water to pick up the remainder before kneading the dough. You cannot add water to the dough after kneading it, though you can add more flour later if the dough is sticky.
- Fully preheat the comal/griddle to the proper temperature. Just like pancakes, tortillas won't cook properly if the griddle is not hot enough.
- Don't flip the tortillas more than twice, as it will make the tortillas crisp.
Storing Flour Tortillas
Tortillas will stay fresh in the fridge for 5-7 days. You can also freeze them for up to six months. Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
