Authentic Homemade Flour Tortillas

When you are a big fan of Mexican Food you must learn how to make tortilla dough at home and watch how quickly this becomes one of your favorite Mexican recipes.

This Authentic Homemade Flour Tortilla recipe is as easy as they come and will enhance your dishes flavor more than you could ever imagine.

Once you eat these delicious traditional flour tortillas you will never go back to purchasing them from the store.

They are soft, full of flavor, basic ingredients and such an easy recipe to make.

 

Authentic Homemade Flour Tortillas

 

Authentic Homemade Flour Tortillas

Ingredients – only 5 simple ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour (substitute cornmeal to make corn tortillas)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vegetable shortening or vegetable oil (try options for corn oil, avocado oil or olive oil)
3/4 cup hot water

 

Directions for Authentic Homemade Tortillas

First, combine the dry flour mixture ingredients into a large bowl and add the room temperature wet ingredients and mix with a fork.

Slowly add the wet warm water and oil to the dry using the fork to stir constantly.

Mix until the dough looks like coarse crumbs.

Once it’s mixed (it will look a little stringy), place it onto a counter top work surface and begin kneading the dough with your palms.

Combine flour into the dough as you knead it with your fingers or pastry cutter.

Do this for about five minutes or until your dough looks smooth and soft.

Place into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 30-45 minutes.

Mixing Options:

In less time you can mix the dough ingredients in a stand mixer with a dough hook or a food processor.

Resting Period: 

Let the dough rest. This resting period has some important benefits for the dough; the extra time allows the flour to absorb water which improves the texture of the dough AND allows the dough to develop gluten which makes forming the tortilla disks easier.

Next, divide dough into equal pieces of 8-10 pieces and roll each one into a ball of dough and recover with a damp cloth.

If you have the luxury of tortilla press – use flour on the tortilla press, press down and create a 6-inch disc.

Tip: don’t stack uncooked tortillas on top of each other – you will be grateful you didn’t.

While it’s setting again heat up your pan on low heat.

I prefer a cast-iron skillet, so go this route if you have one.

If not grab your best skillet and heat it up.

Flour your surface lightly and roll out each ball as thin as you can possibly make it.

Be sure not to roll it bigger than the pan you are using. Some cooks recommend a cast iron skillet

Dust each tortilla with flour so they don’t stick together if you’re stacking them while they wait to be cooked (hint: don’t stack them).

Put one dough circle on middle of the pan at a time.

Watch the first tortilla carefully on the hot skillet.

It only takes about a minute per tortilla on medium-high heat so watch them carefully.

You’ll know when to flip them the first time when bubbles start to form on the top and form light brown spots on the tortilla.

You will know that your pan is not hot enough when the brown parts are light golden – they should be dark brown 

Turn over and cook for another 20-30 seconds.

Don’t let them burn – you want a dark brown color tender tortillas.

If you find there’s too much flour in the pan just wipe it out with a tea towel or paper towel.

Cover with a dish towel once finished to keep your fresh tortillas from drying out while you make the rest.

Tip:

You can also use a tortilla warmer to keep them fresh. It also makes them portable for backyard picnics.

To reheat your delicious tortillas heat you oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit and place your tortillas wrapped in aluminum foil in the oven for 5-7 minutes.

Use your imagination for what you want to add to it! 

Next time remember these are great for homemade chimichangas, wraps, tacos…the list goes on!

Please comment below – are these the Best Homemade Flour Tortillas you’ve ever had???

Use this Authentic Homemade Flour Tortillas recipe with such simple ingredients to make these recipes:

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2 Comments

  1. Avatar Kate
  2. Avatar Sylvia Medina

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