Tortillas

So for Christmas this year I got a tortilla kit. The kit is really unnecessary for flour tortillas. For corn tortillas you must use a press, but flour you roll out. The list of tools is as follows: Flat round 12" or bigger pan, (preferably cast iron) a rolling pin, measuring cups and ingredients.

Flour Tortilla Recipe
2 3/4 C. Flour (I use white flour, but I am going to start incorporating whole wheat flour, just too see.)
5 Tbl. Butter, I used olive oil and they came out fine
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 C. warm tap water

I mix all these together with my hands. Sometimes I need to add more flour or water. The dough should be held together but slightly tacky light bread dough.

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead it for 5-10 minutes. Cover and let it rest while you clean up and get the pan, rolling pin set up. Warm the pan up to a medium heat. The tortillas don't cook long and it helps if the pan is already warm. Divide the dough into 12+ pieces. I found I can get around 15-17 tortillas but I like mine a bit thinner. Round out each divided piece into a little ball.

This is the tortilla press, I use it when making flour tortillas but it isn't necessary. Using this if have one or can get one is pretty simple ( but the dough sticks to the metal so I use parchment paper to avoid a sticky mess.)

You really don't need this though, just take a dough ball smash it sorta flat with your hand on a floured surface and begin the rolling process.


A once round ball, smash it with the palm of your hand so it is easier to begin rolling out. I still have to roll out the tortilla even with the press. Because flour tortilla dough is so elastic it must be worked to force it to retain shape.

The smashed result. Then I take this flat (round until I start rolling out) little guy and stick it on a floured surface.

A word about the floured surface. Make sure there is enough flour so that the dough piece can spin in a circle freely. So that the dough rides on a cushion of flour so if you spin it.... the dough will move. This helps when rolling out, rotate the tortilla one quarter with every roll to help keep it in a somewhat round shape. I say "somewhat" because this is where practice makes perfect... and I am still very new at this.

Once it's rolled out it's time to go in the warmed pan medium heat works well, but play with it because every stove is different. The tortilla should only cook for about 15-30 seconds per side. Once it starts to get bubbles or large air pockets it is time to flip.
See what I mean about "somewhat" round? It's an art form I am learning... don't give up they taste great even if there square!

*sings* "Tiny bubbles...."

Sometimes the tortillas have tiny brown spots, that's normal. If the pan is too cool or you don't like the tortillas cooked that long, you may not get the brown spots. Either way it makes for a yummy burrito!

The rack of cooling tortillas. I think I got 15 out of this batch.


The whole process for me with clean up is about an hour. I am sure once I get more practice at it, the time will shorten considerably.