In a pinch, I admit that I’ll use the thin, rubbery, store-bought flour tortillas for burritos, soft tacos or wraps. If I really want something that pops with freshness, texture and flavor, nothing beats making some homemade flour tortillas for my Mexican-style meals.
Here’s a simple recipe for homemade flour tortillas that anyone can do – even the laziest cook out there! After one or two tries, you’ll have this down pat. In fact, you’ll get the craving for these for whenever you’re concocting your own south-of-the-border recipes.
Ingredients for Homemade Flour Tortillas
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup butter (or 1/8 butter and 1/8 lard)
- 3/4 cup warm water
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Directions
Mix these ingredients up. Using your hands, crumble up the fat (butter/lard) until it’s a coarse texture. If you squeeze it in your hand, this dough should bind for a moment and then break apart.
Add in the warm water. You may need to add a little more if desired for a looser consistency. Dough should not bee too sticky or too dry.
Knead it in your hands or mixer for a couple of minutes. Should feel smooth and elastic. Break into 8-10 golf ball-sized balls. Get a warm, damp cloth and set it on top of dough balls for about 20 min.
Flatten balls into discs with hands making nice circles and then roll them out into tortillas with rolling pin. Get medium-hot griddle, and lay tortillas down for about 8 seconds and then flip (they should have a little coloring like brown spots) and cook for additional 60-90 seconds. May bubble up. Flip over and press down with spatula. They should puff up a bit.
Place finished home-made tortillas in a tortilla holder or on a large plate and cover with a warm towel until ready to eat. You can place uneaten flour tortillas in a resealable plastic bag and store in the icebox for a few days or in the freezer for several weeks.
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