Homemade flour tortillas put store-bought versions to shame with their chewy yet supple texture. A simple mixture of flour, salt, water, and fat was all it took to create a tender tortilla dough. We opted for shortening, as grocery-store lard imparted a sour taste. A brief rest in the refrigerator after mixing makes the dough easier to roll out and yields more-tender tortillas.
Notes
- Lard can be substituted for the shortening, if desired.
- To make ahead: Cooled tortillas can be layered between parchment paper, covered with plastic wrap, and refrigerated for up to 3 days. To serve, discard plastic, cover tortillas with clean dish towel, and microwave at 50 percent power until heated through, about 20 seconds.
- Useful user comment: The dough was a breeze to work with. I made the dough the night before and just had my little dough balls resting in the refrigerator until I was ready to roll them. No problems rolling straight from the refrigerator, and I then put the uncooked tortillas between pieces of parchment and into a zip lock bag and refrigerator for about an hour so I could time them to be freshly cooked when my meat came in from the grill. I cooked 2 at a time on a cast iron griddle pan. On my gas cooktop over 2 burners, medium-low worked best. I did use lard (John Morrell Snow Cap from the grocery) rather than shortening, and I didn’t taste any off-flavors. They were soft, yet crisp and flaky.
Ingredients
- 10 ounces all-purpose flour - 2 cups
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- 2 1/4 ounces lard - or vegetable shortening; 5 tablespoons, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- ⅔ cup warm tap water
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Instructions
Make the dough:
- Combine flour and salt in large bowl.
- Using your fingers, rub shortening into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Stir in warm water until combined.
Portion and refrigerate:
- Turn dough out onto counter and knead briefly to form smooth, cohesive ball.
- Divide dough into 12 equal portions, about 2 tablespoons each; roll each into smooth 1-inch ball between your hands.
- Transfer to plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until dough is firm, at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
Roll out the tortillas:
- Cut twelve 6-inch squares of parchment paper.
- Roll 1 dough ball into 6-inch circle on lightly floured counter. Transfer to parchment square and set aside.
- Repeat with remaining dough balls, stacking rolled tortillas on top of each other with parchment squares between.
Cook and serve:
- Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering.
- Wipe out skillet with paper towels, leaving thin film of oil on bottom.
- Place 1 tortilla in skillet and cook until surface begins to bubble and bottom is spotty brown, about 1 minute. (If not browned after 1 minute, turn heat up slightly. If browning too quickly, reduce heat.)
- Flip and cook until spotty brown on second side, 30 to 45 seconds.
- Transfer to plate and cover with clean dish towel. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Nutrition
Calories: 136kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 2gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 244mgPotassium: 25mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gCalcium: 4mgIron: 1mg