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Forget those tortillas that come wrapped in a plastic bag. This easy flour tortilla recipe transforms 5 humble pantry staples into thick, pillowy rounds with golden blistered spots and a rich, tender chew that store-bought versions could never fake. One bite of these warm, fluffy tortillas and you’ll never settle for the bagged stuff again.
“This recipe is fantastic. I swapped in olive oil. Seriously amazing, easy to make, melt in your mouth tortillas. Thanks!”
– PJ
Update: This flour tortilla recipe was originally published in September 2014. I made updates to the article below to include more information about making them from scratch.
Hi, friends! If you’ve ever wondered how to make flour tortilla from scratch, I’ve got great news: you don’t need any special equipment, complicated culinary techniques, or a long list of ingredients. With just a handful of pantry staples, a little resting time, a hot skillet, and this easy recipe, you’ll making wonderfully soft, flavorful tortillas at home in no time:
Table of Contents
- About this tutorial for making flour tortilla from scratch
- Ingredients you’ll need to make this flour tortilla recipe
- How to make flour tortilla from scratch
- Expert tips from a professional chef for the best flour tortilla
- FAQ: frequently asked questions
- Why do my tortillas keep shrinking after I roll them out?
- Is this flour tortilla recipe easy enough for a beginner, without a stand mixer?
- Why are my tortillas turning out hard or tough instead of soft?
- What’s the difference between using milk and using heavy cream?
- Do I need any special equipment to make homemade tortillas?
- Do I need a tortilla press?
- Why aren’t my tortillas fluffy like the ones at a restaurant?
- What skillet is best for tortilla recipes?
- Serving thick tortillas
- Storing leftover flour tortillas
- More from scratch recipes!
- Easy Flour Tortilla Recipe: Thick, Fluffy & From Scratch
About this tutorial for making flour tortilla from scratch
Picture this: a soft, slightly springy round of tortilla dough hitting a hot skillet and puffing up right before your eyes; its surface freckled with golden spots and its texture soft enough to fold around juicy fillings without cracking. THAT’S the magic of a homemade flour tortilla recipe — and it’s every bit as satisfying as it sounds. These flour tortillas are rich, tender, and a subtly sweet from warm cream with a thick, perfectly pliable texture and a delightful chew that holds up beautifully to hearty burrito and taco fillings.
And best of all, this isn’t a fussy, all-day bread baking project! It’s a straightforward, fuss-free, one-bowl dough made with white flour, baking powder, salt, oil and warm cream or milk. And it comes together in under an hour, most of which is hands-off dough resting time.
Serve them warm alongside Taco Tuesday night favorites. Wrap up breakfast burritos for a lazy Sunday morning. Set out a warm stack for a backyard fajita night at home. Or use them for quesadillas, sandwich wraps, enchiladas, and so much more. Regardless of how you use them, once you’ve tasted a fluffy flour tortilla made from scratch, fresh from the skillet, you’ll never look at a package of those store-bought rounds quite the same.
Why make THIS recipe over other’s you can find on the internet
As a classically-trained chef, I care about two things above all else in a tortilla: texture and structure. And, this recipe for flour tortillas from scratch nails both — here’s exactly why:
- Warm Liquids Creates Ease and Warm Dairy Creates Tenderness. Using warm liquids helps the fat easily and evenly disperse through the flour, encouraging just enough gluten for fluffy structure. While warm cream specifically lends richness and helps the tortillas brown beautifully on a hot skillet. This is chemistry behind why these tortillas roll out smoothly and stay pliable instead of springing back and shrinking.
- Baking Powder Does Double Duty. Unlike traditional lard-based tortillas that rely purely on fat for tenderness, this dough uses baking powder as a gentle leavening agent. That’s what creates those coveted fluffy, thick tortillas with a slightly puff and soft crumb — instead of a flat, dense round.
- Double-Rest Method For Easier Rolling. Resting the dough once as a whole ball, then again after portioning it into individual balls, relaxes the gluten strands developed during kneading. Skip this step and you’ll fight the dough the entire time you’re rolling it out as it’ll try to shrink back on you, every single time.
- Wonderfully Simple to Make. All-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, and warm cream are the foundation. And, there’s no specialty tools required. It’s a recipe built for real weeknights, not just special occasions.
- Customizable Texture and Flavor. Roll them a little thicker for plush, fluffy tortilla results, or roll them thinner for a more pliable tortilla perfect for tacos and wraps. Plus, you can swap the cream for milk, use bread flour for more chew, and add seasonings flavor. This dough is forgiving and adaptable.
- Enormous Payoff, Very Little Effort. Think roughly fifteen minutes of hands-on work for a result that tastes dramatically better — richer, chewier, more aromatic — than anything wrapped in plastic at the grocery store.
Ingredients you’ll need to make this flour tortilla recipe
As promised, you’ll need 5 basic ingredients (and no lard or specialty items) to make flour tortillas from scratch. Here’s what to grab:
- All-Purpose Flour. White flour provides the structure for the tortillas — giving them perfect amount of chew without ending up gummy. Be sure to spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off, rather than packing it down.
- Kosher Salt. A little bit of salt seasons the dough and prevents the finished flour tortillas from tasting flat.
- Baking Powder. This leavening agents gives the tortillas a little lift and helps contribute to their soft, fluffy texture.
- Vegetable Oil or Canola Oil. Neutral oil gives these tortillas their tender, pliable texture instead of a bready, tough one. Substitute: While I prefer the clean flavor of vegetable and canola oil, you can try using a good extra-virgin olive oil for a savory, fruity undertone.
- Warm Milk or Cream. Heavy cream, half-and-half or whole milk replaces some of the richness you’d find in tortillas made with lard, while also keeping things totally vegetarian-friendly. Plus, dairy aides in the tortillas browning during cooking. Substitute: For vegan flour tortillas, simply swap in melted vegan butter.
- Hot Water. Water heated to around 140°F helps hydrate the flour and contributes to a dough that is pliable and tender rather than dense. Using warm—not scalding—liquid makes the dough easier to work with.
Delicious variations to try
Once you’ve got the basics of making flour tortillas from scratch down, I highly encourage you to experiment in the kitchen. Here’s a few ways you can make this recipe your own:
- Extra Chewy Tortillas: If you prefer chewier Mexican tortillas, swap out 1 cup of AP flour for bread flour.
- Add a Savory Herby Twist: Knead in a teaspoon of garlic powder and finely chopped fresh herbs like cilantro or chives for a flour tortillas recipe with built-in flavor.
- Size Up for Burritos: Divide the dough into fewer, larger portions and roll them out to about eight or nine inches, instead of the standard taco size.
- Size Down for Appetizers: Portion the dough into smaller balls for mini tortillas, perfect for slider-style tacos or dipping into queso chorizo dips.
- Give them a Golden Hue: Add a pinch of turmeric or/and a touch of paprika to the dry ingredients to make tortillas with a subtle color and a flavor boost.
- Classic Lard Tortillas: For a thinner, more traditional-style variation, swap out the neutral oil for
How to make flour tortilla from scratch
Learning how to make flour tortillas isn’t as difficult as you might think. Below is a step-by-step guide to how it’s done from scratch. If you’re looking for the precise measurements and detailed instructions, please scroll down to the complete recipe card at the bottom of the page.
(See recipe card for how to make flour tortilla from scratch with a stand mixer.)
Expert tips from a professional chef for the best flour tortilla
As a professionally trained chef, these are the tips and tricks to follow to set yourself up for thick tortillas with real bakery-level texture every single time:
- Measure Flour Correctly. Too much flour is one of the fastest ways to end up with stiff, difficult-to-roll tortilla dough. Be sure to spoon and level your flour, rather than scooping directly from the bag.
- Keep Dough Slightly Soft. You want the dough to feel supple and slightly tacky. However, it shouldn’t be extremely sticky — resist the temptation to dump in lots of flour.
- Warm the Liquids First. Warm dairy and warm water help the dough come together more smoothly, making rolling more effortless and encouraging tender texture.
- Don’t Skip Resting. If you’re after tender tortillas, this is one of the most important steps. You’ll need to let the whole ball of dough rest AND the individual dough balls rest again. This rest is what keeps your dough from fighting back when you roll it out.
- Keep Unused Dough Covered. Air will dry out the dough’s surface, which will make it harder to roll out smoothly. Keep anything you aren’t actively working with covered with a clean towel or plastic wrap.
- Preheat your Skillet Properly. Give your pan a full five minutes to preheat before your first tortilla goes in. A lukewarm pan will give you pale, gummy tortillas.
- Roll from the Center and Rotate. Start in the center and rotate the dough as you roll it out so you develop an even circle instead of a tortilla that’s thick in the middle and thin at the edges.
- Watch for the Puff, then Flip. A homemade tortilla is quick cooking. It’s ready to flip once it puffs slightly and shows golden char spots on the bottom.
- Stack and Cover Cooked Tortillas. Stack the finished flour tortillas on a plate and cover loosely with a clean towel or foil as you cook the rest. The trapped warmth helps keep every tortilla soft and pliable.
- Enjoy Warm if Possible. Truly, there’s nothing like a fresh-from-the-skillet tortilla — they’re warm, supple, and beautifully fragrant.
FAQ: frequently asked questions
You’ve got questions? I’ve got answers! If you have a question you don’t see listed below, please drop them in the comments section. I’m happy to help when I can!
Why do my tortillas keep shrinking after I roll them out?
If your dough keeps bouncing back after rolling it out, just relax — literally! This is just a sign that the gluten hasn’t had enough time to relax and it needs to rest for a little bit longer. Be sure you give the dough its full resting time, both as a whole ball and again after portioning it out into individual pieces. Why? Kneading develops gluten, and gluten naturally contracts. But, resting will give those strands of gluten enough time loosen, which will make the dough much easier to roll out.
Is this flour tortilla recipe easy enough for a beginner, without a stand mixer?
You can absolutely make this tortilla dough by hand. Simply mix the dry ingredients, stir in the oil until incorporated, then add your warm liquid and knead by hand on a floured surface until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Why are my tortillas turning out hard or tough instead of soft?
Oh no, that’s never the goal! The most common causes are: too much flour, insufficient resting time, a skillet that isn’t hot enough, or overcooking.
- Excess flour will make the tortilla dough stiff. Be sure to properly scoop and level the white flour before adding it to the dough.
- Insufficient rest time will produce dough that’s tough. Ensure you are properly resting the dough to give the gluten time to relax.
- A skillet or griddle needs to be hot enough that it cooks the tortilla quickly enough to set the surface before too much moisture escapes, which keeps the inside soft.
- Overcooking is a sure-fire way to get touch, hard tortillas. Cook the flour tortillas on both sides until you get nice charred spots, then remove them.
What’s the difference between using milk and using heavy cream?
Mostly richness. Milk will give you a class, lightly rich tortilla, while heavy cream will add a noticeably richer and softer, almost velvety-tender texture thanks to its higher fat content, and half-and-half is a good middle road. You can use milk, heavy cream, or half and half to make this flour tortilla recipe — it’s truly a matter of personal preference.
Do I need any special equipment to make homemade tortillas?
Nope, you sure don’t! A large mixing bowl, a rolling pin, and a skillet or griddle are genuinely all you need for this flour tortillas recipe.
Do I need a tortilla press?
Again, nope! This flour tortilla dough is soft enough to roll out with a regular-ole rolling pin. Fun fact: a tortilla press is more commonly associated with corn tortillas, not flour ones.
Why aren’t my tortillas fluffy like the ones at a restaurant?
The puffiness of your tortillas depends upon leavening, trapped steam, and a hot enough cooking surface. Be sure to check your baking powder hadn’t expiration, you didn’t roll the dough too thin, and that your skillet is properly preheated. If you do those three things, your tortillas should perfectly puffy after cooking.
What skillet is best for tortilla recipes?
You’ll want to use a cast-iron skillet or a heavy-bottomed pan for the best results. Why? Both work especially well at holding heat, consistently. However, a griddle is also excellent. And, a good-quality nonstick skillet can also work for this flour tortillas recipe.
There’s something genuinely special about pulling a warm, perfectly blistered tortilla off the skillet and knowing you made it with your own two hands, from five simple pantry ingredients. And, once you know how to make flour tortillas from scratch, there’s simply no going back to those store-bought bags.
Soft-and-tender, thick-and fluffy, and lightly chewy with golden char spots and fresh-off the-skillet aroma, these easy flour tortilla recipe delivers everything you could possibly want — without demanding a single piece of special equipment or any lard.
So, grab your flour, warm up that water and cream, and give this flour tortillas recipe a try. Just don’t forget to come back to share how they turned out and what you stuffed inside them. I truly love cheering you ono in the kitchen!
Until next time, cheers,
Cheyanne
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Easy Flour Tortilla Recipe: Thick, Fluffy & From Scratch
Equipment
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl with Wooden Spoon OR Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- 3 Cups All-Purpose Flour – spooned and leveled (375 grams)
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/3 Cup Neutral Oil (SEE NOTES)
- ½ Cup EACH: Warm Water + Warm Heavy Cream (substitution: 1 cup warm water) (SEE NOTES)
- Optional: ½ – 1 tsp Granulated Sugar
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, baking powder and salt (plus sugar if using). Whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Slowly Add Oil: Fasten the paddle attachment to your stand mixer. With the mixer on low, slowly stream in the oil. Once all the oil is added, increase the speed to medium-low and mix until flour resembles soft crumbles, about 45 seconds to 1 minute. (See notes for making tortilla dough by hand.)
- Add Warm Water and Warm Cream: Switch to the dough hook attachment. With the mixer still at medium-low speed, slowly pour in the warm water and mix until the water is totally absorbed. Then, slowly stream in the milk and mix until the dairy is absorbed.
- Knead Flour Tortilla Dough: Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 3-4 minutes. (Note: Dough will be slightly sticky.)
- Rest Dough: Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and shape it into a tight ball. Cover with plastic or a damp tea towel and let rest at room temperature for 10-30 minutes Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Portion Tortilla Dough: Divide the dough into 18 even portions. Working with 1 small portion of dough at a time and keeping the rest covered to prevent drying, gently roll it into a ball between the palms of your hand. Transfer tortilla dough ball to the parchment lined pan and cover with plastic wrap. Repeat process with the remaining dough balls. (Tip: You don’t need to be perfect. To make quick and easy work of portioning the tortilla dough, begin by halving the dough ball. Then, keep halving each half of dough until you get 18 individual pieces.)
- Rest Again: Cover the tray of tortilla dough balls with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes (or up to 2 hours). (Note: The longer you let the dough rest at this post, the easier it will be to roll out each individual tortilla.)
- Heat Skillet: Heat a dry cast iron skillet, or heavy-bottom pan, over medium-high heat.
- Roll out Tortilla Dough: Working with one dough ball at a time, and keeping the rest covered to prevent drying, transfer a ball to your lightly floured work surface. Gently flatten the ball into a fat hockey puck using the palm of your hand. Switch to a rolling pin, and working from the center out, roll the dough out into a 6 to 7-inch tortilla. (Tip: Make sure you flour your work surface as needed. Flip the dough over and rotate it 45-degrees clockwise often. Do not over-roll the dough or it will become stiff. Think of rolling the dough as like coloring in a coloring book – you want to stay INSIDE the lines, or within the dough circle. Don’t roll PAST any of the edges.)
- Cook Flour Tortilla: Transfer the raw tortilla to the preheated pan. Cook – undisturbed – until the tortilla forms bubbles on top and the bottom is lightly browned in spots, about 1 minute. Flip the tortilla and cook on the opposite side until the tortilla is blistered with golden spots all over, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer the cooked tortilla to a large sealable plastic bag to prevent drying and keep warm. Repeat the rolling and cooking process with the remaining tortilla dough balls. (Tip: Every stove top is different. When cooking tortillas, make sure you adjust the heat as necessary to lightly brown the tortilla without burning it.)
- Use or Store Flour Tortillas: Tortillas are best when enjoyed warm, as soon as possible after cooking.
Notes
- Oil: I typically use a neutral oil such as vegetable or canola. However, you can use a good-quality extra-virgin olive oil is you prefer a savory flavored tortilla.
- Hot liquids: Your water and milk need to be warm to help make the dough pliable and easy to roll and shape. I recommend heating your water to about 140-150°F and your milk to about 120-130°F.
- Dairy: Heavy cream will give the richest flavor, while whole milk will give the mildest flavor, and half-and-half lands somewhere in between.
- No stand mixer? No problem!
- Step 1: Follow recipe as instructed.
- Step 2: Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the oil and mix, stirring from the bottom of the bowl up, until all the oil is incorporated.
- Step 3: Next, add the warm water and mix until incorporated. Then, add the warm milk and mix until incorporated again. Continue to stir until the dough forms a loose ball.
- Step 4: Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for 8-10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
- Step 5: Continue with recipe as directed.
- Storing warm tortillas: I recommend placing your warm tortillas into a large resealable bag and sealing it. The warm, moist environment keeps the flour tortillas super pliable, soft, and warm. However, you can also wrap them in a clean towel.
Nutrition
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PJ
“This recipe is great. I swapped in olive oil. Seriously amazing, easy to make, melt in your mouth tortillas. Thanks!
PJ
This recipe is fantastic. I swapped in olive oil. Seriously amazing, easy to make, melt in your mouth tortillas. Thanks!
David Harrloe
I’ve been looking for a recipe for tortillas that called for heavy cream I substituted vegetable oil for lard. The end results were very good they taste great & chewy just like I like them. Oh by the way I made them with out a mixer I made them the old fashion way.
Thank you,