Tortillas Recipe (How to make flour tortilla from scratch)
Make a beautifully soft, perfectly pliable Flour Tortilla from scratch with just 5 ingredients and 15 minutes of hands-on prep! This no-lard flour tortilla recipe is a snap to make with basic pantry ingredients and tastes a million times better than the store bought variety. Use them to make tacos, quesadillas, burritos, sandwich wraps and more!Recipe can be scaled up or down by using the slider if you hover your mouse over the number of Servings.
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 + milk: 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.
Mix 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: 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 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: 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.
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.
Nutritional information is an approximation based upon 18 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.