Best Homemade Flour Tortillas Recipes

HOMEMADE FLOUR TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. Mix in the lard with your fingers until the flour resembles cornmeal. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together; place on a lightly floured surface and knead a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball.
• Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a well-floured rolling pin to roll a dough ball into a thin, round tortilla. Place into the hot skillet, and cook until bubbly and golden; flip and continue cooking until golden on the other side. Place the cooked tortilla in a tortilla warmer; continue rolling and cooking the remaining dough.

AUTHENTIC HOMEMADE FLOUR TORTILLAS

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix in the lard/margarine with your fingers until the flour resembles cornmeal. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together; place on a lightly floured surface and knead a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball.
• Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a well-floured rolling pin to roll a dough ball into a very thin, round tortilla. Place into the hot skillet, and cook until bubbly and golden; flip and continue cooking until golden on the other side. Place the cooked tortilla in a tortilla warmer; continue rolling and cooking the remaining dough.
• Store in ziplock bag and re-warm in microwave or oven. If using microwave, wrap tortillas in moist (not wet) paper towel to steam them back to life.

HOMEMADE FLOUR TORTILLAS

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the bottom blade, add the all-purpose flour, wheat flour and salt and pulse 2 to 3 times to combine. Add in the cold lard and butter and pulse until the mix resembles cornmeal-like texture, 5 to 6 (20-second) pulses. Add the warm water and pulse until a dough ball forms.
• Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board and knead until the dough is elastic and smooth and no longer sticky, 3 to 4 minutes. Form into a small loaf shape, about 6 by 4-inches. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
• Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces. Working with one at a time, roll into a ball, about the size of a golf ball and dust lightly with flour. Repeat.
• Place the balls, one at a time, into a well-floured tortilla press, press down and remove. You should have a 6-inch disc at this point. Place the disc on a floured board and roll out to 8 to 9-inch in diameter and almost paper thin, lightly dusting with flour and turning as needed. You can stack them, separated by waxed paper.
• Heat a cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add the raw tortillas, one at time, cook for 30 to 45 seconds per side, or just until the bubbles puff up, then turn and repeat. Keep the cooked tortillas in a towel, covered, to keep warm and pliable.
• Special equipment: tortilla press.

SOFT HOMEMADE FLOUR TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Whisk the baking powder and salt into the flour.
• Mix in egg using a wooden spoon.
• Cut in the lard (easiest using a pastry cutter, but can be done with forks or butter knives).
• Add warm water.
• Mix, then knead for 5-10 minutes until smooth (I do about 5 minutes).
• Lightly coat hands with some of the reserved lard, and then shape dough into 12 balls. It will be necessary to re-coat hands every 1-2 tortillas. The dough will seem too wet, but it's okay!
• Lightly flour your board and rolling pin, roll out into thin disks. If you're having trouble getting the tortillas thin enough, use a little more flour on your dough board.
• Fry in a dry pan (no oil) on medium high heat, flipping once.
• Keep warm in towel until ready to serve. Or keep in gallon ziplock in the fridge.
• OPTIONAL: Kitchen-Aid mixer with dough hook will work instead of hand-kneading.
• OPTIONAL: I actually prefer to cook them as I roll them, instead of rolling them all out and then cooking them.
• OPTIONAL: Original recipe instructs, after kneading, to place in a NON-metallic bowl, cover with a wet paper towel, and let rest for 20 minutes. Then again, after shaping balls, rest again (similarly covered) for 10 minutes. I usually skip these steps and think they're still great.
• NOTE: Supposedly you should try to make SMOOTH balls, tucking in the bottom similar to yeast rolls, but in my opinion, it makes no difference.

HOMEMADE FLOUR TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Stir together flour with salt in a bowl, then cut in lard with a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture resembles meal. Drizzle vegetable oil over and stir in warm water with a fork until a dough forms. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 4 minutes, dusting hands occasionally with flour if dough is sticky.
• Form dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest 1 hour. Heat a dry well-seasoned cast-iron comal, regular griddle, or skillet over moderately low heat until hot. Cut dough into 12 equal pieces and form into balls.
• When rolling out 1 ball at a time with dowel, use just enough flour to prevent dough from sticking; you don't want excess flour coming off on the comal. Keep remaining dough covered with plastic wrap. Roll out each ball into a 7-inch round, maintaining an even thinness as you roll. Cook 1 tortilla on comal as you roll the next.
• Tortilla will bubble and puff, and bottom will be browned in spots in 45 seconds. Turn it over and cook second side in same way, moving tortilla around to compensate for any hot spots on comal if necessary. Transfer to a kitchen towel. Stack and cover tortillas as cooked. They can be frozen (cool thoroughly first). Rewarm thawed tortillas on comal before using.

HOMEMADE SPELT FLOUR TORTILLAS

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix all ingredients well.
• Cover and let sit in a warm place for 20 minutes.
• Divide into 8 equal parts and let sit, covered, another 20 minutes.
• Roll each ball out to a 6- or 7-inch circle shape. I've found it helps to flatten each ball with your hand. Then take the rolling pin and roll from the center outwards, back and forth a few times as you go around the circle. When it starts to get thinner, take your left hand (if you're right handed) and turn the tortilla a couple inches. Use your right hand to use the rolling pin (holding in the middle) and roll from the center outwards. Keep turning and rolling until it is paper thin.
• Preheat a skillet on medium high heat.
• Place a tortilla into the skillet and watch until bubbles form. This won't take long.
• After bubbles form, and the bottom is lightly brown (or there are darker spots), flip over, press down once or twice, and cook for about 30-45 seconds, or if smoke appears.
• Cook remaining tortillas, watching carefully, and place in a plastic bag, with wet paper towels in between them (or at least on top and bottom of stack) to keep them soft and moist.
• Refrigerate for later or remove the paper towels and freeze.

CHICKEN QUESADILLAS WITH HOMEMADE FLOUR TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, salt and baking powder together in a large bowl. Mix in the lard with your hands or a fork until the mixture resembles wet sand. Slowly mix in the hot water, mixing the dough by hand or with a fork until it comes together in a ball; you may have a little water leftover.
• Knead the dough by hand on a clean counter until smooth, 6 to 8 minutes. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes before portioning it into 12 equal balls. (At this point the dough can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to a day before use.)
• Roll out each ball of dough on a floured surface until about 1/8-inch thick. Heat a medium cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the tortillas one at a time in the skillet until they blister and puff, about 1 minute per side. Remove from the skillet and stack on a plate; cover with a kitchen towel as you work to keep the tortillas warm.
• For the quesadillas: Place one tortilla in a medium nonstick skillet and cover with shredded cheese and chicken. Cook over medium-low heat until the cheese begins to melt, 3 to 5 minutes. (If you like, heat 2 separate skillets so you can cook 2 quesadillas at once.)
• Place another tortilla on top of the first and flip. Cook until the underside is golden brown and the cheese is completely melted, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a cutting board. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
• Cut the quesadillas into triangles and serve with lime wedges, cilantro and toppings of choice: Sour cream, hot sauce, pickled jalapeños, guacamole and/or salsa.

HOMEMADE FLOUR TORTILLAS - 2 (OR 3) WW POINTS

Steps:

• Put the flour, shortening, baking powder, and salt in food processor. With the machine running, add the water through the feed tube; process just until a soft dough forms. Divide the dough into 6 pieces and shape each into a ball. Roll each ball out between sheets of plastic wrap into a 6-inch round.
• Set a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat and heat until a drop of water sizzles in it. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add a dough round and cook until speckled and slightly puffed, about 1 1/2 minute on each side. Transfer the tortilla to a plate lined with a clean kitchen towel; fold the towel over to keep the tortilla warm. Cook the remaining dough rounds to make a total of 6 tortillas, stacking them in the towel as they are cooked.
• To reheat the tortillas, wrap each one in a separate paper towel or napkin and microwave on High until heated, about 5 seconds for each tortilla.

HOMEMADE FLAVORED FLOUR TORTILLAS

Steps:

• 1. In your mixing bowl add flour, salt, baking powder, and mix in's of your choice.
• 2. Cut in shortening and mix until well combined.
• 3. Add water and mix until dough pulls away from the bowl then an additional 5 minutes.
• 4. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 15 minutes.
• 5. Separate into 8 equal pieces and place back in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
• 6. On wax paper roll one piece of dough until very thin. Don't worry if it isn't round - we'll fix that in a minute.
• 7. Using a large dinner plate press onto the dough and cut excess dough away from your tortilla.
• 8. Set tortilla a side, tear off another piece of wax paper and repeat stacking the tortillas on wax paper as you go.
• 9. Heat a large cast iron skillet on medium heat for 10 minutes.
• 10. Add your tortilla and cook until air pockets for. This only takes a minute or to so watch them closely.
• 11. Flip and cook the other side.
• 12. Stack tortillas on a pan covered with a towel.
• 13. Store your tortillas in the refrigerator in a storage container or zip lock bag. You can reheat your tortillas in the microwave for 15 seconds.. enjoy!

FRESH HOMEMADE FLOUR TORTILLAS!

Steps:

• Combine flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Mix well.
• Cut in the lard with one hand until incorporated. Thin flakes of lard are ok.
• Pour in the milk leaving back one or two Tablespoons. It will be pretty moist but should make a ball after 10 to 20 seconds of gentle mixing and very little kneading. Use the rest of the milk if necessary. Don't despair if the dough is a sticky tacky mess. Only If necessary, sprinkle in a a little more flour to turn it into a ball, working it as little as possible.
• Divide and roll the ball into six or seven balls. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and let set 30 minutes.
• Heat a skillet over medium heat. Adjust the temperature as you work. I prefer a cast iron skillet.
• Roll out a tortilla using light flour as needed.
• Cook each tortilla on one side and then the other (there should be some brown spots) and place on a plate covering with a dish towel as you go. Each tortilla should be stacked on tot of the last and covered with the towel.
• The towel is very important for keeping the moisture in ensuring that your tortillas will be flexible to fill and fold when the time comes to fill them.
• Leftovers should be stored in a zipper locked bag when sufficiently cooled.

AUNT EDNA'S HOMEMADE FLOUR TORTILLAS

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, place the flour, salt, and baking powder. Whisk together until well blended. Add the shortening and use your fingers or a pastry blender to cut it into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
• Slowly add the water, mixing it in with your fingers a little at a time. Turn the dough out onto a surface and knead until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Place the dough in a clean, large bowl, cover with a towel, and let rest for 20 minutes.
• Divide the dough into equal portions and roll each portion into a ball. Place the balls on a baking sheet or platter, cover with a towel, and let rest 20 minutes.
• On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin (palota) to roll one ball at a time into an evenly thick round; roll it to about 1/8 inch thick for thick, chewy tortillas or as thin as you like. It is more important that the round be evenly thick than a perfect circle, but there is a good method to getting a good, round shape: Place the ball on the lightly floured surface in front of you and flatten it slightly with your palm or the rolling pin. Place your rolling pin at the center of the round and roll once straight up and then straight down. Do not allow your rolling pin to roll right off the edges; just roll up to the edges, not off them. Lift the round and give it a quarter turn. Repeat the rolling and quarter turning until the round is the desired size and thickness. Place the rolled-out tortilla on a baking sheet or large platter and cover with a damp cloth while you roll out the remaining tortillas. Once you have the hang of it, you'll be able to roll and cook at the same time.
• Heat a comal over medium heat until hot. Place a tortilla on the comal and cook until the underside is brown in spots, the tortilla has risen slightly, and the surface is dotted with air bubbles, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Flip the tortilla and cook until that side is browned in spots (usually where the bubbles were), 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. For best results, do not flip the tortilla more than once. Transfer the tortilla to a tortilla warmer or place on a platter and cover with a cloth napkin while you cook the remaining tortillas. Serve warm.
• Try to flip flour and corn tortillas (page 174) only once; flipping them back and forth makes the tortillas tough. Wrapped tightly, flour tortillas can be stored for several days in the refrigerator. Reheat them on the comal just before serving.
• A tortilla press is essential for making Corn Tortillas (page 174) and Tostones (page 34). It is made from two round, heavy plates. One sits solidly on the counter and the other, attached to the first by a hinge, is pushed down over the first using the leverage of the handle. It's a beautifully simple design that hasn't been improved by the introduction of new technologies or materials. Buy the heaviest one you can find; I like cast iron. The weight helps do the pressing for you. Don't buy nonstick or electric presses. Be sure to line both sides of the press with wax paper or plastic wrap or the tortilla will stick to it. Tortilla presses can not only be found at kitchen supply retailers, department stores, and online, but they can also often be found for half the price in grocery stores catering to a Latin clientele.
• A comal is a flat, heavy griddle-again, I prefer cast iron-crucial for cooking tortillas. They are widely available at big box and department stores and well worth their very reasonable price. They're sturdy enough to last decades and are great for searing meat and making quesadillas, panini, and grilled cheese.
• Unlike the tortilla press and comal, a lidded tortilla warmer is not crucial for producing the most successful tortillas possible. You can certainly place cooked, warm tortillas on a platter and cover them with a clean, cloth napkin or pretty kitchen towel. But tortilla warmers are fun and often beautiful. I love to collect them, in fact, and have a large assortment of warmers made from cloth, ceramic, terra-cotta, and porcelain. I love to present everything I serve in an attractive way, and tortilla warmers look lovely on the table while actually doing the useful job of keeping my fresh tortillas moist and warm!

HOMEMADE FLOUR TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Combine the 3 cups flour, salt and baking powder in large bowl.
• Either by hand, or with pastry blender, work in the shortening until crumbly (you can add a little more shortening if the mixture looks too floury).
• Slowly add the water (I start with 1 cup and add more as needed) to flour mixture while tossing with a fork.
• With your hands, knead dough vigorously for about 2 minutes, until it forms a nice dough ball.
• Cover with cloth and let stand at least 15 minutes.
• Take a ball of dough (golf ball size for small, slightly more for bigger tortillas) and roll into a ball.
• Roll in flour to cover.
• On floured surface, roll out dough evenly and very thin.
• Place each tortilla on a medium hot cast iron skillet.
• Cook for about 1-2 minutes on each side, or until the tortilla no longer looks doughy.
• NOTE: the ingredients are fairly accurate, but feel free to adjust to get the correct consistency.

HOMEMADE FLOUR TORTILLAS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Stir in the water and oil.
• Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead 5-6 times.
• Divide dough into 8 equal portions. On the floured surface roll each portion into a 7-inch disk.
• In a large non-stick skillet coated with cooking spray cook tortillas over medium heat for 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned. Keep warm while cooking the others.

HOMEMADE FLOUR TORTILLAS

Steps:

• 1. Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the shortening and hot water, mixing until a soft dough forms.
• 2. Divide the dough into 16 pieces and shape each into a ball (these are called testales). On a floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll out each ball to a 6-inch circle.
• 3. Heat a griddle until hot. Place a tortilla on the griddle and cook until the bottom is lightly browned in spots, 1 to 2 minutes; the tortilla will puff up. Turn and cook until lightly browned in spots on the second side. Place in a towel-lined basket and cover with the towel to keep warm while you cook the remaining tortillas. Serve immediately.
• Variation:
• For extra flavor and crunch, add 1 cup finely chopped pecans to the dough, mixing thoroughly.

HOMEMADE FLOUR TORTILLAS

Steps:

• 1. Add the flour and shortening (or lard) to a large bowl. Use a pastry cutter (or your fingers) to work the fat into the flour - you want it incorporated completely. Combine the salt and water in a measuring cup and pour about 3/4 of the water over the flour/shortening mixture. Use a fork to stir to stir together until all of the dry ingredients are moistened, adding the rest of the water (and even a little more), if needed. Turn the dough onto your work surface and knead until smooth - it'll only take a minute or two. The dough shouldn't be very sticky, but if it is, add a tiny bit of flour to your hands so you can work with it. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each into a ball. Put them on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 30 minutes. This rest time helps the dough relax so it'll be easier to roll. Set a heavy skillet (I used cast iron) over medium to medium-high heat. Working with one piece of dough at a time, set on a lightly floured surface and roll into a 7-inch circle. Add only enough flour so you can work with the dough - it will be quite thin by the time it reaches 7 inches in diameter. Transfer to the preheated pan - you should hear a sizzle when you place the dough in the pan and should see bubbles forming across the surface almost immediately. Cook for 30-45 seconds on the first side, then flip and cook 30-45 seconds on the other side. The tortilla should be golden brown and might have a few dark spots, but you don't want to overcook it or it will be crisp rather than pliable. Transfer to a plate and cover with a kitchen towel. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough, and continue stacking them under the towel. Serve warm, or let cool then wrap in plastic and keep at room temperature for a few days, or pop in the freezer. Reheat in the microwave wrapped in damp paper towels. Makes 12 tortillas

HOMEMADE FLOUR TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Mix dry ingredients together (I use a food processor). Add lard and mix well. Pour water in until flour makes a dough. Knead for about 5 minutes. Make balls and cover with plastic wrap and let rest for about 30 minutes. Roll out on floured surface and place wax paper between each rolled out tortilla. Heat up griddle or cast iron skillet and cook on 1 side until bubbles and brown flecks appear (15-20 seconds). Turn and cook other side for 10-15 seconds. Place wax paper between cooked tortillas. Store in a freezer bag. Enjoy!

HOMEMADE FLOUR TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Gather your ingredients.
• Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of a mixer, fitted with a dough hook, and thoroughly combine.
• Chef's Note: You do not have to use a mixer... you can mix the ingredients by hand, just as Ms. Perez did.
• Add the oil and the water, and turn the mixer on medium low.
• Allow it mix for 2 or 3 minutes, until the mixture is smooth, and the dough begins to climb up the hook.
• Chef's Note: You might want to stop now and then and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Place the dough on a floured work surface.
• Divide the dough into about 16 pieces.
• Chef's Tip: Allow the dough pieces to rest for about 20 minutes.
• Heat a dry pan over medium-high heat.
• Roll out one of the dough balls, to about 7 inches.
• Carefully pick it up.
• Place in the hot pan.
• Cook on one side until you see bubbles beginning to form, about 1 minute.
• Flip and cook on the other side, about 1 to 2 minutes.
• Chef's Note: Place on a plate, and cover, and then repeat for the other tortillas.
• These tortillas will keep in the refrigerator for a week or more. In addition, you can freeze them, and they will keep for several months. Enjoy.
• Keep the faith, and keep cooking.