Flour Tortillas
Ah, the humble, legendary flour tortilla. From 16th-century Mexico, to modern Tex-Mex staples, to world domination. Let's make some!
Equipment
- Normal Kitchen Utensils
- Rolling Pin or Wine Bottle
- A comal would be great here but you could use any pan, skillet or griddle
Ingredients
- 2 C All Purpose Flour Plus More for Kneading
- 1 C Hot Water As Hot As You Can Get Without Burning Your Hands
- 2 Tbsp Lard, Butter or Vegetable Oil
- 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 1/2 tsp Salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt and baking powder.2 C All Purpose Flour, 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder, 1 1/2 tsp Salt
- Add the lard, butter or oil and squeeze it into the flour with your hands (similar to making biscuits). Continue mixing and squeezing until the fat is evenly distributed. The mixture should start to feel almost sandy.2 Tbsp Lard, Butter or Vegetable Oil
- Mix the hot water into this mixture. Stir (with a spoon or your hands) until is forms into a dough. Then squeeze the dough into a ball and move it to a lightly floured surface for kneading.1 C Hot Water
- Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes, until it firms up and becomes smooth. Add pinches of flour to your hands and the surface as necessary. You shouldn't need to add a lot - just enough to keep it from sticking to your hands or the surface.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and rolls them into balls. Place them in a bowl and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Let them rest for 15, preferably 30, minutes.
- When the dough is rested, heat your comal, skillet or griddle until it is ripping hot.
- As the cooking surface heats, roll out your dough balls on a lightly floured surface. I usually roll one at a time, but you can do multiple, or all of them, at once.
- Once the surface is nice and hot, add your rolled out dough. Cook each tortilla about 15 seconds on each side. The idea is basically sear both sides and get a couple of char spots, and then get it off. The longer you cook a tortilla, the less pliable it becomes. An overcooked tortilla is basically a tostada shell.
- Serve these right away while they are nice and warm - as a side with some good Tex-Mex, in tacos or burritos, fried in flautas, or simply with some butter or honey.
- If any of these tortillas survive to the next meal, you can reheat them again on the comal, pan or griddle. Medium-high heat for a few seconds on each side.