Updated September 2019
Even though he is not a huge Tex/Mex food fan, my husband has been after me to try making homemade flour tortillas for a long time because he loves cheesy chicken enchiladas and assumed tortillas would be easy to make.
Well, they are easy to make, it's just sometimes easier to buy them ready made. I know, I know ... why do that when you can make your own, right? Well, I finally tried my hand at them and oh ... my ... goodness, who knew they were so simple? Really, really easy.
A bit tedious maybe because you have to roll them out, then cook them, but the recipe makes 16 so you'd have some to enjoy now and some to freeze for later. What's not to love?
Ingredients
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
⅓ cup vegetable oil
1 cup warm water
Method
Combine flour, salt and baking powder in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the dough hook until well combined. Add oil and water with mixer running at a medium speed. Mix for 1 minute, stopping several times to scrape the sides of the bowl. After about 1 minute, or when mixture comes together and begins to form a ball, decrease mixing speed to low. Continue to mix for 1 minute or until dough is smooth.
Transfer from mixing bowl to a well-floured work surface. Divide dough into 16 fairly equal portions. Form each piece into a ball and flatten with the palm of your hand. If dough is sticky, use a bit more flour. Cover flattened balls of dough with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, heat a large pan over medium-high heat, or use a non-stick electric fry pan. Roll each dough piece into a rough circle, about 6-7 inches in diameter, keeping work surface and rolling pin lightly floured. I rolled a few at a time, cooked them, then rolled out more, and continued this way until they were all done.
When pan is very hot (about 350 degrees), place one dough circle into pan and allow to cook about 1 minute or until bottom surface has a few pale brown spots. The uncooked surface will begin to show a few little bubbles. If tortilla is browning too fast, reduced heat a bit. If it’s taking longer than a minute to see a few pale golden brown spots on underside of tortillas, increase heat a bit.
Flip to other side and cook for about 30 seconds.You want the tortilla to be soft but have a few small pale golden brown spots on surface. Remove from pan with tongs or large spatula and stack in a covered container or zippered bag till all tortillas are cooked.This will keep them soft. Wipe out the pan in between tortillas if flour is started to accumulate.
Serve warm or allow to cool for later use. When ready to use, place a slightly damp paper towel on the bottom of a plate and stack some tortillas on top. Cover with another damp paper towel and heat for 15-20 seconds or until warm.
The tortillas will keep well stored in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for 24 hours or can be frozen indefinitely. To freeze, separate tortillas with parchment paper or waxed paper and place in a zip-top bag before placing in freezer.
These tortillas also make great crisp crackers/chips. Just brush one with a teaspoon of olive oil, then sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Bake for 5 minutes at 450 degrees until golden brown. Serve with salsa or hummus for a delicious treat.
Original recipe via Chris Scheuer of The Cafe Sucre Farine
Enjoy,
Mary
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