Homemade Flour Tortillas
These delicious Flour Tortillas are so easy to make at home, and they are a world apart from store-bought! They make a great addition to any Mexican meal.
- Prep time
- 25 min
- Cook time
- 25 min
- Yield
- 12 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 3 cups all-purpose flour tortillas (plus more to dust when rolling)
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- ½ cup vegetable shortening (plus more to coat the tortilla dough balls)
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 teaspoon baking powder, optional
- 500 grams all-purpose flour (plus more to dust when rolling)
- ¾ tablespoon table salt
- 100 grams Vegetable shortening in butter flavor (spreadable)
- 1 cups hot water
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to coat the tortilla dough balls
Instructions
- 1
KNEADING BY HAND:
- 2
In a very large bowl, whisk the flour, salt & baking powder.
- 3
Add the vegetable shortening/butter and incorporate well until it's all blended and crumbly.
- 4
Add the hot water little by little and mix with your hands. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. The longer you knead the masa it will release the gluten allowing for a light fluffy tortilla.
- 5
Dough should not be sticky to the touch. If it's sticky then add ½ teaspoon of flour at the time until it's no longer sticky. Don't add too much since this could make your tortillas hard later on.
- 6
KNEADING WITH A STAND MIXER:
- 7
In the bowl of a stand mixer and the whisk attachment in place, add the flour, salt & baking powder. Whisk until well incorporated.
- 8
Add the shortening/butter or lard and mix well until crumbly. Scrape the sides with a spatula to incorporate all flour as you go along.
- 9
Change to the dough hook and turn to speed 2. Start adding the hot water little by little (about ¼ cup at the time).
- 10
Mix until dough clings to hook and cleans side of bowl. Knead on speed 2 for 2 minutes longer, or until dough is smooth and elastic.
- 11
Dough should not be sticky to the touch. If it's sticky then add ½ teaspoon of flour at the time until it's no longer sticky. Don't add too much since this could make your tortillas hard later on.
- 12
REST TIME
- 13
Place the dough in a large bowl and cover with a damp towel and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
- 14
PREPARE COOKING THE EQUIPMENT
- 15
Heat the comal/skillet until very hot on medium high heat, then lower to medium heat before you start cooking the first tortilla.
- 16
ROLLING TECHNIQUE
- 17
Sprinkle a little flour on a clean surface such as your kitchen counter.
- 18
Grab a handful (a little larger than a golf ball) of the dough and set the rest of the dough aside still covered with the towel.
- 19
Spread the dough ball with a rolling pin, from the center outwards without reaching the ends. Rotate the dough to give a round and thin shape.
- 20
As you roll the tortilla turn the tortilla to the fat edge and roll. Keep turning the tortilla and rolling the fat edge.
- 21
COOK THE TORTILLAS
- 22
Before you begin, make sure the comal/skillet is hot. It's ready for the tortillas when you see steam coming out of it.
- 23
Carefully, add the tortilla and cook until it starts to bubble on the edges, about 30 seconds.
- 24
Using your fingers or a spatula, flip it. When it start to bubble, start turning then turn it around with a with a paper towel like if you were playing a music disk (watch video on mark ) . This way the tortilla cooks evenly since sometimes the comal is not heated evenly. Cook on this side about 50 seconds.
- 25
Flip it once again. This is the last turn and it's when you'll get those big bubbles. Do not poke them! Cook for about 50 seconds.
- 26
Remove from the comal immediately and transfer to a tortillera or a clean kitchen towel and cover.