Homemade Flour Tortillas
Making flour tortillas from scratch is worth the trouble with the savings and the flavor! Practice makes perfect with this recipe, so be sure so save it so you can always elevate your Mexican and TexMex dishes
Yield: Approximately 16-20 tortillas, depending on desired size
Prep Time: about 15-20 minutes
Rest Time: 30 minutes to an hour
Cook Time: about 10-15 minutes
Ingredients
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 ¾ tsp salt
1½ tsp baking powder
8 Tbsp (1 stick) melted butter
1⅓ cups hot water
Directions
Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. This ensures everything is evenly distributed for a perfect tortilla.
Add Wet Ingredients: With your stand mixer running on low speed (or if mixing by hand, slowly and steadily), gradually pour in the melted butter and hot water.
Knead the Dough: Continue to knead the dough with your mixer for 3-5 minutes. You'll know it's ready when the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Don't worry if it's still a little sticky at the bottom.
Prep for Resting: Lightly flour your work surface, then turn the dough out onto it. Now, it's time to divide the dough into even balls. The size depends on how big you want your tortillas to be. For a standard taco size, aim for golf-ball to small plum-sized portions.
The All-Important Rest: This step is crucial for tender tortillas! Arrange your dough balls on a plate or baking sheet, then cover them tightly with plastic wrap. Let them rest for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours at room temperature. This resting period relaxes the gluten, making the dough much easier to roll out.
Heat Your Griddle: While your dough is resting or towards the end of the resting time, heat a griddle or comal over medium-high heat. You want it hot enough to cook the tortillas quickly without drying them out.
Roll 'Em Out: On a lightly floured surface, take one dough ball at a time and roll it out thinly into a round shape. The thinner you roll, the softer your tortillas will be.
Cook to Perfection: Carefully transfer a rolled tortilla to your hot griddle. Cook for 10-20 seconds per side, or until you see beautiful light brown spots appear. They'll puff up a bit, which is a great sign!
Cool and Store: As each tortilla finishes cooking, transfer it to a wire rack to cool slightly. Once cooled, store them in a stack, wrapped in paper towels, inside a sealed Ziploc bag. This keeps them soft and fresh for days!
