Homemade Flour Tortillas
These tender, pliable homemade flour tortillas require just a handful of basic ingredients and about 30 minutes of your time, offering a perfect balance of soft texture and slight chewiness using the hot water method for authentic northern Mexican results.
Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Fork
- Pastry blender
- Rolling Pin
- Cast iron skillet - or heavy griddle
- Clean kitchen towel
- Tortilla warmer - optional for keeping tortillas warm and moist
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Kitchen timer
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour - 385g, plus extra for dusting
- 1 teaspoon salt - 6g
- 5 tablespoons vegetable shortening - 70g, lard or vegetable oil can be substituted
- 1 cup hot water - 240ml, as hot as you can handle with your hands, about 110-120°F (43-49°C)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder - 4g, optional for extra puffiness
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.
- Work the shortening into the flour mixture using a fork or pastry blender until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Pour three-quarters of the hot water into the flour mixture and stir until a shaggy dough forms, adding more water as needed.
- Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 2-3 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Form the dough into a ball, cover with a damp towel, and let rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
- Divide the rested dough into 10-12 equal portions and roll each into a smooth ball, then cover and rest for another 10 minutes.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough ball from the center outward into a thin 6-8 inch circle.
- Cook each tortilla in a hot, dry skillet for 30-45 seconds per side until light brown spots appear and the tortilla puffs slightly.
- Stack cooked tortillas in a clean kitchen towel or tortilla warmer to keep them soft and pliable.
Notes
- Use hot water (not boiling) for softer, more pliable tortillas; cold water results in tougher texture.
- Don't skip the resting period - this allows gluten to relax, making rolling much easier.
- Roll tortillas as thin as possible, aiming for translucency; thicker tortillas become stiff and don't fold well.
- Medium to medium-high heat is ideal; too hot burns them, too cool makes them tough and chewy.
- Keep uncooked dough balls and cooked tortillas covered with a damp towel to prevent drying.
- For whole wheat tortillas, replace half the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour and add an extra tablespoon of water.
- Substitute vegetable oil or melted butter for the shortening - use about 1/3 cup oil instead of solid fat.
- Store cooled tortillas wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
- Freeze with parchment paper between each tortilla in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
- Reheat tortillas in a dry skillet for 15-20 seconds per side or microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel for 30-45 seconds.