Homemade Flour Tortillas

Homemade flour tortillas have been on my “to-try” list for a long time, and I finally recently got around to making them. If I knew how wonderful and easy they were to make, I would have tried them months ago! I know I say this a lot about other food, but now that I’ve tried homemade tortillas, I will never buy store-bought tortillas again. Honestly. Homemade tortillas are fluffy, tender and more tasty than their store bought counterparts. There really is no comparison.

They are surprisingly easy to make, especially if you have access to a food processor. I don’t, so I mixed the dough by hand, which really wasn’t that much work. You don’t need a fancy tortilla press, just a rolling pin and a skillet. They also freeze beautifully, so go ahead and double the recipe so you have homemade tortillas on hand at all times whenever the craving strikes.

Homemade Flour Tortillas
Yields: 12 (8-inch) tortillas 

Ingredients:
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 heaping teaspoon salt
5 Tablespoons shortening, lard or butter – cut into tablespoons
3/4 to 1 cup warm water

Directions:
Using a food processor fitted with a paddle attachment, pulse the dry ingredients. A few tablespoons at a time, add the fat and process until the mixture is uniformly crumbly, about 5 seconds. Turn the food processor on, and slowly add the water just until the dry ingredients for a ball. Continue to knead the dough for about 30 seconds until the dough is no longer sticky, adding additional flour if necessary. You can of course, mix the dough by hand or with a pastry blender.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface or pastry mat. Divide the dough into 12 golf-ball sized portions, about 2 ounces each. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium to medium high heat.

Take one dough ball, and while keep the others covered with the kitchen towel, pat the dough ball into a small disk.Use a rolling pin to roll the ball into a very thin, 8 inch circle.

Transfer the tortilla to the skillet and cook for 10 to 20 seconds. Gently flip the tortilla and repeat with the other side. Be careful to watch your tortillas as they cook very quickly. Be sure to turn down the temperature if your tortillas are burning too quickly. Transfer the cooked tortillas to a plate and cover with a kitchen towel to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining dough balls.

Serve warm from the skillet, or store in a ziplock bag for later use. You can store them at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for much longer. To rewarm, wrap them in foil and stick them in the oven, or layer between paper towels and heat in the microwave.

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride, as seen on Pennies on a Platter