Flour tortillas

Recipe by Villa CocinaCourse: SidesCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Medium
Servings

12

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes
Resting TIme

25

minutes
Total time

1

hour 

15

minutes

I cherish the beauty in culture and what it offers. Mexican cuisine is filled with technique and rich in creativity. Women in our town would stretch these by hand and lay them on a hot chimney made from clay, fired by mountain, hand picked wood. They were paired with a sweet hot beverage or made into buñuelos. These flour tortillas are soft, tender, delicate and delicious. If this is the first time you make them, don’t get frustrated, grow familiar with the process. There is only a few ingredients but the outcome is perfect in every way.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all purpose flour

  • 2 tsp baking powder

  • 2 tsp of salt

  • 3 TBSP vegetable shortening

  • 2 TBSP unsalted butter

  • 1 cup warm water

Directions

  • In a large bowl, place the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until well incorporated
  • In a separate container, combine the water, vegetable shortening and butter. Place in the microwave for about 50-60 seconds until the fat fully melts. Whisk to combine. Pour the warm mixture into the flour and mix to combine, until a mass is formed.
  • Knead between 5-10 minutes in the bowl or transfer the dough to a flat surface. If needed lightly dust flour to avoid the dough from sticking. Add as little as possible.
  • When the dough looks smooth, form into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
  • After the 15 minutes it will feel soft and elastic.
  • Divide into 2 oz balls. Take the balls into your hands, turn and tuck under to make       them tight and smooth. Lightly rub the surface with shortening, cover with plastic wrap  and allow them to rest for an additional 20-25 minutes.
  • When the resting period is over, preheat a non stick griddle/comal over medium heat.
  • Lightly dust flour over your working area (see note). If you add too much you can dry out the tortillas.
  • Place the ball of dough in the center and begin rolling in one direction then turn. Continue rolling and turning until you have a thin round tortilla. Towards the end you can roll towards and away from you until you reach about 1/16’’ in thickness.
  • Second method for rolling: mold the tortillas with a rolling pin until you reach mid size. Then place on the side of your hand. With the other hand stretch gently to thin it out while rotating until you reach the desired thickness. Avoid breaking the tortilla.
  • Place the tortilla over the already hot griddle and notice air bubbles begin to rise as the underside develops golden brown spots. This will take about 30 seconds. Once the underside looks thoroughly cooked flip and let the other side do the same. More air bubbles will develop and it will fluff up. It will take about 30 seconds for the tortillas to be cooked and ready.
  • Remove from the heat once completely cooked and wrap in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm. Continue with the rest of the tortillas until they are all done.

Recipe Video

Notes

  • If dusting flour to prevent dough from sticking to the surface, remember to add as little as possible. This can dry out the tortillas. I prefer using a silpad/non-stick mat when kneading. Silpad pastry non-stick workstation mat 15-1/8’’ x 23’’ : https://amzn.to/36er9rj
  • Resting the dough is very important because it will relax and not be resistant when shaping.
  • The temperature of the griddle is important. It should be hot when you cook the tortillas. If too hot, the spots will burn quickly. If the comal is too cold, the tortillas will dry out.Play around with the temperature and find your sweet spot.
  • If you don’t want to use vegetable shortening in this recipe, you can use all unsalted butter.
  • Pair these soft flour tortillas with Queso fundido and  Chicken Quesadillas
  • Amazon links:
    🌟PRODUCTS IN THIS VIDEO 
    (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases)
    Silpad pastry non-stick workstation mat 15-1/8’’ x 23’’ : https://amzn.to/36er9rj

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