Homemade Tortillas

Fresh bean and cheese quesadillas with homemade tortillas

There is nothing like a fresh, homemade tortillas straight from the skillet. Once you have had a homemade tortilla the store bought ones will never taste the same. You would think that making your own tortillas would be time consuming, but they are surprisingly easy. I made some earlier this week and I think start to finish it was about 30 minutes...and that included the 10 minutes of rest time the dough needs.

This recipe is seriously easy. In a large mixing bowl combine 3 cups flour, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup hot water (not boiling), and 1/4 cup oil. 

Mix everything with your hands until you can form the dough into a ball. 

Now set the dough aside and let it rest for 10 minutes. This step is very important. If you skip it the tortillas do not roll out as easy.

 After the dough as set for 10 minutes break it into 8 pieces. The easiest way to do this is to break it in half then in half again and then one more time. You should have 8 semi equal size balls.

Next roll each ball out onto a floured surface. The thinner the better. If you like a chewier tortilla you can leave them a little thicker. They will also cook faster if they are thinner. 

Place each rolled tortilla into a skillet that has been heated to medium heat.  You do NOT need to add any oil to the skillet. A dry skillet works best. Allow it to cook 2-3 minutes then flip. 

 Let the tortilla cook another 2-3 minutes on the second side. It may bubble slightly. If this happens just use a spatula to break the air bubbles.

Remove each tortillas after it has finished cooking and move to a plate. Keep the cooked tortillas covered until ready to serve. They will keep for a couple of days. They will not last nearly as long as store bought tortillas because they do not have any of the nasty preservatives. 

Some people tell me they love to use a tortilla press when they make theirs, but since I have never had one I have always just rolled them out. I am sure you could get a more uniform size with a press though. It might even make things a bit faster. 

Homemade Tortillas

• 3 cups wheat flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup oil 

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl
2. Mix until a ball of dough forms
3. Let the dough sit covered for 10 minutes
4. Break the dough into 8-16 balls
5. Roll each ball out and place in a skillet
6. Cook each side of tortilla 2-3 minutes
7. Keep cooked tortillas covered until you serve them

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