How does a stack of soft and warm homemade tortillas sound to you? Tempting and delicious right? Now with my recipe for Easy Homemade Flour Tortilla Recipe you can tuck into this deliciousness in under an hour. Tender, soft and quick and so simple to make you will never go back to store bought. EVER!
Oh how I love Mexican food…the wonderful taste, the colour, the vibrance, it is truly amazing. And then you have the delicious tortillas to mop up or wrap up the deliciousness. I absolutely love it.
You know I have never been to Mexico, but my dad had been on vacation there a few months ago. When he got back home we looked at all the pictures and videos he had taken of the beautiful city. We listened as he spoke of the wonderful people he met, and the great time and food he experienced. This is such a mystical and beautiful destination and although I have not been to Mexico, I can still bring the vibrant and delicious cuisine into my kitchen.
Starting with Easy Homemade Flour Tortilla, this is one of my favourite flatbread. These serve perfectly as a wrap, because it is so soft and pliable. And so many other ways you can use these tortillas as pizza bases, gyros, the possibilities are endless.
MAKING THE TORTILLAS
These are super easy to make, requiring just 5 staple ingredients flour, baking powder, salt, hot water and vegetable shortening or oil , I actually prefer the shortening as I find that it gives the tortillas a better texture.
Tortillas are usually and traditionally made with lard, but great substitutes are vegetable shortening, butter or oil. To make the tortilla just sift flour with baking powder and salt. Add vegetable shortening or butter.
Using your fingertips, rub the butter or shortening into the flour to create a coarse breadcrumb like texture. . If you prefer using oil instead of butter or shortening, then add vegetable oil with the hot water to the flour. Mix the dough with a fork, just to bring it together, then knead it for about a minute to form a soft dough.
LEAVE THE DOUGH TO REST
Preferably, you should leave the dough to rest for half an hour. This helps the flour to absorb all the water and it helps the gluten to relax. When the gluten is relaxed, it makes it easier to roll out the tortillas otherwise if it not left to rest, you will find that the dough keeps shrinking in or springing back as you roll it. So give it that half an hour, it does make quite a difference.
COOKING THE TORTILLAS
After 30 minutes roll out the tortillas, spray a pan with non stick cooking spray and cook the tortillas on the pan for 15 to 20 seconds on each side. Turn with a spatula when you see bubbles forming. Remove from the heat and cover with a clean cloth as you cook the rest of the tortillas. This keeps the tortillas soft.
This is a great recipe if you have never tried making tortillas before, because it is so easy, and I am sure that you will love it too.
Just make sure that the heat is set to medium low before cooking the tortillas and do not overcook….just 15 to 20 seconds is perfect. You will get the hang of it and understand the heat of your stove as you cook it.
Enjoy ♥
- 2 ½ cups / 300g All Purpose Flour / cake flour plus extra to form tortillas.
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 5 Tablespoons / 65g vegetable shortening or 1/3 cup oil (Note 1 )
- 1 cup / 250ml hot water
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Sift the cake or all purpose flour
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Add salt and baking powder.
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Using your fingertips, rub the butter or shortening into the flour.
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If you prefer using oil instead of butter or shortening, then add the oil with the 1 cup of hot water to the flour. Make sure that you add the water slowly
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Mix the dough with a fork, just to bring it together, then knead it for about a minute to form a soft dough.
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Preferably, you should leave the dough to rest for half an hour. This helps the flour to absorb all the water and it helps the gluten to relax. When the gluten is relaxed, it makes it easier to roll out tinner tortillas.
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After 30 minutes roll out the tortillas, spray a pan with non stick cooking spray and cook the tortillas on the pan for 15 -20 seconds on each side. Turn with a spatula when you see bubbles forming.
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Cover with a clean cloth as you cook the rest of the tortillas. This keeps the tortillas soft.
1. Vegetable shortening is known by different names in different countries example Crisco in USA, Copha in Australia, Holsum or Wooden Spoon in South Africa and Cookeen in the United Kingdom. Vegetable shortening is solid at room temperature and usually white in color.
I love Mexican food too but I’ve never made tortilla. These look much nicer than shop bought ones, though, and easy to make too! Thanks for sharing
Thank you Louise, oh and they do taste so good too, I really hope that you get a chance to try out this recipe 🙂
My husband asked me just the other day why I don’t make tortillas, since we eat a ton of them and I make all of our bread! I didn’t have an answer for him….but now I do!! Definitely pinning this recipe – they look great Ashika!! PS – You’ve got to make it to Mexico one day 🙂
Haha that is great, so perfect timing for this recipe, it is so delicious and easy to make your own.
Thank you for pinning…and visiting Mexico one day is definitely on my wish list:)
Very soft and fresh! I haven’t made flour wraps in a while…time to start a batch!
Thank you Angie…hope you get a chance to make these soon as well 🙂
Definitely worth of trying. Thank you so much !
Thank you and you are welcome, I am so happy that you like the recipe too 🙂
I’d love to visit Mexico it looks so exciting and the food……. oh la la 😀 these tortillas look great!
Oh so true, such a beautiful country 🙂
Thank you Emma…have a great weekend 🙂
Oh wow! I haven’t thought of making tortillas at home before. Wonderful recipe. I can’t wait to see the filling you have got for these!
Thank you Neha…I really do hope that you get a chance to try these out, they are delicious 🙂
OMG super amazing recipe! I love it!
Thank you Puja…I am so glad that you love the recipe too 🙂
The stack of tortillas look so delicious and soft, I can eat them as is. If it isn’t almost midnight, I’d want to go make a batch right now!
Haha…it is never too late to make these deliciousness. Thank you Thao, these are so yummy 🙂
Another excellent quick and easy recipe Ashika. Thanks! Recipes like this are perfect for Lynne and I and our busy lives. Plus, we both love Mexican food too, and we’d so much rather make everything from scratch, including Tortilla’s rather than get shop bought ones. 🙂
Awww Thank you and you are welcome Neil. These are so easy and quick to make and they really do taste so much better than shop bought 🙂
Ooooh I think I could eat a stack of these just plain!! Nothing on them needed! These are making me hungry for carbs hehehehe. Definitely need to make these!!
Pls what is vegetable shortening called in Nigeria
Hi Adeola. I am not sure what vegetable shortening is called in Nigeria. However you can use butter in place of the shortening. It will work out just as nicely.
When you do go grocery shopping, check in the fridge where the butter and margarine is kept and look for a white type of margarine, which will most likely be a type of shortening.
But if you cannot find it, then it will be fine to just use the butter 🙂