Tortillas form the base for a lot of recipes, including tacos, quesadillas, and wraps. Learning to make tortillas from scratch at home can, therefore, prove quite useful. Homemade tortillas are fairly simple to make and only require a handful of ingredients. One can also tweak the recipe slightly to suit their tastes and preferences. That said, it’s important to follow a few basic steps when preparing homemade tortillas to get the perfect thickness and flavor.
1. Pick the right flour
The process of making homemade tortillas begins with the very basic first step of choosing the right flour. For those unfamiliar, tortillas are generally available in two different types: flour and corn-based. Even though the latter is a more authentic version, people generally prefer flour tortillas since flour is easily available. There are quite a few differences between the two varieties, mainly in terms of flavor and structural integrity. Flour tortillas tend to be sturdier than corn tortillas because they contain gluten.
All-purpose flour is the main ingredient when making homemade flour tortillas from scratch. Bread or whole wheat flour can be used as an alternative, but the tortillas may not turn out as soft. Homemade corn tortilla recipes require masa harina, a flour made from ground, dried corn.
2. Mix the flour with baking powder
All recipes for fluffy homemade tortillas require mixing all-purpose flour with some baking powder to make the dough softer and airy. When mixing the baking powder and flour, sprinkle a pinch of salt for taste before adding fat. Corn-based tortillas do not require baking powder; mixing the flour and salt is sufficient.
3. Add some fat
Adding fats is crucial for making the perfect tortilla dough. Fats make the dough and the final product soft and pliable. Butter, olive oil, lard, and shortening are common fats used in authentic homemade tortilla recipes. However, solid fats such as lard or vegetable shortening (for vegetarian recipes) are recommended to achieve the perfect dough consistency. Butter and olive oil, being slightly liquid or fully liquid at room temperature, can make the tortilla dough a tad too wet.
Mix the fats properly into the flour, baking powder, and salt mixture. Remember, corn-based tortillas do not need any fats for making the dough.
4. Pour water
In a step-by-step tortilla recipe, after mixing the fats (or not, for the corn-based tortillas), next comes adding water to the mixture. For the perfect texture and consistency, add hot water to the flour mixture and start kneading the dough. Make sure the water is just hot enough for the hands to handle.
This step remains the same for both types of tortillas. However, for corn tortillas, the quantity of water should be about 65% to 75% of the quantity of flour.
5. Knead the dough properly
After adding water, it’s time to start kneading the dough. If the dough feels too sticky while kneading, consider dusting the work surface with a little flour and then continue. Knead for about 3 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and cohesive.
When making flour tortillas, make sure not to overwork the dough. Doing so would lead to gluten formation, making the tortillas brittle. The dough for corn tortillas will not develop any such problems even after overworking since it has no gluten.
6. Let the dough rest
Whether corn tortillas or flour tortillas, the dough must be given sufficient time to rest after kneading. Simply leave the dough in a bowl and cover it with a cloth. Letting the dough rest this way for at least 10 minutes will ensure the flour, starches, and water blend properly to create the perfect consistency. For more fluffy tortillas, letting the dough rest for a couple of hours.
7. Make thin discs
Once the dough is prepared and has rested well enough, make thin tortilla discs. Consider investing in a machine or a tortilla press to simplify this step. Simply make small balls out of the dough, place the balls (one at a time) in the press, and flatten them with the lever.
Making tortillas without a machine or press is not so difficult either. A rolling pin can be used to flatten the small dough balls into thin tortilla discs.
8. Preheat the pan and cook
Preheating the pan slightly ensures the tortillas cook evenly and perfectly. Once the pan is warm, add oil, place the tortilla discs on the pan, and cook on each side for up to a minute. If too many brown spots begin to appear, take the tortilla off the pan. Do not let the tortillas overcook, or they may become brittle. After the tortillas are cooked, remove them from the pan and place them on parchment paper to keep them warm.
Most tortilla recipes are quite easy to follow. Those who need help when making tortillas at home can watch tutorials online.