How to Make Your Own Tortilla (with Pictures)

2024 Author: Jason Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 10:50

There's nothing tastier than a warm tortilla. If you don't like the hard tortillas found in supermarkets, which will tear when you fold them and mushy when you put the filling in, then it might be easier to make your own. Tortillas that have a wet and hard texture are not real tortillas and are not suitable for eating. Homemade tortillas made from either wheat flour or corn will taste better and are a smart choice because you know the ingredients and how the tortillas are made.

Step

Method 1 of 2: Flour Tortilla

Step 1. Prepare the ingredients

This recipe makes 8 tortillas. Here are the ingredients you'll need to make delicious tortillas:

• 500 gr wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 250 ml water (can be replaced with warm milk for a smoother texture)
• 60 g white butter or lard

Step 2. Mix the flour, salt and baking soda in a medium or large bowl

Make sure that your bowl is big enough to hold all the ingredients.

Step 3. Add white butter or lard and mix until there are no lumps

Use a “pastry cutter” or dough kneading tool, or a fork, and don't knead the dough too much.

Step 4. Make a hole in the middle of the dry ingredients mixture

Step 5. Add about 125 ml of water, pour all at once and mix well until it becomes a dough

Step 6. Knead the dough until it is soft

The dough should be slightly sticky but not hard. You can add a little water or flour if needed.

Step 7. Cover the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes for the baking soda to react and make the dough rise

Step 8. Shape the dough into egg-sized balls

Step 9. Flatten the dough balls to form a diameter of 15 cm using a "rolling pin" or a rolling pin

Sprinkle some flour on the surface of the base before you roll out the dough.

Step 10. Heat a frying pan over medium heat

You can apply oil, fat, or butter to the pan but this is optional.

Step 11. Cook the tortillas for 30 seconds to 1 minute on one side

If bubbles start to appear, then the tortilla is done.

Step 12. Flip the tortilla and cook for a few seconds

20-30 seconds is enough.

Step 13. Continue until all the dough is cooked

Step 14. Experiment with different tortilla flavors

A few simple touches can add spice, tangy, or sweetness to this simple tortilla base recipe.

• Add a little cinnamon and sugar to this recipe and you get a sweet tortilla with a cinnamon sensation. Fry the tortillas if you wish and add powdered sugar and cinnamon once the tortillas are drained.

  

• Add a little chipotle chili powder or “chipotle peppers” and “adobo” chili sauce to add a spicy sensation to your flour tortilla recipe.

  

• Add some chopped dried tomatoes for a savory and delicious flavor to your flour tortilla recipe. These tortillas make the perfect companion to fish or chicken tacos with Mexican “mole” sauce.

  

Method 2 of 2: Corn Tortilla

Step 1. Prepare the ingredients

This recipe makes 24 tortillas. Here are the ingredients you'll need to make delicious corn tortillas:

• 250 gr corn flour "masa harina" (if possible the Maseca brand)
• 375 ml water
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Step 2. Combine the cornstarch and salt in a medium-sized bowl

Make sure that the flour and salt are well mixed.

Step 3. Add water little by little and mix well until it forms a dough

Step 4. Stir until the dough starts to form

The dough should be chewy and dense, but also feel a little dry, like the texture of a "play-doh" toy wax.

• Add more water with a tablespoon if the dough feels too dry; add some flour if the dough is too wet.

  

Step 5. Take the dough as much as a tablespoon full, flatten the dough into small balls

Remember that corn tortillas are usually smaller in size than wheat tortillas.

• Use a plastic-covered tortilla mold for the perfect tortilla shape.

  

• If you don't have a tortilla mold, use a rolling pin.

  

Step 6. Check the consistency of the dough before cooking the tortillas

If the dough is cracked then the dough is too dry and needs to be added with water. If the dough sticks to the plastic in the mold or rolling pin then the dough is too wet and needs to be added with "mass" flour.

• This will be your last chance to get the dough consistency right before cooking the tortillas.

  

Step 7. Decide whether you want to flatten all the dough before cooking or flatten it when you want to cook it

Tortillas don't take long to cook, so you may need to flatten all the dough before cooking them. If you have a tortilla mold, you will have enough time to print the tortilla while it is cooking.

Step 8. Heat a frying pan made of iron or "cast-iron pan" with a little high heat

A cast-iron frying pan can distribute heat evenly and quickly making it perfect for cooking tortillas, but you can also use a non-stick pan instead.

Step 9. Brush the tortillas with oil and place them on a frying pan to cook

Cook for 1-2 minutes on one side, or until slightly charred and edges start to curl. Flip the tortilla and cook for another 15 seconds. Remove the tortillas from the pan.

• If using a cast-iron frying pan, you can cook several tortillas at the same time.

  

Step 10. Repeat the process until the dough runs out

Keep the tortillas warm by wrapping them in a kitchen towel if serving them straight.

Tips

• Keeping the frying pan hot will allow the tortillas to cook quickly. If your tortillas burn before they are cooked, reduce the heat slightly.
• Making delicious tortillas takes practice. If you keep doing it you will become more reliable.
• If you don't like soft tortillas, you can omit the baking soda from the recipe.
• If you want to make fewer tortillas, use half of the ingredients.
• If you don't have a rolling pin, you can use a small bottle or even a broom handle!
• Small tortilla molds can be found at Latino cookware stores.
• If you want to bake tortillas, apply oil on the molded tortilla dough and bake in the oven on high for 4 minutes.

Warning

• Store the tortillas in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. However, because they do not use preservatives, tortillas can only last a few days in storage.
• Traditional tortillas are more often made using masa or ground cornstarch. You'll need to adjust the proportions of all the ingredients in the recipe if you're using masa because there is a difference in texture between masa and wheat flour.