Flour Tortillas

When was the last time you went looking for a snack and chose, plain, store-bought flour tortillas to fill the void? My guess is NEVER! - cuz those guys are GROSS! (Junie B. Jones anyone?) I mean sure they are fantastic as a vehicle for your favorite Mexican fair but to eat plain?! YUCK! They’re like cardboard.

Are you familiar with the adage that we are only as strong as our weakest link? If that is true then when applied to food, the meals we prepare are only as good as the least tasty ingredient. If we want truly superior fajitas, burritos, enchiladas etc., it’s time to bag the store bought tortillas and go for something better. You will not be disappointed.

Something I appreciate about this recipe vs others is that it contains…NO SHORTENING! This is great news for me since I have kids with a soy allergy and soy free shortening is expensive and hard to come by. The recipe calls for canola oil and if you really want to make these a better-for-you food you can swap out the canola oil for coconut oil. I’ve tried them both ways and can assure you taste is not compromised with the use of one over the other. If you’ve had homemade flour tortillas on your radar as something you’ve been wanting to try, then want no longer, look no further; this recipe is all you need. Who knows, maybe the next time you are looking for a little snack you’ll find yourself reaching for one of these guys because they really are that tasty. If you need further convincing….my kids love them too. I know I’ve got a winner when, for three days in a row, my kids have requested quesadillas for lunch.

Flour Tortillas

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Ingredients:

2 cups flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking powder (heaping)

¼ cup coconut or canola oil

2/3 cups hot/boiling water

Directions:

1. Put the first three ingredients in a food processor and process until well combined. 
2. While the processor is on, add the wet ingredients and process until dough forms into a clump then stop. (Gluten will develop if it’s mixed too much.) Take the dough out of the processor and gently knead it to ensure all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Next shape it into a round, place it on a plate, and cover it first with a damp cloth then with a bread a towel. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
3. After 15 minutes separate the dough into: 6 sections for large tortillas, 8 sections for medium and 12 sections for small. Using your hands, roll each section into a ball, place the ball back onto the plate and cover with the damp cloth and bread towel again to rest for an additional 15 minutes to an hour.
4. When you are ready to shape the balls into tortillas, first preheat a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
5. To shape the tortillas, press each ball flat with the palm of your hand then using a rolling pin roll the dough on one side then flip over and roll on other side. Keep doing this till you reach the desired thickness. (I roll mine very thin, less than 1/8”). If dough is sticking to the work surface, lightly dust with flour. The tortillas do NOT shrink when cooked so be sure they are the shape and size you want before cooking them. (Achieving a perfect circle may take some practice)
6. After the dough is shaped, carefully lift the tortilla and place it on the warm skillet. When the tortilla starts to bubble and dry, flip it over and cook the other side until barely tanned. Don’t cook them too long or they will become crispy chips and you will be unable to roll them up into a burrito. 

Source: Adapted from SwertyEats.blogspot.com and EverydayFoodStorage.com

Gwenevere