Monday, May 2, 2011

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

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. 
Gwenevere

13 comments:

Zurin said...

Tortillas are so healthy. Yours look beautifully done. M not surprised your children loved them ;)

Sommer@ASpicyPerspective said...

This look positively perfect!

...By the way, you won my Small-Batch Baking Giveaway on A SPICY PERSPECTIVE! YAY!

Email me your shipping address at: sommer(AT)aspicyperspective(DOT)com and I'll get that shipped right out to you.

Frieda Loves Bread said...

My family loves these homestyle tortillas! I make them with canola oil, and have even subbed half the flour for freshly ground wheat flour...they don't even notice! A tip to keep your tortillas soft after being cooked: wrap them in a clean kitchen towel or in a tortilla keeper. They will steam and soften for easier rolling. Great post!

paperwhite said...

We had friends make flour tortillas once, they were delicious but these look a bit more authentic...

Trac said...

Love your pictures, and love this recipe. My kids ask me to make extras when I make these, so they can make snacks with them, or eat them all by themselves. I too, Love that they are not made with Crisco! I'm glad you tried them. Yay!

Karen said...

Yum! I've never made homemade flour tortillas, only corn. These look fantastic. Must try them.
Yes, you're right about the tortillas on my post...they are homemade. I didn't include the recipe because I figure everyone has their own method for making them, or they use store bought. But it's just 1 cup Maseca, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (or more) water.

Apron Appeal said...

Frieda...I saw you post and went back and forth between this one and yours...they are so similar. I opted for this one because it had less flour and I didn't want to have too many if they weren't good. But thank you so much for the "keeper" tip. If these tortillas every see the light of a second day, I'll be sure to keep them properly.

Paperwhite...Rather than keep these soft, toast them then break them up as chips and use them with your corn/black bean salsa...yum. Is it lunch time I'm really hungry.

Trac...thanks for doing all the work to find the recipe! I can't wait for Fajitas on Thursday, although I'm not certain I can wait that long to make these again, they are just too good.

Kate@Diethood said...

This is a great recipe!! I am going to try these out with some coconut oil. Thank you for sharing!

Camille said...

so what are the "keeping" tips?

Apron Appeal said...

Camille, wrap them in a clean kitchen cloth or in a tortilla keeper (comment from Frieda above). I kept mine in one of my bread bags in the bread cupboard and it kept well that way too.

spiceblogger said...

I will definitely have to try these! Yours came out so beautifully. YUM!

Culinarication said...

Yum! I enjoy the store bought ones, so I think homemade ones must be heavenly!

Anonymous said...

We must do lunch sometime!!!!!!

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