I’m not sure why, but there have been a few foods over the years that I have put off learning to make because they seemed harder than they really were. For some reason tortillas were one of those foods. Maybe it was because I always heard that great tortillas were made with lard, which at the time, as a white girl from the suburbs sounded unthinkable, as I had zero experience cooking with that growing up. Whatever the reason I put it off far too long. When I first made these (without lard btw) I was shocked at how easy they were, and the taste was out of this world. I could open a tortilla stand in my next life with these if I wanted too lol!!!

l used butter, because everything is better with butter, and even though now I do render and cook with lard from the pigs we raise, I would never change that at this point. I think the flavor and texture is perfect, and we always have fresh goats butter on hand that we use for everything in our home.

I make the dough in my stand mixer, but you could also do it by hand.

Shaping the tortillas

I break the dough into equal pieces and then roll each piece into a ball before flattening. I find that it makes a more evenly round tortilla if I do this.

You can use a tortilla press like the one linked here, to press each ball of dough into a flat circle easily. I usually still roll my out a little thinner with a rolling pin. It all depends on how thick you like your tortillas. I suggest making a sample one or two in the beginning to see how thick you’d like to make the rest.

Cooking

I heat a frying pan at medium heat, and place them directly in the pan with no oil to cook. I place it in the pan and immediately slide it around a bit with my finger so it doesn’t stick to the pan. You will figure out the correct heat to have it at after trying a few. Sometimes they will puff up in the middle and sometimes they won’t, just make sure to flip before they burn.

I cook one or two at a time, and stack them on top of each other as they are finished. If they seem a bit crisp coming off of the pan don’t worry, they will soften as they sit in the stack as the heat from will help to moisten them.

If you need to reheat, wrap them in a damp paper towel or towel. I wrap foil around them and then reheat in the oven, but you could also place them in the microwave to reheat without the foil.

Storage

For storage I wrap them in PFOA free parchment paper and then store in ziplock bags in the refrigerator. They can also be frozen.

With Freshly Milled Flour

This is also a great recipe to incorporate freshly milled flour (soft white wheat is best). I use half freshly milled and half all purpose flour when I make them. I think this makes the texture perfect. Since the recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups All Purpose flour, I use 1 1/2 cups AP and 1 1/4 cups FM. If the dough seems a bit sticky after you have mixed it don’t worry. After the dough has sat for the 30 min resting period the freshly milled flour will have absorbed the extra moisture.

Helpful Equipment To Have

Tortilla Press like this one

Rolling Pin

Griddle like this cast iron one or my fave is this stainless steel one (use code PIVOTFARM to save 25%)

Stand Mixer (Use Code: PIVOTFARM20 to save on the one I use)

Homemade Flour Tortillas

You will never buy store bought flour tortillas again!! Incredibly easy and delicious, this will become a staple in your household!

Makes about a dozen 8 inch tortillas

Ingredients

2 ½ Cups All Purpose Flour Freshly milled soft white wheat works well also but will produce more of a whole wheat tortilla. If using freshly milled use 385 grams.
1 Tsp Baking Powder
½ Tsp Sea Salt
¼ Cup Melted Butter
1 Cup Whole Milk We use raw goats milk

Instructions

Whisk dry ingredients together in a bowl
Melt butter in a small saucepan and add milk.
Add milk mixture to dry ingredients and mix well.
Let dough ball sit in a warm area for 30 min
Knead dough for 2 min and then break in to smaller pieces (about 12)
Use a tortilla press to press them to your desired thickness. You can alternatively use a rolling pan and roll them out on a floured surface.
Test a couple thicknesses in the beginning to see how you like them. You can make them as small, big, thick or thin as you like.
Heat frying pan over med heat, and place tortilla in the pan dry. Cook for about 30 seconds to one minute, until it starts to bubble up, and then flip. Repeat process until they are all cooked.
Place in between 2 damp paper towels and wrap with foil to keep warm while you cook them, serve immediately.
They can be stored in the refrigerator for a week or frozen for a year

Notes

Our family loves to make extra for dessert tortillas! To make dessert tortillas, reheat a tortilla in the frying pan, and top with melted butter and powdered sugar! This is a Tafoya family fave!