Homemade Flour Tortillas

I'm a big fan of homemade baked goods, even simple things that you wouldn't think of making yourself, such as tortillas.  I actually never really liked the taste of grocery store flour tortillas, especially since my family would on occasion make their own rotis, Indian flatbreads that resemble flour tortillas.  So when I saw a recipe for homemade tortillas I just jumped on the chance to make them and it pairs perfectly with all of my Mexican dishes.  The list of ingredients is really simple and all it takes is a bit of elbow grease.  If you're a novice with a rolling pin, don't worry because with a bit of practice, the tortillas will start resembling more round and uniform, but either way they'll taste fantastic!  

The taste and texture of these tortillas clearly outshines the grocery store counterparts.  They are soft, light and have a good chew to them.  I roll these out on the thin side to make large 8-inch tortillas and make sure not to overcook them otherwise they'll get too stiff.  These tortillas are nice and pliable when they're warm, so it's best to eat them hot or you can prepare them in advance and reheat them.

Vegetable shortening gets mixed into the dry ingredients with a food processor.

The texture will resemble crumbly sand.

After adding the water the dough should come together in a ball.

I kneaded the dough to combine everything together.

With the help of a kitchen scale, I divided the dough into 15 balls.

After letting the dough rest, the balls can be rolled out to approximately 8-inch circles.

When the tortillas get placed on the hot pan they puff up.

Once the tortilla gets flipped, it only needs a few seconds to brown on the other side.  The tortillas can be stacked on top of one another which helps flatten out the air bubbles but also keeps them warm.

Flour Tortillas

Yields 15 (8-inch) tortillas

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 heaping teaspoon salt

5 tablespoon shortening (or unsalted butter softened)

3/4-1 cup water

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and shortening in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the dough blade.  Pulse the mixture until the mixture is crumbly, about 5 seconds.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl. (If you don't have a food processor, this same effect can be achieved with a pastry cutter or two forks.)

With the food processor running, add the water in a slow steady stream until the dough just forms a cohesive ball.  Knead for 30 seconds more, until the dough is tacky.  If the bowl is too sticky, add a bit more flour.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and divide into 15 equal pieces (a kitchen scale helps ensure equal sized pieces).  Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 10 minutes.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Working with one dough ball at a time and keeping the others covered, pat the ball into a disc.  Dust lightly with flour and roll the dough into a very thin circle, 8 inches in diameter.  Carefully transfer the shaped tortilla to the heated skillet and cook each side for 10-20 seconds, just until bubbles form and are lightly browned.  (do not overcook or the tortillas will be too stiff.)  Repeat this process with the remaining dough balls, lowering the heat as needed to prevent burning.  Store in an airtight bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or freeze.

Source: slightly adapted from Annie's Eat via Confections of a Foodie Bride