Homemade Flour Tortillas - Retro Recipe Box (2024)

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Homemade Flour Tortillas are easier to make than you might think. With a few basic ingredients and a little time, you can have fresh, delicious flour tortillas ready for tacos, burritos, and more!

Homemade Flour Tortillas - Retro Recipe Box (1)

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Tortillas made from scratch taste totally different from the store bought kind. If you have never enjoyed a fresh, warm tortilla with butter on it, well, it is a delicious experience!

To make flour tortillas, you only need 5 ingredients, and that includes the salt!

This is a fun recipe for the kids to help with. Let them roll the dough balls. I don't recommend letting them fry them as the skillet is very hot.

Homemade Flour Tortillas - Retro Recipe Box (2)

What is the Best Flour for Tortillas?

All purpose flour is what I like to use. Simple, and widely available.

I have not tried making these with self rising flour. If you do, don't add the baking powder or salt.

Also if you do, maybe try only making a half batch of the recipe as a test, in case they don't turn out to your liking.

Here are the steps to make these delicious homemade flour tortillas:

Homemade Flour Tortillas - Retro Recipe Box (3)
Homemade Flour Tortillas - Retro Recipe Box (4)
Homemade Flour Tortillas - Retro Recipe Box (5)
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You can use your hands to make the tortillas if you don't have a rolling pin.

There are also tortilla presses for sale if you think you will be making these often. I have one listed below.

Homemade Flour Tortillas - Retro Recipe Box (7)
The bubbles are a lot like the ones that can happen when baking a fresh pizza.

The bubbles are where the browned spots come from. Those areas are touching the hot skillet longer.

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As you cook the tortillas, place them in a homemade warmer, made from a towel on a plate. Easy!

There are warmers you can buy, and I have found them at the thrift stores as well. But the towel works fine!

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If you make these homemade tortillas, please let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. I would like to know how you liked them!

Homemade Flour Tortillas - Retro Recipe Box (10)

Homemade Flour Tortillas - Retro Recipe Box (11)

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Homemade Flour Tortillas are easier to make than you might think. With a few basic ingredients and a little time, you can have fresh, delicious flour tortillas ready for tacos, burritos, and more!

4.67 from 3 votes

Print Rate

Course: Bread

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: easy flour tortillas, flour tortillas recipe

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 16

Calories: 123kcal

Author: Sandy Clifton

Ingredients

  • 3 cups All Purpose Flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/3 cup Lard or coconut oil, bacon fat*, room temp. butter
  • 1 cup Hot Water

Instructions

  • Stir together the flour, salt, and baking powder.

  • Add the lard and use your hands to mix the lard into the dry ingredients, squeezing them together until the mixture resembles pea sized crumbles.

  • Pour in the hot water and stir the mixture until the dough comes together and the flour is incorporated.

  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough, turning 90° each time, for a couple of minutes.

  • Form the dough into a flat ball shape, about 2" thick, and divide into 16 equal pieces by cutting into wedges, like a cake or pizza.

  • Cover the dough with a lightly damp paper towel. Let rest for at least 15 minutes (This resting period will help prevent dough from snapping back when rolled).

  • Roll the wedges into balls.

  • Heat a skillet (preferably cast iron or nonstick) on medium-high heat.

  • Press a dough ball flat with your hand, then roll it thin using a rolling pin, tortilla press, or your hand.

  • Set the tortilla dough in the hot skillet to cook. When you see the dough bubble, it's time to flip it over. Cook on second side and remove to a towel lined plate and cover.

  • While one tortilla cooks, roll out the next one. It is best to cook one at a time (Don't stack the uncooked dough as it will stick together).

  • Keep the tortillas warm in the towel lined plate.

  • Make tacos, small burritos, or eat warm with butter.

  • Store in the fridge or freezer in an air-tight container.

Notes

*If using bacon fat to make tortillas, reduce the amount from 1/3 cup to 1/4 cup.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 123kcal

Resources to Make this Recipe and More

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  1. B says

    Homemade Flour Tortillas - Retro Recipe Box (16)
    These make great Papusas also

    Reply

  2. Victoria M says

    Homemade Flour Tortillas - Retro Recipe Box (17)
    Great recipe I really like your pictorial very helpful I shared your link.
    Thank You

    Reply

  3. Agnes says

    Homemade Flour Tortillas - Retro Recipe Box (18)
    We had fun making the tortillas. We made it a family activity. I wish I had a larger pan though so I could cook two at a time. But that's ok we will make them again because they are the best tortillas!

    Reply

Homemade Flour Tortillas - Retro Recipe Box (2024)

FAQs

Is it cheaper to make your own flour tortillas? ›

Not only are these tortillas quick and easy but, at a cost of about $1.25 a batch, they are budget-friendly as well!

Why do my homemade flour tortillas get hard? ›

Adding too much flour to knead or to roll out the tortillas will also create hard and dry tortillas.

How do you preserve homemade flour tortillas? ›

Can You Freeze Homemade Tortillas? Yes, homemade flour tortillas freeze great! Store them as mentioned above with a paper towel on the top and bottom of the stack. When you are ready to eat them, allow them to thaw and then warm them up in the oven or microwave.

Why don t my flour tortillas puff up? ›

Compression, compression, compression.

You don't want a tortilla that's too thick — the steam won't rise under the weight of too much masa! A very thin tortilla will also be susceptible to tearing, which will sabotage your chance at a puff.

Are flour tortillas better with butter or oil? ›

Although traditionally made with lard, these tortillas are equally delicious using butter, shortening, or vegetable oil as the fat. If you choose to use oil, add it with the water in step 3. The resting period improves the texture of the dough by giving the flour time to absorb the water.

Are homemade flour tortillas worth it? ›

These Easy Homemade Flour Tortillas are so much better than anything from the store. Homemade tortillas are extra soft, doughy, and chewy. I like to add salted butter, for extra deliciousness. Fresh flour tortillas are so easy to make at home and pretty difficult to mess up.

What does baking powder do to flour tortillas? ›

Baking powder: Baking powder acts as a leavener, giving the tortillas a slightly pillowy texture. Salt: Salt enhances the overall flavor of the flour tortillas. Lard: Lard, a common baking ingredient in Mexican cuisine, adds flavor and helps create the perfect flour tortilla texture.

Can you leave flour tortilla dough overnight? ›

Some tortilla makers cover their dough and rest it overnight in the fridge, making it even easier to work with. There are a few reasons why this is so critical. It allows the dough to thoroughly and evenly hydrate, creating a consistent mix that cooks the same way every time.

Can you overwork tortilla dough? ›

The reward is a homemade tortilla that's fluffy, pliable, and elastic, perfect for making the best burritos you've ever had. The most important part of making a great tortilla is to not overwork the dough and to make sure it is hydrated enough. If the dough is overworked, then it will be difficult to roll out.

Can I freeze homemade flour tortillas? ›

Tortillas are one of the most freezer-friendly baked goods out there: As long as they're properly wrapped, they'll maintain their flavor and texture excellently for up to 6 months. Even better, they're easy and speedy to defrost once you're ready to use them.

Do you need baking powder to make tortillas? ›

I tested a few different variations and found that just a little bit of baking powder yielded the best texture albeit a very minor difference compared to the version without baking powder. So, if you don't have baking powder then you can omit it altogether. The tortillas will be just as good!

What happens if you don t refrigerate flour tortillas after opening? ›

Tortillas

Some tortillas are prone to molding. That's why the fine print on many tortilla packages recommends refrigerating after opening. Chill tortillas to help them stay fresh.

Is lard or shortening better for flour tortillas? ›

Back lard is preferable for its very mild pork flavor, although more neutral tasting leaf lard or vegetable shortening can be substituted for great results. The tortillas are best eaten fresh and while still warm.

How long to let tortilla dough rest? ›

Rest the dough.

Set them on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and let rest at least 30 minutes (to make the dough less springy, easier to roll).

What does lard do to tortillas? ›

Homemade tortillas with lard are easy to make and are sooooo delicious! These are a flour tortilla which needs to be rolled out using a rolling pin (or wine bottle if you're in a pinch). Using lard in this tortilla recipe gives your tortillas a soft texture.

Is it cheaper to make tortillas or buy them? ›

It's extremely easy and only takes a few ingredients. Not only do homemade tortillas taste much better than store-bought tortillas, but they are extremely cheap to make using only three ingredients, well four, if you count water!

Does making your own tortillas save money? ›

Considering that most tortillas in the grocery store are well over $1 per package, these are an excellent way to save money and create the base for frugal, filling family meals. Tortillas begin with four, basic ingredients: Flour, water, oil, and salt – that's it.

How much does it cost to make flour tortillas? ›

The total cost of one homemade tortilla ranges from $0.05 to $0.08. For raw ingredients.

Are homemade flour tortillas better than store bought? ›

Tortillas are always best freshly made at home, if possible,” Cossio says. “It's not good if you're on a diet though! They're so delicious, nice, and fluffy. Use Maseca (dehydrated corn flour) and just add water.”

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