Bite me: Food Critiques, Recipes and Musings.: Yummy Homemade Tortillas --The Not Gluten-Free Cafe!!

Fairly Easy Homemade Tortillas

**I always double this recipe. For the time it takes to make and cook these tortillas it makes more sense to make a double batch. They store well in the fridge in a large zip-lock bag (but must be completely cool before you put them in the bag!)

Yeild: 12 tortillas

Ingredients:

4 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup butter--at room temperature

1/4 cup vegetable shortening or lard

1 1/2 cup cold water

Directions:

Whisk all dry ingredients together in large mixing bowl (flour, salt and baking powder).

Add butter and shortening a tablespoon at a time--gently mixing it into the flour.

Use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter and shortening until it looks like coarse cornmeal. See picture below.

I prefer making the dough with my Kitchen Aid and using the 'dough hook.' You can mix by hand with a wooden spoon but I find it is hard on the wrist. See the 'dough hook' accessory in the picture below.

Slowly add the 1 cup of cold water. Start on a low speed so the flour doesn't fly everywhere. Mix about 30 seconds. Then use a spoon to scrape the flour from the sides then add the remaining 1/2 cup water. Mix on medium until the dough is completely mixed. It should be sticky but not TOO sticky. If it is too sticky add a little more flour at a time until texture is right.

Put 1/2 flour on a flat and clean surface. Dump your dough onto the flour. Sprinkle the top of your mound with flour. Gently kneed your dough about 15 times. Adding a little more flour if needed.

Next divide your dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball--very gently. Do NOT over work the dough. Place all balls on a floured surface. Let dough sit 30 minutes.

Heat a large frying pan up (med/high--I use setting #7). The pan needs to be hot but not too hot. I set up a system when I cook tortillas: I have one cooking while I roll out the next one. Have paper towels ready on the counter to place the cooked tortillas while they cool. A note on rolling out your tortillas--this will be so much easier if you have the right rolling pin! It is worth the investment. You want to let the rolling pin do the work so it needs to be really heavy either marble, glass or a heavy wood. Trust me this will save your wrists.

Take one ball at a time. Set on a floured surface. Roll from the middle out flipping often and adding flour until desired size. The tortilla will be thin. Add directly to un-greased hot frying pan. Tortillas cook fast about 40 seconds on each side. When your tortillas starts to form air bubbles wait 10 more seconds then flip it. See air bubbles in photo below.

These tortillas are best only lightly cooked. Golden brown on each side. Use immediately or store in a zip lock bag in the fridge for up to a week. If you re-heat these tortillas do it over a low/med heat in a frying pan. See the 'golden brown' you are looking for in the photo below.

After the tortilla is cooked place it on a paper towel or a cookie rack to cool. These are the most tender and flavorful tortillas ever!! And they make great breakfast burritos the next morning if you have more left!