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If you’ve never made homemade flour tortillas before, you’re missing out on the softest and most tender flour tortilla you’ve ever had in your life! I can’t go back to store-bought tortillas now that I’ve made my own flour tortillas!
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Homemade Flour Tortillas Is My Sourdough Baking
Have you ever been to a truly authentic Mexican or Tex-Mex restaurant and watch them make tortillas by hand? When I was in California, all the breakfast burrito places we went to made fresh, in-house tortillas and the difference is there. It makes the burritos and tacos just so much more tender and has the right chew consistency.
Truthfully, for myself, I never truly thought to make homemade flour tortillas because it’s just so much easier to pick up a pack at the store when you’re in a pinch. Of course, that’s where you sacrifice quality, right? Convenience sometimes is greater than quality though but if you have the time, I encourage you to make these homemade flour tortillas! You can even switch it up and make half a batch of flour tortillas and half a batch of whole wheat tortillas! Who doesn’t like options?
Spend your next meal prep day and make a large batch of these homemade flour tortillas and then freeze them!
For ways to use these flour tortillas, you’re in for a treat! Homemade Chicken Enchiladas are a favorite in our household as are Homemade Crunchwrap Supremes. Making Chipotle Shrimp Tacos is a stellar choice too!
How to Make Flour Tortillas
- Add flour, salt, and baking powder to the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment and mix on low for 30 seconds to incorporate the dry ingredients.
- With the mixer running on medium low, add the vegetable oil and warm water and continue to mix until the mixture forms a smooth ball.
- Transfer dough to a well-floured surface and divide dough until you get approximately 16 equal portions then shape each portion into a ball then gently, using the palm of your hand, flatten out the dough. Cover flattened dough with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 15 minutes before proceeding.
- After the dough has rested, roll each dough ball into a 6-inch diameter circle on a lightly floured work surface. Do not stack them on top of each other.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, place one dough circle in the middle of the pan and let cook for 1 minute OR until the surface of the dough starts to bubble and the bottom starts to brown. At that point, flip it and cook the same way on the other side, but for slightly less time, 20-30 seconds. You want the tortilla soft and to have little brown spots on it. You don’t want to cook the tortilla too much that it becomes crispy.
FAQs for Making Flour Tortillas
Yes! You can absolutely make these flour tortillas to be street taco size, regular taco size, or burrito size. Keep in mind you’ll have more or less dough depending on what size you make them.
Allow it to sit out at room temperature a bit longer. The gluten isn’t relaxed enough yet. You may have overworked it in the mixer.
If they’re from the refrigerator, put them on a plate and using a damp paper towel, cover the tortillas when you reheat them so they don’t dry out. Alternatively, you could use gentle heat in a toaster oven to reheat them.
If they’re from the freezer, put them directly into a skillet on the stovetop over low heat and gently warm them through until defrosted and softened.
Homemade Flour Tortillas
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ cup (79 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (237 ml) warm water
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add flour, salt and baking powder. Mix on low for 30 seconds until dry ingredients are incorporated.3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder
- With the mixer running at medium speed, add the vegetable oil and warm water.1/3 cup (79 ml) vegetable oil, 1 cup (237 ml) warm water
- Continue to mix on low until mixture starts to come together and starts to form a smooth ball.
- Transfer dough to a well-floured surface and divide dough until you get approximately 16 equal portions then shape each portion into a ball then gently, using the palm of your hand, flatten out the dough.
- Cover flattened dough with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 15 minutes before proceeding.
- After dough has rested, roll each dough piece into a 6-inch diameter circle on lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin. Do not stack uncooked tortillas on top of each other.
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, place one dough circle in the middle of the pan and let cook for 1 minute OR until the surface of the dough starts to bubble and the bottom starts to brown. At that point, flip it and cook the same way on the other side, but for slightly less time, 20-30 seconds. You want the tortilla soft and to have little brown spots on it. You don't want to cook the tortilla too much that it becomes crispy.
- Place cooked tortillas on a plate and continue cooking the rest of the tortillas.
Nutrition
Photographs by Meg McKeehan Photography
Oh, thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!! I have just finished making these and my husband type fella exclaimed “hey, the look real!!! Only better!” (seriously??? what did he think they were going to look like???? Polar bears?)
Why have I never made these before?? So simple, so inexpensive, so tasty! These are now a go to favourite…. tonight, they will be lovingly turned into chicken enchiladas. Though I have the feeling I may need to make a second batch as there are a variety of fingers that keep tearing pieces off…. a sure seal of approval if my sons are begging for “just one more little piece mum!”
Haha, I’m so glad you guys loved this! I definitely love how soft they are!!
I found your homemade tortilla recipe via Pinterest over the weekend and made them tonight for Cinco de Mayo. Thank you for sharing—they are to die for!!! I didn’t need all sixteen tortillas, so I’m going to try freezing them and see if I can use them later on. Have you had any success with that? By the way, I made these to go along with the Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers recipe for Spinach Cheese Burritos (to which I add pinto beans). Amazing.
Hi Melanie! So glad you loved the homemade flour tortillas!! I haven’t tried freezing it but I know others have and it works well! :)
Wow I will definitely try these-they look gorgeous!
Hi, does anyone know if using a gluten free flour mix works just as well. My wee boy (19 months) has gone off sandwiches so I thought I might give these a go – they look so good :D
Hi Leanne, I think it’ll work just the same!
Thanks for this recipe, I have been wanting to make homemade flour tortillas forever, but have been so afraid to try. I watched my mom try to make them growing up and they were a disaster! Tried the recipe last night and they were perfect, a new staple in our house!
I’m so glad this recipe worked out for you, Laura! Homemade flour tortillas really make all the difference!
Hi, I’ve been wanting to make flour tortillas for a while now. I found your recipe from Pinterest and the photo caught my eye! Plus, the “Table for Two” got me clicking on that for sure! I am a single mom of a picky child, and it is just the 2 of us. I can’t try new recipes if it’s made for a big family….just think of how much goes to waste if neither one of us likes it! Anyway, I have a question…you said to use a stand mixer with a dough hook. I do not own one, I only have the cheap mixer that I have to hold with my hand. Will it work? What kind of mixer do you have? I know Kitchen Aid mixer is probably one of the best, I’ve heard plenty of raves about them. However, we live in a small apartment that I cannot afford to get a bulky appliance to take up more space…or should I? What is your suggestion? Thanks! I was going to make the tortillas today but stopped when I saw the part about the dough hook. I’ll wait and see what you say. Thanks! Tiffany
Hi Tiffany! I’m so glad you found me! I wouldn’t use the hand-mixer – I don’t think it’s powerful enough for the dough. Honestly, a large bowl with a wooden spoon and your hands will work just fine! You can even just use your hands to make the dough :) as for the KitchenAid mixer question: if you bake a lot then it’s a great investment. It’s so much more powerful than a hand-mixer so it can make large batches of dough way faster. I remember the first time I got mine, I made a batch of cookies in 10 minutes! It took forever with the hand-mixer! Hope that helps! Enjoy the tortillas :)
Yum! I’m making these tonight and hope there is extra for some sprinkling of cinnamon and sugar.
Try watching the show, Call the Midwives. It’s on Netflix and is fantastic!
I hope you enjoyed this, Erica!
Homemade flour tortillas has been on my bucket list for so long and I still haven’t gotten around to it. I don’t know why – something is always getting in the way, but you’ve totally convinced me to try it SOON!
My husband started House of Cards last week & is already a few episodes into the second season – he is absolutely hooked. I’ve overheard a few episodes when he’s been watching, & i can tell it isn’t for me. He LOVED West Wing (he’s watched the entire series several times), so it’s right up his alley.
Scandal & Nashville both hooked me in the first episode, but so did Downton Abbey – the characters were so intriguing to me. Another one that hooked me right away was Sons of Anarchy – LOVE. Two of my siblings are obsessed with The Walking Dead – we’ve finished the first season & are a couple episodes into season 2, & I think I’m too scared for it to keep me hooked lol!
My husband started House of Cards last week & is already a few episodes into the second season – he is absolutely hooked. I’ve overheard a few episodes when he’s been watching, & i can tell it isn’t for me. He LOVED West Wing (he’s watched the entire series several times), so it’s right up his alley.
Scandal & Nashville both hooked me in the first episode, but so did Downton Abbey – the characters were so intriguing to me. Another one that hooked me right away was Sons of Anarchy – LOVE. Two of my siblings are obsessed with The Walking Dead – we’ve finished the first season & are a couple episodes into season 2, & I think I’m too scared for it to keep me hooked lol!
Haha, I can’t do the Walking Dead, but I think we’re going to start on Game of Thrones soon, although I hear that it takes a bit to get into as well. Sigh