Freshly-made flour tortillas are really incredibly tasty. These flour tortillas from scratch are made with just 5 ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. It’s a pretty small batch of them, too, and you can multiply the recipe by how many times you like.
What are the ingredients in a flour tortilla?
Flour tortillas have straightforward ingredients that you’re likely to have at home. First, you need flour (duh), and all-purpose flour is perfect. You’ll also need salt, baking powder, olive oil and water. I told you it was straightforward!
How to make flour tortillas from scratch
Let me show you how to make flour tortillas from scratch. It’s a very simple process, really:
- Mix the ingredients: You take all the ingredients and mix them in a bowl. The water is boiling so I usually start with a spatula and when that becomes useless, I go in with my hands. By that moment, the flour tortilla dough should have cooled down enough to handle.
- Knead: You want to knead only enough so that the dough looks smooth and uniform.
- Rest: Let the dough rest for 1 hour at room temperature. This allows for the gluten to relax before shaping.
- Divide and shape: Divide into 8 pieces, or 6 pieces if you want larger flour tortillas. Flatten each piece and then fold the edges in, like wrapping a parcel. Then turn over and roll against the surface to close the seam.
- Starting with the first piece you shaped, roll them out until they’re very thin. If you hold it flat on your hand, you should be able to see it through the dough.
- Cook the tortillas on a preheated pan at high temperature, 1 minute per side.
Can you freeze flour tortillas?
Yes, you can! This is a very good way of preserving homemade flour tortillas for a longer time. You can freeze them for up to 3 months in an airtight container or bag, divided by baking paper. To reheat, remove them from the freezer and give them 5-10 minutes to thaw. After that time, reheat them in a hot pan.
Since these are homemade, they don’t last that long outside of the fridge or even in the fridge. You want to refrigerate them if you won’t be eating them 2 hours after making them. A good place to store them is in an airtight container or bag. In the fridge, they will keep for up to 5 days.
Are flour tortillas vegan?
Yes, flour tortillas made from scratch are vegan. Some recipes use butter and those wouldn’t be. However, here we use olive oil so it’s fine.
How to heat flour tortillas
My favourite way of heating flour tortillas is in a hot pan. I know that many people are fans of microwaving them, but in my opinion, that results in a chewier tortilla.
What can I make with these homemade tortillas?
Tortillas are extremely versatile. You can use them for burritos, fajitas and every wrap you can think of. Here are a few recipes you can find here on my blog:
Flour Tortillas From Scratch Recipe
Ingredients
- 200 g all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 40 g olive oil
- 120 ml boiling water
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking powder.
- Add the olive oil and boiling water and mix. First, use a spatula to prevent getting burnt. Once the spatula isn't helping anymore, switch to your hands.
- Knead until the dough comes together, about 2 min.
- Let the dough rest, covered and at room temperature, for 1 hour.
- Weigh the dough and divide it into 8 portions.
- Flatten each portion with the palm of your hand and then fold the edges in, like making a parcel. Turn it over and roll it on the surface to close the seam.
- Flatten out each ball with a rolling pin until very thin. You should be able to see through it.
- Preheat a pan to high heat and give it at least 5 minutes. It should be smoking.
- Add one tortilla at a time and cook for 1 minute per side. It's completely normal if they inflate.
- If not used in the next 2 hours, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months in an airtight container or bag, separated by baking paper.
