Make Your Own Tortillas

Nothing tastes better than fresh tortillas! If you dislike those leathery ones often found in the grocery store that tear when you wrap them, then you can easily make your own. Here's how.

Ingredients
(Makes 8 tortillas)
 * 4 cups of flour
 * 1 tsp. baking powder
 * 1 tsp. salt
 * 1 cup of water (many substitute warm milk for a fluffier texture)
 * 1/2 cups vegetable shortening (or lard)

Steps

 * 1) Choose what kind of tortillas you'd like to make. This article will show you how to make flour tortillas, but there are other recipes you can try:
 * 2) *How to Make Corn Tortillas
 * 3) *How to Make Gluten Free Flour Tortillas
 * 4) *How to Make Flour Tortillas (alternative recipe)
 * 5) Mix flour, salt, & baking powder in a large medium/large bowl.
 * 6) Cut in shortening/lard until lumps are gone.
 * 7) Make a hole in the center of the dry ingredients.
 * 8) Add water, about a half a cup at a time, and work mixture into a dough. #Knead until smooth. The dough should be slightly sticky but not hard. You can add slightly more water or flour if needed.
 * 9) Cover and set aside for 10 minutes.
 * 10) Make the dough into balls about the size of eggs.
 * 11) Using a rolling pin, roll each dough ball into about a 6 inch circle.
 * 12) Heat griddle or skillet on medium heat without grease.
 * 13) Cook tortilla 1/2 to 1 minute (if it starts to bubble, that's long enough).
 * 14) Flip tortilla to the other side and cook for a few seconds.
 * 15) Continue until all your dough is cooked.
 * 16) Then you can eat!

Tips

 * To make fewer tortillas, only use half the measurements of each ingredient.
 * Making good tortillas takes practice. Eventually you will be able to get them round.
 * If you don't like fluffy tortillas, you can eliminate the baking powder.
 * Keeping the griddle hot makes the tortillas cook fast. If you find they are burning before they are cooked, turn the heat down slightly.
 * If you do not have a rolling pin, you can use a small round bottle or even a broom handle!
 * Small hand-operated presses are available in some Latino cooking supply stores, if you want an easy way to shape tortillas.

Warnings

 * Store extra tortillas in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Since they don't have preservatives, they will spoil after a couple of days on the counter.
 * Traditional authentic tortillas are more often made with masa or ground cornflour. You will need to adjust all the ingredients in the recipe if you are using masa because it has a different texture from wheat flour.

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Make Flour Tortillas
 * How to Make Tortilla de Patatas
 * How to Make Breakfast Tacos
 * How to Make Stacked Cheese Enchiladas
 * How to Make Soft Chicken Tacos
 * How to Knead Dough