Fresh Flour Tortillas

ByBluebonnet Baker
56 Comments

There is nothing more divine to me than a warm and fresh tortilla. When I am in San Antonio, it is one of the things I look forward to most - stepping foot in a Las Palapas or Casa Rio and being served with a tortilla warmer full of steamy, perfectly pillowy flat breads to go with my carne guisada, migas, or fajitas.

That I spent years buying in-store tortillas for home use kind of depresses me, now that I know how easy they are to make. You don't need much: flour, lard, salt, water, and a food processor or your own two hands.

You might think I'm crazy to cook with lard, and before I'd read Robb Walsh's Tex-Mex cookbook, I might have agreed with you.

Cooking with lard is actually much better for you than say, margarine. It has absolutely no trans fats, and stacks up gram for gram equally on total fat to vegetable oil. And Crisco? It's got genetically modified soy bean oil in it. No thank you!

Besides all that, I am putting my hand on the Good Book here and telling you: You will only make a superior tortilla if you make it with lard.

I'm not asking you to cook with lard every day, and I'm certainly not asking you to make fresh tortillas every day of your life (though hey, if you want to join that party with me, it's kinda fun) - but for the good of your tortillas, I am asking you to pick up that box near the butter that says LARD on it.

I promise, if I see you in the grocery store, I'll give you a thumbs up. I will not judge. And if someone else starts giving you those judgy eyes? You send 'em my way. I'll set 'em straight.

Robb Walsh tells me in his book that San Antonio has superior tortillas because of the hardness of the water there. San Antonio water comes from the Edwards Aquifer, and I'm here to tell you, it's some of the best tasting water in the world. The Edwards Aquifer is an underground cavern made of limestone, filled with water. The limestone imparts minerals into the water that give it such a fresh perfect taste, and oh man.. I miss it now.

So if you ever make to San Antonio, you'll have to taste the water and the tortillas, and tell me what you think. In the meantime, make some tortillas of your own, and throw some carne guisada or breakfast taco fixins in it. It'll make your day, I promise.

Flour Tortillas

3 ½ to 4 cups of flour (the higher gluten your flour, the less of it you need. I used King Arthur AP flour, and needed just 3 ½ cups)
1 teaspoon salt
¼ c. lard

For puffier tortillas, add 1 teaspoon baking powder

Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Place dry ingredients and lard in a food processor. Add 1 cup of water and pulse until dough comes together. It should be pliable but not sticky. If it is sticky, add flour a tablespoon at a time and mix again until the dough is no longer sticky.

Remove food processor bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rest for 30 minutes to an hour.

Pinch dough into 8 even sized balls. Using either a tortilla press or rolling pin, roll each dough ball out until it's ⅛" to ¼" inch thick (to your preference). If using a tortilla press, I find flipping the dough over and pressing 2-3 times per side allows for the best results.

Heat a medium sized saute pan or a griddle if you have one. Make sure it's screaming hot, and then add one tortilla to the pan or as many will fit on the griddle. Allow to cook 60-90 seconds, until bottom side is peppered with darker brown spots to a color you like, and then flip with tongs or a spatula.

Cook on the opposite side and then remove tortilla to a tortilla warmer or wrap in a clean and dry kitchen towel.

Enjoy with a pat of butter, or fill with your favorite taco filling.

If you're feeling especially adventurous, instead of just griddling your tortillas for use in tacos, visit Bake at 350 - a blog started by my fellow Texan and dear friend, Bridget - where she teaches you how to french toast tortillas and FILL THEM WITH NUTELLA. Did I mention she's a freakin' genius?[wpurp-searchable-recipe]Fresh Flour Tortillas - - - [/wpurp-searchable-recipe]

More Bread

56 Comments

  1. So excited to find your blog! I live in Castroville which is right outside of San Antonio and totally understand all of the memories you have from the area... My mom learned how to make tortillas when I was very small. I learned at a very early age...We use shortening instead of lard and they are heaven...you just can't beat a homemade tortilla!

  2. There's not much better than homemade flour torts! They just make whatever you put inside taste that much better. Mmmm!

  3. And did I mention they're ROUND? Round tortillas! Who knew I could ever make such a thing?

  4. Finally got around to getting a small press and I'm totally sold on it, and your recipe! I made half a batch with baking powder for fluffy, soft tortillas to eat with butter and honey and another batch without to use for tacos. Thanks so much!

  5. Fresh made tortillas is just one of the many things I miss about living in Texas. I've tried to make them, with mixed results, but your photos and description make me want to take another stab at it. Maybe with a press, I can keep mine from coming out shaped like Florida!

  6. These look absolutely perfect. I agree with you on the lard too, it's not as bad as its reputation leads it to be.

  8. I totally agree with you on lard! I use it in my pie crusts now too - crisco doesn't compare. 🙂 I love homemade tortillas - these ones look great!

  9. I'm making these. Lard is the way to get amazing texture in lots of things. When it calls for it have it occasionally and its so wonderful. I think people just see the word and have a bad connotation of it but seriously anyone who eats pork has a little lard in them 🙂 thanks for sharing

  10. These are amazing! I have never made homemade tortillas before... Can you believe that? Time to fix that 🙂

    1. Jen! How is that even possible, you naan making fool? You must resolve this problem immediately, missus!

  11. MMM, If there was a way to make tortillas better it would be to make them from scratch! Thanks for sharing!

  12. One Texas girl to another, YOU MADE me proud! This is my super secret hidden skill! My high school sweet heart's mom worked for the burrito stop in our town and she taught me well. I LOVE surprising people with my super secret skill.

    and THANK YOU for saying it outloud. Lard is the only way to go if you are making tortillas. It changes the flavor not to use it. Anything else, and you have a wrap!

    This is the most exciting post of my day!

    1. Thanks so much for your sweet comment! Seriously - I took fresh tortillas to a potluck once. People thought I was a genius.

      You are very welcome for the Lard props! I will preach to the church of Lard until my dying day. 🙂

  14. Oh my. I was just thinking of these. Could be dangerous having fresh, warm flour tortillas around. I've made my own corn tortillas, but not flour. Thanks for posting this 🙂

    1. Kellypea, that's interesting - I've never made corn tortillas because I've always read that you don't really get it right unless you have freshly made masa with corn meal that's different from what we can find at the grocery store. I'd love to see a recipe if you have one.

  15. Haha....laughing at your comment at the end...and drooling at your tortilla picture. (People in Starbucks are staring.) 😉

    1. LOL. Well show them the tortillas, Bridget, and then they'll get it. Oh gosh, imagine if Starbucks did breakfast tacos? Total World Domination.

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