Ingredients
- Basic Recipe:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup lard, cut in little cubes
- 1 tbs. corn or veggie oil
- 1 1/4 cup warm water
- To the warm water, add one of the following, and stir well:
- 1 tbs. onion powder (do not toast)
- 1/2 tbs. garlic powder (do not toast)
- 1 tbs. cumin powder, toasted
- 1/2 tbs. dry adobo mix, Goya Sazon of choice, or taco seasoning, toasted
Homemade Flavored Flour Tortillas
Directions
- Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl, add the lard pieces and work the dough with your fingers (like biscuit dough), until it resembles fine meal.
- Drizzle on oil and stir in the water, forming a dough.
- Knead for 2 minutes on a work surface. The dough should be soft and elastic.
- Cover and let rest 30 minutes.
- Divide into 12 pieces.
- Turn the first piece of dough in a little flour, and using a rolling pin or dowel, roll the dough out from the center, keeping it in a round form, and roll until it is a thin 6 inch round.
- Brush off visible flour.
- Using a clean towel, put the tortilla on the towel, fold it over to cover it.
- Make the rest of the tortillas and add to towel.
- Heat a skillet or comal to medium high.
- Put 1 tortilla in the skillet and cook for 15-20 seconds, flip it over with the spatula.(Tortilla should puff up a bit and have pale brown spots before flipping it.)
- Repeat.
- The tortillas should be soft, supple. If they cook to long, they stiffen.
- Store in a plastic bag. Will freeze.
Summary
Flour tortillas are popular in northern Mexico, whereas corn is favored in the central and southern regions. It is just a matter of what grows where.
Corn tortillas are rarely used in Tex-Mex enchilada dishes, because unless homemade, they tend to break apart when trying to roll them up. I use them to make stacked enchiladas, which are found in West Texas and New Mexico.
Handmaking flour tortillas is not difficult at all. You'll need the ingredients, a rolling pin, spatula, and a skillet. Also, have a container ready to hold the fresh tortillas.
I am posting a basic recipe, plus 4 varieties of flavored ones: onion, garlic, cumin, and adobo.
See links below for adobo and taco seasonings, or purchase Sazon from a Latin grocery.
YouTube has several how make flour tortilla videos. If you're a novice, you might want to watch one first.
