Homemade Tortillas Attack! …and Take Over the World

…because they are SO MUCH better than store-bought.

And:

• they don’t contain weird ingredients (you know what is in them!)
• they’re CHEAPER
• they are best made with WHOLE WHEAT flour or SPELT
• they’re made with 5 INGREDIENTS (or- 3 if you don’t count water and omit the chia seeds) that you more than likely have on-hand
• they taste better (the actual reason you’re here)

Homemade Tortillas

I’ve been making homemade tortillas ever since I discovered Lisa’s recipe.  I have tried pourable batter tortilla recipes, but they came out so much like a crepe that I never thought to make them into Hispanic food items.  I’ve tried others as well, but they either resisted rolling so much that I baked them into hard rolls and eventually threw them away or cursed the recipe creator.  Such is life.

I did adapt the original recipe slightly, because it had so much oil in it that some actually leaked out during the chilling part of the process.  And, it got on my hands when rolling.  And, post-leak oil became hard chunks highly inept at  becoming ONE with the rest of the dough.  First world problem = big deal.

So, I took out some of the oil (because I’m cheap like that.  Oil leaks = bad for BP and bad for food rations due to a budget) and left the remainder of the recipe AS-IS (way better than home-buying).

Side Note: you can use white flour as a substitute for whole wheat flour, but if you do that – forgo the tortilla press and use a rolling pin, it does take longer, but works better in the end.  If you make the recipe using WHOLE WHEAT flour or spelt, use a TORTILLA PRESS for the following reasons:  The process goes by so quickly.  It helps to avoid carpal tunnel.  And, it’s so much easier than using the *dreaded* rolling pin.

Homemade Tortillas

Homemade Tortillas

(adapted from Lisa’s recipe here)

2 and 1/2 cups flour (whole wheat flour works the best, but spelt can also be used.)
1 Tablespoon ground chia seeds (optional)
6 Tablespoons oil (coconut oil has the best taste, but I’ve also used olive oil)
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup WARM water (sounds weird, I know – but trust me on this)

Directions: Mix salt, ground chia seeds, and flour together in a large mixing bowl.  Cut in oil until pea-size granules form.  Stir in warm water until dough is combined and smooth (and sticks together in one mass).  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.  Divide dough into 20 equal pieces.  Roll each piece into a ball.  Line tortilla press with plastic wrap on both sides (top AND bottom).   Meanwhile, heat small skillet over medium heat.  Do NOT spray with cooking oil or coat with grease.  These tortillas cook best in a dry skillet.

Next, flatten each ball in tortilla press until 5″ in diameter.    One at a time, cook flattened tortilla in skillet until a nickel-sized bubble appears (a few might appear at a time), flip.  Then, cook on opposite side until a nickel-sized bubble appears OR there is(are) ONE or two spots that is(are) lightly golden brown.  The basic mission of cooking a tortilla is to dry it out.  If the dough is NOT AT all golden brown, but one even color – then, don’t worry about it.  It is still cooked and ready to eat.  If you let the tortilla cook TOO LONG and it burns slightly, it’s still good.  I wouldn’t take a picture of it to post on a blog, but I have eaten these a time or two.

Makes: 20 tortillas about 5″ in diameter.  To make larger tortillas, divide dough into less pieces.  Enjoy!

To enjoy at a later date – freeze in freezer bag – for up to a month – (based on my many times of doing this, they don’t stick together) or place in the fridge for up to a week.

Homemade Tortillas