Flour Tortillas

These are very simple to make and require no specialized ingredients or equipment, though they do require time and patience. The first time you taste one after watching it transform from an unremarkable looking raw dough round into lovely puffy toasted tortilla you’ll understand why they are worth the effort.

Ingredients

• 12oz(2 2/3c)/400g plain white all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
• 1 TBSP butter, cut into 4 pieces and put it in the freezer for 10 minutes
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 6oz(3/4c)/175ml boiling hot water

Instructions

1. Put the flour, salt, and butter into a food processor and pulse until the butter disappears into the flour. Your not looking for breadcrumb consistency. The flour will appear almost as though there is nothing in it at all and that is just how it should be.
2. Transfer the flour mixture to a large heatproof glass or metal bowl and make a well in the center. Add the boiling water all at once and stir with a spoon just until it comes together into a rough dough.
3. Knead the dough in the bowl until it becomes elastic and smooth (just a minute or two). Make sure you pick up all the flour and dry bits of dough off the surface of the bowl.
4. The bowl should be basically clean when you are done kneading it. Put a tiny drop of oil onto the top of the dough ball the bowl, and run it over the top into a thin coating, then turn the dough over in the bowl so that it rests on its oiled side. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let rest for 10 minutes.
5. Once the dough has rested, remove it to a floured surface and shape into a sausage form. Cut the dough into 24 equal pieces and return them to the bowl, cover with a damp towel.
6. Take each piece of dough into your hands and one at a time, roll into a smooth ball, flatten into a disk, place on the rolling surface, flour each side, roll until the disk is approximately 5″/12.5cm wide, avoid using more flour to dust unless you absolutely have to, repeat with the rest of the dough pieces and use wax or parchment paper to keep them separated.
7. The tortillas are dry fried so heat up a frying pan or electric griddle and get it as hot as possible.
8. Place the tortilla(s) on the hot pan and turn it a few seconds after you see blisters start to appear evenly across the surface.
9. When you flip the tortilla it should have small brown spots all over it, possibly even a few little black spots.
10. Cook for 10 to 15 seconds on the opposite side, if it starts to puff up to much then flatten it a little with a spatula so it cooks evenly but don’t try to “pop” the bubbles.
11. Put each tortilla into a tortilla holder or alternatively into a warmed bowl with a towel in it to keep them warm until you are ready to serve them.

Makes 24 x 5″/12.5cm

Notes

• I use a plain wooden dowel type roller and my everyday cutting board to roll these. I find that just a small dusting directly onto the flattened dough ball is all I need and I rarely ever have to flour the actual board or the roller.
• If you are cooking as you roll you’ll save time (best way to do it IMO) but if you are rolling ahead of time then put some sort of non-stick baking type paper in-between.
• The tortillas are best served as soon as they are all cooked but they can be kept in an airtight container for up to 5 days and reheated as needed.