Apr 28, 2016

Flour Tortillas ~ Homemade Recipes



You probably know that I'm shutting down my cooking website to the public and will be sharing any new recipes here.
Today I share making flour tortillas.  It dawned on me well why did it take me so long to make these? Here in the South we make all types of bread one of which is a flour hoecake.  Basically a tortilla is a very thin rolled hoecake!




Recipe #1 has less fat and makes double the Recipe #2.   Hint* I would also make it with a pure olive oil and it would also be delicious!  I've made my flour hoecakes with olive oil and they are out of this world.  That would be great for vegetarians as well.
I have for years used shortening and vegetable or canola oils but lately have reverted back to animal fats, butter and an excellent pure virgin olive oil that is made in Italy.  I don't relish using so much using margarine and artificial shortening just steps away from being plastic. Also the oils made with GMOs aren't what they are supposed to be either. If you don't use or make the items with the butter or animal fat all the time then it can't be as bad for you.


Recipe #1

Ingredients

4 cups all purpose unbleached King Arthur Flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 Tbs. lard
1 1/2 cups cold water


Directions

Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder.  Add the lard to the flour mixture.  Mix well with your hands or cut into flour with a pastry blender  Do this until incorporated really well. Add water a little at a time mixing and kneading until well blended.
Put into plastic bag or cover bowl and let sit to rest 15 minutes to an hour.
Cut dough in half and then again and again until you have 24 pieces.  Roll into balls and cover with towel while you roll one at a time. lay them on counter and keep covered as you roll flat.  Roll as thin as possible, you may begin to see through dough and that is alright. You could use a tortilla press to shape them if you wish. *I suggest that you roll/shape them all before you start cooking them.

Heat skillet on medium to medium high heat.  I'm sure an iron frying pan would work best but I can't use one on my stove top so I did use a griddle pan I have to make mine.  I used a paper towel and wiped a little olive oil on to coat very lightly. Place one at a time in pan and watch as you cook. The little tortillas will start to bubble up while cooking.  Check underside for light browning and turn. They cook very quickly.


Place on foil covered with paper towels and cover with same to keep warm while you work.  A tortilla warmer may also be used to keep them warm.

Fill with your favorite ingredients and serve immediately.

Makes 24 - 8 inch tortillas


Recipe #2

*This recipe has more fat in it and is a softer tortilla.

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/8 cup lard
2 Tbs. chilled bacon grease
3/4 cup hot water (just bring to a boil)

Directions

Whisk together flour, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl. Using your hands or a pastry blender mix the fat into the flour mixture until the consistency of corn meal.
Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and carefully add hot water.  Take a fork and slowly blend flour into the water, going around until blended.
Knead and fold dough to blend and make smooth elastic.  Cover bowl with towel and let rest 15 minutes to 1 hour.
Take from bowl and cut into equal portions
Shape into circles and roll each one until paper thin.
Heat skillet rubbed with a small amount of oil with paper towel on medium to medium low heat.
Cook one at a time watching until it bubbles and slightly browns.  Turn and watch carefully the other side will brown even faster.
Remove and keep warm while cooking the other tortillas.

Makes 9 - 12  6 inch tortillas



TIP *Have some of these delicious tortillas left over just separate with parchment or wax paper place in airtight container or freezer bag and place in freezer.

These may take a little time but beat the store bought flour tortillas anytime!
You can make them all the same size with a Tortilla Press
You can buy a Tortilla Warmer
Either way you do it the taste is the same!

Until next time,










7 comments:

  1. I am so glad you posted this. The oil/lard is the tricky part and I think we will try lard next time. I do wonder if you can freeze these before cooking inorder to make a large amount. Thank you for posting this.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Ginger Dawn!
      I know lard has been pushed out of our diets for said better for you products. We are now learning that those 'better for you products' actually may not be better for you. I wish I had my own milk cow for making butter like my grandma and raised or knew of a pig farmer that grew his animals in the old fashioned safer way for the lard without CAFO fast grown, antibiotic fed GMO grained diets.
      Whew all of that being said, the oil, shortening, butter, lard decision should be up to you. I don't know about freezing the dough before cooking. It is so similar to biscuit exception being less fat until just not sure. They do freeze biscuits for baking later. I wondered if we could freeze the finished product? If you find out let me know please and I'll do the same.

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    2. Ginger I read where if you cook them you cam separate the tortillas with parchment or waxed paper and place in freezer bag. They can be frozen for well it say indefinitely. I don't know about that but it is good to know we won't have to throw away our tortillas we've worked to make

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  2. This post makes me chuckle a little because I have been making those for years since I was a little girl EVERY MORNING and my recipe is a little different more like recipe #2 only without the bacon grease. I use boiling water. and I make my balls and cool them in the fridge then come back and roll ... when you are hispanic You learn like at 7 yrs of age lol .. We eat them with every meal well, my husband does I have to watch my intake but my mom makes like 50 a day. so delicious try putting butter on it. we call it the Mexican survivor lol because we grew up poor... Great Post.

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    Replies
    1. Hey Marissa! I love it and wish I had your recipe. I've never made them before but have eaten many. I'm gonna try it your way the authentic way. Working for many years with Mexican helpers in the strawberry field I've tasted some of the best like yours and your Mom's I'm sure. It never dawned on me to make them until later. I'm a late bloomer in that way. Thank you for sharing with us. If you ever want to share your recipe I'd love to have it.

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  3. They look great. I have been making them for a while here from either lard or organic non-gmo canola. I never get any in the freezer with my large family either, ha ha!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Kristina!
      Sounds good to me! I am gonna look for some non-gmo canola around here. Thanks!

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