Homemade Flour Tortillas
Tortillas are a tradition in my family. My mom named me after the woman who taught her how to make tortillas (true story!). I never met my namesake, but I fondly remember eating those tortillas, hot from the griddle, when I was a child. My mom would often give us a warm tortilla, spread with butter and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, while we waited for dinner to cook, and they were my favorite thing in the world to eat. I've tried making my mom's tortillas before, but she doesn't have a written recipe for them, and tends to make them by feel instead. My attempts to make them her way have never tasted like those amazingly fluffy tortillas I remember from childhood.
My mom always made her tortillas with shortening, which I almost never have in the house, and it was a big mess every time I tried to cut the shortening in. About six years ago, I discovered the recipe I'm sharing below, and it was a total game changer! The tortillas come out so fluffy and delicious, and I love that they're made with olive oil instead of shortening. I know it's not traditional (so you can save your angry comments!), but it really gives these tortillas a great flavor and texture. (And flour tortillas aren't traditional anyway, so why not?)
A few months ago, I taught my six year old to make these tortillas, and now it's our thing together. The recipe is so simple and straightforward that she can add all the ingredients and mix the dough herself, and she loves rolling the tortillas out. I cook them on the hot griddle, with her telling me when to flip them. It's been so much fun sharing it with her (and her favorite dolly, Lucy Anna, who goes everywhere with her). We make them together at least once a week, and it's always a good time. I usually double the recipe so that we have extras to snack on, and we use these for tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, burritos, you name it! We also love them as a quick side dish to go with soup or chili. These are a staple at our house!
Homemade Flour Tortillas
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup warm water
Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl, until combined. Let rest 10-15 minutes. Preheat a skillet or griddle to medium heat. Divide the dough into 8 pieces for medium tortillas or 12 pieces for small tortillas. Roll each ball of dough out into a thin circle. Cook 3-4 minutes, or until bubbles form on the top of the tortilla. Flip and cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Wrap cooked tortillas in a towel to keep them soft and pliable.
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