Ingredients
Scale
- 2 scant cups (256 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons (7 g) kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup (56 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2/3 cup (152 g) lukewarm water
Instructions
- Combine Dry Ingredients and Butter: Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the softened butter and use the back of a fork to blend it into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Form the Dough: Stir in the 2/3 cup lukewarm water with a fork until a shaggy dough forms. The mixture will start to come together but might still look somewhat loose.
- Knead the Dough: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead briefly for 1-2 minutes or until the dough comes together into a smooth ball. It’s perfectly fine if the dough is still slightly sticky at this point.
- Portion the Dough: Cut the dough into 2-oz pieces for taco-sized tortillas (5 inches) or 3-oz pieces for burrito-sized tortillas (10 inches). You will have 10 small pieces or 5 larger pieces. Shape each piece into a ball, using a little flour as needed to prevent sticking.
- Rest the Dough: Cover the dough balls with a very light kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes and up to two hours at room temperature (or 24 hours in the fridge in an airtight container). This resting period allows the gluten to relax, making the tortillas easier to roll and more tender.
- Roll Out the Tortillas: Roll out each ball to about 6-8 inches (for taco size) or 10-12 inches (for burrito size) in diameter. Roll them as thinly as possible, until you can almost see the counter through the dough.
- Cook the Tortillas: Heat a 12-inch non-stick or cast-iron pan (without oil) on medium-high heat. Place a tortilla in the pan and cook until it puffs slightly and small brown spots appear on the underside, about 30 seconds. Flip with tongs and cook the other side for another 30 seconds. Each tortilla takes about 60 seconds total to cook, and ideally shouldn’t brown too much.
- Cool and Store: Use immediately or let cool completely before transferring to an airtight bag for storage.
Notes
- For best results, use a kitchen scale to measure ingredients precisely.
- You can substitute lard or shortening for butter for a more traditional flavor.
- To keep cooked tortillas warm while preparing the rest, place them in a tortilla warmer or wrap them in a clean kitchen towel.
- For added flavor, try incorporating herbs like chopped cilantro or spices like garlic powder into the dough.
- If using sourdough discard in this recipe, follow the instructions on the sourdough post mentioned in the original recipe.
- These tortillas can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 taco-sized tortilla
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 175mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 10mg