Simple Flour Tortillas

By jsides

Ingredients

• 8 cups flour (up to half whole wheat)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 cup shortening
• 2 1/2 cups HOT water (not boiling, but hot enough to melt the shortening)

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from penniesandpancakes.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

Combine flour, salt, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Mix well. Cut in the shortening with a pastry cutter, fork, or your hands. (I use my hands)
Make a well in the center of the mix, and slowly add the hot water, mixing until you have a soft dough that pulls away from the edges of the bowl when you knead it, and is only very slightly sticky.

Knead the dough until it becomes smooth and elastic. (A couple minutes should do it)

Cover and let it rest for at least 10 minutes.

Pre-heat a griddle or skillet on medium-high heat. Temperature might take some time to get right... not hot enough = crispy, un-pliable tortillas. Too hot, and the middle won't get cooked before your tortilla turns black. Medium-high is about right on my griddle for the first couple tortillas, then I end up turning it down closer to medium heat.

Pinch off golf ball-sized balls of dough, place on a clean, very lightly floured surface, and roll them as thin as you can... cardstock paper thin. It takes a few tries to make them evenly round, so don't get frustrated. They taste amazing no matter the shape.

Place the thin tortilla dough on the pre-heated griddle. Watch it shrink up and thicken up and cook till multiple bubbles appear on the surface, and a little browning occurs underneath. It will depend on the temperature of your griddle, but 10 seconds is about right. Flip it over and cook the other side. Avoid over-cooking them, or they'll become dry, and brittle particularly around the edges. There is a learning curve to this, so don't be dismayed if a couple of your tortillas have black spots. Adjust the heat/cook time as necessary.

Place cooked tortillas on a plate and cover with a dish towel to keep the moisture locked in.

Serve warm. Store cooled tortillas wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator or freezer for longer keeping.