Flour Tortillas

Flour Tortillas

69% hydration, 35 min, pan sized, makes 8

Ingredients

Makes 8 large

plain flour   360g
lard/trex     120g
warm water    250g
salt          7g
spinach       100g, optional

No baking powder. The high hydration is what keeps them soft, it will feel sticky and firms up as it rests.
Lard, Trex or Stork block (1:1) for the best result. Olive oil works for a lighter, healthier wrap, and butter works too.

Recipe

1. Mix the flour and salt. Squeeze in the lard until crumbly and nothing sticks to your hands.

2. Add the water gradually until the dough is soft and sticky, like sticky oatmeal. Knead on a floured counter for 5 minutes until smooth.

Stand mixer: paddle to rub in the lard, then dough hook on speed 2 for 3/4 minutes.
Buttermilk version: swap the water for warmed buttermilk. Softer, tangier, folds better. A good use for the buttermilk left from making butter. Keep the lard.
Green tortillas: blend the spinach into the water, holding back 60g. Add it back only if the dough feels dry.

3. Weigh the dough and rest it whole. Same day: covered, 20 minutes somewhere warm. Ahead: oil lightly, wrap airtight, fridge up to 48 hours, then back to room temperature for an hour before dividing.

The fridge rest rolls thinner with less spring-back. Keep it whole so less surface dries out, a pizza dough box or any airtight tub is ideal.

4. Divide and ball. 8 for pan-sized, about 90g each, or 4 for large wraps, about 185g. Cover and rest 10 minutes while the pan heats.

5. Roll each ball paper thin on a floured surface, aiming for 25cm. This is the make or break step: thin enough to see your hand through it. Too thick and they puff up like pita.

Flour both sides lightly. Let the rolling pin do the work, don’t push down or it sticks and tears. If it springs back, rest it 2/3 minutes.

6. Dry pan, medium-high, no oil. Cook 20/30 seconds a side until brown spots appear. Keep it quick or they dry out and stiffen. Drop the heat after the first if they crisp rather than stay soft.

7. Wrap in a tea towel as they come off the pan. Serve immediately.

❄ Freezer
Freeze: stack cooled tortillas with baking paper between each, flat in a bag.
Reheat: from frozen, dry hot pan 20/30 seconds a side, no need to thaw.
Keeps: 6 months frozen, 1 week in the fridge.