Recipe 35: Homemade Tortillas

Ingredients

• 2-1/2 cups All-purpose Flour
• 2-1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1/2 cup Lard Or Vegetable Shortening
• 2 Tablespoons (additional) Lard Or Vegetable Shortening
• 1 cup Hot Water

Preparation Instructions

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large wooden bowl. Stir together.

Add spoonfuls of lard or shortening (use 1/2 cup PLUS 2 tablespoons), then use a pastry cutter to combine the ingredients. Cut mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Slowly pour in hot water, stirring to bring mixture together. Lightly knead dough 30 to 40 times, or until it becomes a cohesive ball of dough and is less sticky. Cover with a tea towel and allow dough to rest for at least an hour.

Roll into ping pong size balls, place on a tray, cover with a tea towel, and allow to rest for another 20 to 30 minutes.

When you're ready to make the tortillas, head a dark or cast iron griddle to medium/medium-high heat. One by one, roll out balls of dough until very, very thin. Throw tortillas (one by one) onto the griddle. Cook on each side for 20 to 30 seconds, removing while tortillas are still soft but slightly brown in spots. Remove and stack tortillas, and cover with a towel to keep warm. Serve immediately or allow to cool before storing tortillas in a container. To warm, nuke tortillas in the microwave, or wrap in foil and warm in the oven.

Helpful tips:

* Make sure the water you pour in is very warm.

* Allow the dough to rest, both after kneading and after forming into balls.

* Roll out very thin.

* Get the heat right on your stove: Too hot, and the tortilla will burn in spots. Not hot enough, and the tortilla will begin to crisp before you can get it to brown. I get my stove between medium and medium high heat; that seems to do the trick.

* Use a dark griddle or cast iron skillet to brown the tortillas.

* Cook just long enough to lightly brown the tortilla in spots; don't cook too long or tortillas will crisp. You want them to be soft and pliable when you serve them.

* Finally: Have fun! And enjoy them. They're absolutely scrumptious.

I found this recipe on Pioneer Woman. I would recommend heading over there to see all of her great pictures and tips. This recipe was pretty easy to make, although you do have to allow a couple of hours to make them, so this isn't something you can just throw together. I also thought that these tasted really yummy, much better than store bought ones. Although I have to admit I was really hoping for a Cafe Rio copy cat and this recipe is not it. These are not very expensive to make, and I did go out and buy lard just for the occasion. I think next time I will try these with crisco and see what flavor I like best. I don't know if these are any healthier than store bought kind, but I always like knowing what exactly is going into something and I know that there are not a bunch of preservatives or chemicals.

Bottom line:

I like making my own tortillas and they are much better than store bought kind, but I am still looking for the perfect recipe!

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