Homemade Taco-Size Flour Tortillas
By Morgan BollingPublished on July 2, 2024
Time
50 minutes, plus 30 minutes chilling
Yield
Makes 12 (6-inch) tortillas
Ingredients
Before You Begin
You can substitute shortening for the lard. If you don't have a cast-iron skillet, you can use a 12-inch nonstick skillet; to do so, heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in the skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Wipe out the skillet with paper towels, leaving a thin film of oil on the bottom, before adding the dough rounds in step 4. This recipe is an updated version of one we first published in 2017.
Instructions
- Combine flour and salt in large bowl. Using your fingers, rub lard into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in warm water until evenly combined.
- Transfer dough to clean counter and knead briefly to form smooth, cohesive ball, about 30 seconds. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces (about 1½ ounces, or 2 tablespoons, each). Roll each piece into smooth ball between your palms and transfer to plate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until dough is firm, at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
- Cut twelve 6-inch squares of parchment paper. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time (keep remaining pieces covered), roll each dough ball into 6-inch round on lightly floured counter. Transfer each dough round to 1 parchment square, stacking rounds on top of each other with parchment squares in between.
- Heat 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Place 1 dough round in skillet and cook until surface begins to bubble and bottom is spotty brown, about 1 minute. (If not browned after 1 minute, turn heat up slightly. If browning too quickly, reduce heat.) Flip and cook until spotty brown on second side, 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer tortilla to plate and cover with clean dish towel. Repeat with remaining dough rounds, stacking cooked tortillas under towel. Serve.TO MAKE AHEAD: Cooled tortillas can be layered between parchment paper squares, covered with plastic wrap, and refrigerated for up to 3 days. To serve, discard plastic, cover tortillas with clean dish towel, and microwave at 50 percent power until heated through, about 20 seconds.
Time
50 minutes, plus 30 minutes chillingYield
Makes 12 (6-inch) tortillasIngredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Great flour tortillas have a supple, almost fluffy texture and just the right amount of savory flavor. This recipe was inspired by teachings we learned from cookbook author and food historian Melissa Guerra. We found that the ideal consistency of dough for a flour tortilla came from the right balance of flour, fat, and water. Using lard gave a deeply savory flavor (though shortening also worked). Chilling the dough and dusting the counter with flour before rolling prevented the tortillas from sticking to the countertop. A preheated cast-iron skillet mimicked the traditional comal, a type of griddle traditionally used in Mexico. Keeping a careful eye on the tortillas while cooking and adjusting the heat as necessary helped us achieve lightly browned tortillas that were perfectly cooked through.
Before You Begin
You can substitute shortening for the lard. If you don't have a cast-iron skillet, you can use a 12-inch nonstick skillet; to do so, heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in the skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Wipe out the skillet with paper towels, leaving a thin film of oil on the bottom, before adding the dough rounds in step 4. This recipe is an updated version of one we first published in 2017.
Instructions
- Combine flour and salt in large bowl. Using your fingers, rub lard into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in warm water until evenly combined.
- Transfer dough to clean counter and knead briefly to form smooth, cohesive ball, about 30 seconds. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces (about 1½ ounces, or 2 tablespoons, each). Roll each piece into smooth ball between your palms and transfer to plate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until dough is firm, at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
- Cut twelve 6-inch squares of parchment paper. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time (keep remaining pieces covered), roll each dough ball into 6-inch round on lightly floured counter. Transfer each dough round to 1 parchment square, stacking rounds on top of each other with parchment squares in between.
- Heat 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Place 1 dough round in skillet and cook until surface begins to bubble and bottom is spotty brown, about 1 minute. (If not browned after 1 minute, turn heat up slightly. If browning too quickly, reduce heat.) Flip and cook until spotty brown on second side, 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer tortilla to plate and cover with clean dish towel. Repeat with remaining dough rounds, stacking cooked tortillas under towel. Serve.TO MAKE AHEAD: Cooled tortillas can be layered between parchment paper squares, covered with plastic wrap, and refrigerated for up to 3 days. To serve, discard plastic, cover tortillas with clean dish towel, and microwave at 50 percent power until heated through, about 20 seconds.
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