Authentic Mexican Flour Tortillas
My Authentic Mexican Flour Tortillas are based on the traditional tortillas de agua (water tortillas) of Sonora, Mexico, known for their thin, soft, and ultra-flexible texture thanks to their high water content! Made with just 4 ingredients, they're rolled thin and cooked quickly over high heat for that traditional flavor and a soft, flexible texture that can hold even heavy fillings without tearing or cracking.Super easy to make and tastier than store-bought, I use them for Chicken Quesadillas, Grilled Cheese Burritos, Fish Tacos, and more!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (60 g) lard (vegetable shortening is the best non-animal fat substitute)
- 3/4 cups and 2 tbsp (210 ml) hot water (the water should be as hot as your hands can handle)
Instructions
- Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl.
- Add the lard to the flour and work it with your hands until it distributes evenly through the flour and forms a sandy texture.
- Pour in the water 1/4 cup (60 ml) at a time while kneading, until a sticky dough that pulls away from the bowl comes together, it should form into one cohesive mass and leave no dry flour or loose crumbs behind. Some stickiness is ok but it shouldn't feel so wet that it sticks to your hands or is impossible to knead. You might not need all of the water, as it depends on how your brand of flour absorbs it and even on the level of humidity and altitude.
- Rest the dough. Form the dough into a ball, cover in lard or oil and return to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap to keep the dough from drying out. Rest for 30 minutes.
- Preheat a comal, skillet, or griddle over high heat.
- Roll out. Divide the dough into 10-12 pieces. Place a piece on a lightly floured work surface and flatten it slightly with your hand. Using a floured rolling pin, roll from the center outward, applying even pressure. After every one or two passes, rotate the dough a quarter turn and roll again. This helps you work each side evenly. Keep rotating the tortilla clockwise as you roll it out to achieve a round shape. Your tortillas should be thin enough that you can almost see light through the center and the edges should be nearly as thin as the center. If the dough starts sticking, dust the surface with a small amount of flour. Cover the pieces you're not rolling out with plastic wrap so they don't dry out.
- Cook. Once the comal, cast-iron skillet, or griddle is very hot, place a rolled tortilla on it. Cook for just 5-10 seconds: look for the first small bubbles to form on the surface, then flip when those early bubbles appear. After flipping, cook for another 5-10 seconds and look for the bubbles again, flip a third time to finish cooking the tortilla (another 5 seconds). After this flip, the tortilla may puff up. If it doesn't, don't panic, it's okay, just remove it from the heat and immediately wrap it in a clean kitchen towel. A successful tortilla is soft, flexible, pale in color with scattered dark spots. As each tortilla comes off the pan, stack it with the others and wrap the stack in the kitchen towel: the retained warmth and moisture help keep the tortillas from drying out as they cool. Keep the stack covered while you cook.
Notes
If you don't want to use lard, vegetable shortening (like Crisco) is the very best next option, as it's the one fat that gives you the closest result to lard, minus the flavor. It's a great option that is popular even in Mexico. If you don't have shortening, you can try vegetable oil, canola oil, or sunflower oil. Butter is my least favorite fat for these because it makes them dry out quickly once they cool down.
You can make these by hand or with a stand mixer, which is super convenient if you're not a fan of kneading! Use a dough hook when mixing the dough.
Tortillas vary in size from about 4 inches to over 12 inches (10-30 cm). Sonoran tortillas are typically on the larger side, but I usually make mine a standard 7-inch (18 cm) medium size, which works great for most dishes. If you want street taco size, go for 5 inches (12 cm).
If you're wondering about baking powder since lots of recipes use it: it isn't needed! It's a more modern addition that gives you a more puffed-up, thicker, breadier texture, BUT it'll make the tortillas less flexible and more prone to cracking, which is why I don't use it.
Nutrition
Calories: 137kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 3gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 118mgPotassium: 27mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.1gCalcium: 4mgIron: 1mg
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