Easy Flour Tortilla Tutorial

    Making Homemade tortillas really doesn't take much time. In fact, they probably don’t take much longer than the time it would take to pop open a can of biscuits and cook. But they do taste so much better than canned biscuits or store bought tortillas that making them is definitely worth the time and effort. Nothing taste much better than hot tortillas rolled up with some cheese spread and arugula, as Italians eat it!

Easy Flour Tortilla

Ingredients:
  Partially adapted from http://whatscookingamerica.net/

3  cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4  tablespoons olive oil or vegetable shortening. I prefer Extra virgin olive oil-
1 1/4 cup really hot water (approximate).

Preparation:

In a large bowl, blend the flour, baking powder, and salt together.

With a pastry cutter/blender  cut in the shortening or mix your oil . You want these ingredients to cling together slightly and hold a form when squeezed in your hand

 

Add the water all at once and mix the dough quickly with a fork or by hand until the dough forms a mass.

Work it in the bowl, moving it around the sides to pick up any flour remaining in the bowl.

Knead the dough by folding it in half, pushing it down, and folding again. It should take about a dozen folds to form soft dough that is no longer sticky.and at this point you will feel the softest dough ever !! believe me.

Cover the dough with a towel or plastic wrap to let it rest for about 20 to 30 minutes. Allowing the dough to rest lets any of the liquid absorb into the flour, which will give you a softer tortilla after cooking. 

 Take your ball of dough and begin pinching off 1-inch diameter balls. Knead each of these into a tight ball by folding them over with your fingers, turning and repeating until it is shaped like a fat disk. Place it to one side of the mixing bowl and continue to do this until you have used all of the dough. about 9 balls.

On a lightly floured surface take one of the dough balls and begin to roll it out. To keep a somewhat round shape, roll one directions, make a 1/4 turn  (45 degrees)and roll again,

                                                 make another 1/4 turn and roll.

 Continue to roll and turn until you the dough is about 1/8-inch thick and 8 to 10 inches in diameter. 

 Heat a cast-iron griddle, or small skillet to about 450 degrees F . over medium to medium-high heat until water droplets "dance" when dropped on the surface.  You might have to increase or decrease the heat after you cook your first tortilla, but you should be able to tell if the tortilla is cooking too fast on the outside and still raw on the inside, or increase it if your tortilla is taking more than 30 seconds to begin to “puff” when placed on the skillet.

Enjoy !!

                        

 

Happy Cooking every one :)