Made from Scratch: Flour Tortillas

Monday, August 18, 2014

In this time of blogging, DIY, and a resurgence in homemaking, there are loads of men and women who are making amazing things from scratch everyday, but I am often surprised at how many people have never even thought about making some things from scratch.  There are a few things that I don't feel are worth making from scratch (ahem, curry paste... been there, done that and it just tastes better out of a can or package), but there are tons of things you can easily make from scratch that don't take too much time or any weird ingredients.  Tortillas are one of these foods for me.  I could spend $3 of my grocery budget buying tortillas, or make fabulous fresh ones at home and spend the $3 on something else.  I don't make them from scratch every time, but I do love having a good recipe to use whenever I want to save that $3.00 (that sounds like such a trifling amount, but when you are trying to stick to a budget, it can go a long way!).   

Tortillas 
from Taste of Home
makes 8 medium/large tortillas
2 cups of flour (I often use 1 cup of wheat flour and 1 cup of white)
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup water
3 Tbs olive oil

Combine flour and salt in a bowl.  Add water and olive oil and mix until a soft dough forms.  Knead about 15 times until it is no longer sticky.  Add a little more flour if necessary.  Let it rest for 10 minutes and then divide it into 8 sections.  Roll each into a ball on a floured surface.  Roll each ball out with a rolling pin until it is very flat and round.  Cook on a griddle or in a frying pan until they are slightly puffy and golden parts to each side.

7 comments

  1. when i was living overseas, tortillas were wicked expensive and not as yummy so i often made them myself - but i have to admit, they are on my list of not worth the extra effort for the small amount of money saved. We really love Mexican though, so i made them a bunch. question - how do you get them so flat? I flattened mine between two cutting boards but my hands were aching after!

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    1. Lauren,
      I know most people feel like it is too much effort, but I love them anyway and we make them every few weeks! My husband is the designated tortilla roller-outer, because he does a better job at making them symmetrical, but I find a rolling pin is the best method. Just put down a lot of flour before you start to roll them out and you can get them very thin! Good luck if you try making them again!

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  2. I hope you make these when I come to visit, so I can watch!!

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    1. We totally should make these while you are here! I think you will like them! They are so tasty! And Adam is a pro at rolling them out!

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  3. I have been making my own tortillas for about a year now and for me, they are soooo worth the extra time spent in the kitchen. I love how homemade tortillas add a wholesome toasty flavor to a dish. Also, I totally feel you on that $3.00. That is significant when you're trying to shop healfully on a budget!

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    1. Way to go! It is always fun to have another tortilla making convert :) They are just so delicious!

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  4. I made these for a while, but I just. . . it's too much effort for me. And I don't think mine ever tasted as good as a store-bought tortilla that you cook yourself.

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