Tortillas. That warm, tender, almost like bread but not quite deliciousness that envelops our tacos, wraps, and a number of other delicious treats. There's no doubt about it, for some meals, tortillas are a must. But what happens when you don't have any on hand? You could head out to the store and just pick some up. Or you could treat yourself with homemade tortillas that are way better than anything you'd ever find in the store.
Of course, like so many other foods, there are different types of tortillas. And the kind we're talking about here are flour tortillas. Corn tortillas aren't that different to make, but finding masa can be more difficult than you would think. But everyone has flour in their pantry and by following the six tips below, you can put it to good use.
1. Use lard or vegetable shortening, but never butter Tortillas start off similar to pie crust in the way that you have to cut a fat into the flour at the beginning of any recipe. But, tortillas are very unlike pie crusts in that this fat should never be butter. Using butter in flour tortillas will make them very tough, and actually dry them out whereas lard and vegetable shortening have a more elastic consistency that the tortillas will benefit from. Most people who have tried their hand making tortillas will tell you that lard is the best option, and that may be. But when you don't have any lard on hand, vegetable shortening really work just as well.
When cutting the lard or shortening into the flour, you can use a pastry cutter. But I find it's much easier to use a food processor and pulse it a few times just until the dough stays together when pinched.
2. Use very hot water Also like pie crust, water needs to be added to the fat/flour mixture to get it to stay together. But again, unlike pie crust, when making tortillas you want that water to be very hot - hot enough to melt the fat. When making pie crust you want the butter to be cold so that it will melt as it cooks and create those layers that makes for truly flaky pie crust.
But you don't necessarily want your tortillas to be flaky. They are after all, fairly flat. And using hot water to melt the fat will help distribute that fat all throughout the flour, making sure that each bite is tender and holds together.
3. Knead, and then knead some more Tortilla dough needs to be kneaded. And when your recipe tells you to knead for five minutes - you need to knead for at least five minutes. This will make the dough more elastic, allowing it to be stretched and rolled and it will also help to ensure that all the ingredients are distributed evenly. Anywhere from five to ten minutes will do, but it needs to be at least five minutes.
You can knead the dough in a stand mixer with a hook attachment, or you can do it by hand. To knead by hand, press the tortilla down so it's flat and then fold it over and push down with the heel of your hand. Then fold it again, push down with the heel of your hand, and then continue doing that for the needed time.
4. Allow dough to rest After kneading the dough, you need to pinch off small 1-inch balls from the bigger ball of dough. Roll these and place the smaller balls on a counter or work surface and cover with a clean kitchen towel to allow them to rest for at least ten minutes. This step is very important, as it will allow the dough to absorb any flour that hasn't yet been absorbed, which will keep your tortillas together and prevent large pieces of flour from sticking to the surface of the tortillas.
5. Use a tortilla press Anyone who has ever eaten a tortilla knows just how thin they are. They are very thin. You can achieve this thinness just by rolling out your small balls of dough with a rolling pin, but this can be difficult. Instead, use a tortilla press, which will make fast work of an otherwise arduous job. Just place the ball of dough into the center then press down until the tortilla is thin. Then it will be ready for cooking!
6. Cook them over medium heat Many people think that tortillas need to be cooked over a very high heat, but that's not true. In fact, cooking tortillas over a high heat will only make them charred and burnt within seconds of cooking the tortillas and can also make them dry and crackly - not so good for wrapping around taco fillings or anything else.
Instead, coat a cast iron skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil and heat it over medium heat. When hot, add the pressed tortillas, cook for a minute or two until it starts to lift and bubble, and then flip and cook the other side. Remove the tortilla from the pan, and continue on with the rest.
