How to Make Flour Tortillas (2024)

Learn how to make homemade flour tortillas from scratch without a press with this easy recipe! Just 5 ingredients, a rolling pin, and a cast iron skillet!

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Learn how to make flour tortillas at home that are thin and soft with the most perfect chew! Now, I know what you’re thinking: “I need a tortilla press for that, right?” Well, guess what? You absolutely don’t! With just five simple ingredients and a little bit of elbow grease, this step-by-step tutorial will have you rolling out soft, tender, and oh-so-delicious homemade flour tortillas from scratch in no time!

Making tortillas at home is a labor of love that requires patience and practice but is totally worth it. And once you get the hang of it, making tortillas at home will be like second nature.

The best part about making homemade tortillas is all the delicious food you get to stuff them with, such as chicken fajitas and sheet pan steak fajitas. And you don’t have to limit tortillas to dinner only – try it in this breakfast tortilla wrap. Once you learn this cooking skill, the serving options are endless!

WHY learn to MAKE FLOUR TORTILLAS FROM SCRATCH

• Homemade tortillas taste best. Nothing beats freshly cooked tortillas straight from the skillet. Plus, tortillas made at home are often healthier than store-bought because you can control the quality of the ingredients and avoid any preservatives or additives.
• Cost-effective option. Making tortillas from scratch is more economical in the long run. The individual ingredients used to make tortillas are reasonably inexpensive and easily accessible.
• Always be ready for tacos. Learning to make tortillas at home ensures you will never be left without them when a soft taco craving hits. With this recipe, you will always have a delicious base for a taco filling of your choosing!

Ingredients to make FLOUR TORTILLAS

• All-purpose flour: Provides texture and structure to the dough and gives the tortillas that slightly chewy consistency.
• Baking powder: Acting as the leavening agent, the baking powder gives rise to the tortillas and makes them softer by creating air pockets.
• Salt: This everyday kitchen staple has the crucial role of strengthening the gluten in the dough, giving it a more elastic texture. It also enhances the overall flavor.
• Unsalted butter: Using cold butter is essential in a tortilla recipe because as you work the butter into the flour mixture, it creates small pockets of fat that melt in the heat of the skillet, resulting in a more tender tortilla.
• Whole milk: Adds fat and richness to the dough, creating more tender and flavorful tortillas. The fat in the milk also helps keep the tortillas soft and pliable.

HOW TO MAKE FLOUR TORTILLAS

You only need a food processor, a rolling pin, and a cast iron skillet to make these tortillas at home. The process is straightforward: mix the dough, let it rest, roll it out, then cook the tortillas.

Make the dough

1. Add flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
2. Add the cubed butter to the flour mixture.
3. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. With the food processor running, stream in the milk and mix until wet dough forms.

Work the dough

1. Transfer the dough onto a floured work surface.
2. Knead until a smooth dough forms.
3. Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to rest at room temperature.
4. When ready to form, transfer the dough onto a floured work surface again, then cut it into equal pieces.
5. Roll each piece into a ball.
6. Cover all pieces with a tea towel and allow to rest.

How to pan fry homemade flour tortillas

1. Once rested, roll each dough ball into a large, thin round.
2. Heat a dry, seasoned cast iron skillet or griddle. Add a tortilla to the hot pan and cook until golden brown with a few dark spots.
3. Flip the tortilla and cook on the other side.
4. Cook the remaining tortillas and serve warm.

TIPS FOR making tortillas without a press

1. Don’t rush the resting process. Resting the dough relaxes the gluten, making it easier to roll out the tortillas without tearing. It also allows the dough to hydrate well, resulting in a softer and pliable tortilla with a chewy texture and better overall flavor.
2. Use parchment paper to prevent the dough from sticking. If your dough sticks to the rolling pin or work surface, you can place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to create a barrier.
3. Make sure your pan or griddle is hot. Tortillas cook very quickly, so starting with a very hot pan is essential. You can test if the skillet is hot enough by sprinkling a few drops of water. If it sizzles and evaporates right away, the skillet is ready. If you’re new to cast iron cooking, check out this helpful post on Cooking With Cast Iron.
4. Keep the tortillas warm. As you cook the tortillas, keep them warm in a tortilla warmer or clean kitchen towel. This will prevent them from cooling off too quickly and becoming brittle.

recipes to make with homemade tortillas

• Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
• Chicken with Kale Slaw Street Tacos
• Classic Beef Tacos
• Cheesy Bean Quesadillas
• Flaky Fish Tacos

HOW TO REHEAT & STORE flour tortillas

Store flour tortillas in an airtight container in the fridge.

You can reheat your flour tortillas in the microwave by loosely wrapping in a damp paper towel and microwaving them for 30-second intervals until warm. Tortillas can dry out very quickly in the microwave, so don’t skip the damp paper towel.

Or you can warm them in the oven. You’ll want to wrap the tortillas in foil and warm them in a preheated 375˚F (190˚C) oven until warmed through.

HOW LONG WILL flour tortillas LAST IN THE FRIDGE?

Homemade tortillas can last up to a week if stored properly.

CAN I FREEZE homemade tortillas?

Yes, you can freeze homemade tortillas for up to 3 months. Layer the tortillas between parchment paper and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Remove from the freezer and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Learning how to make tortillas at home is a skill you will not regret developing. Some things are better when made from scratch – these tortillas are a perfect testament to that. Make your own homemade tortillas and enjoy them with your favorite stuffing, whether for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

MORE cooking tutorials:

• How to Make Refried Beans
• How to Make Yogurt
• How to Make Taco Seasoning
• How to Make Spicy Mayo
• How to Cook Frozen Beef
• How to Freeze Avocados
• How to Make Shredded Chicken
• How to Chop Cilantro
• How to Make Salsa

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