make your own tortillas

I was super happy to find My Sister’s Kitchen via Twitter; and how lucky to land on Barb’s website when her recipe for homemade tortillas was front and center!

In Italy, if we have a penchant for tortillas we end up buying overpriced American tortillas or too-thick-and-crumbly Italian ‘tortillas.’ The latter come with a caveat: although they appear to be tortillas, Italians use them to make sandwiches (think: replace the bread), so they really were never meant to be rolled into a cylinder… which is probably why they fall apart.

But when you are trying to stretch a budget, tacos and quesadillas are a brilliant ‘filler’ meal. And I don’t mean that in a condescending tone; we love our homey little quesadillas from last night’s roasted chicken—and the familiar flavors of tacos make for perfect after-school snacks for rapidly growing adolescent boys. And now thanks to Barb, I can make my own tortillas that will no doubt taste better plus save me even more money. Which means… I can apply those funds to more expensive forays like wild boar, venison and rabbit, right?

So I made them (and will make them again!), and here is my quick-take on the recipe:

Flour Tortillas
makes 12 small tortillas.
3 c. bread flour
1 c. warm water
1/4 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/4 c. olive oil

Place flour in bowl and make hole in middle—add water, oil, baking powder and salt to hole. Slowly incorporate flour (like you would if making pasta dough). Knead the dough until is is smooth and elastic, 5-7 minutes. Let dough rest for 10 minutes. Divide the dough into 12 balls. Let those stand for another 10 minutes. Keep flour on counter and roller—roll out tortillas quite thin! Heat skillet to nearly high; brush olive oil in pan if desired. Saute 25 seconds per side.

Freeze the extras!