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 Tortillasmakes 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!
