Tortillas are super versatile flatbreads as you can wrap up pretty much anything you want in them. From light veggie wraps to greasy burritos – it’s all good.
If you love preparing the ingredients to go inside your wrap, then why not make the wraps too?! It is a super simple process as there is no fermentation involved. It does not take a long time and the result is far superior to what you can find in the shops.
This is the second tortilla video on my channel. The first one while producing a good result was a little messy and difficult, so I decided to simplify it without compromising on flavour or texture. In fact, this version is better because I used lard which gives it a unique flavour and texture. If you don’t eat pork, then you can use pretty much any other fat you like instead.
Boiling water is used in the preparation of this dough. It scalds the starch in the flour giving the wrap that nice chewy texture you’d expect from a tortilla. It makes it extra flexible too, so that it can hold any filling well.
The dough is left to rest before adding the fat. This allows some gluten formation before we even touch the dough and because of it the kneading time is greatly reduced.
You will get 6 x 25cm (10in) tortillas from this recipe. To make more simply multiply the amount of ingredients.
Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.
Ingredients
250g (8.8oz) white bread flour
160g (5.65oz) boiling water
5g (0.17oz) salt
5g (0.17oz) baking powder
50g (1.75oz) lard or other fat
Method
- In a large bowl combine the boiling water, salt, and baking powder. Mix well to dissolve the salt. Add the flour and mix until there is no dry flour left.
- Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Add the lard and work it into the dough. Squeeze the dough between your fingers. You must really go for it! This will take around 2 minutes. Work the dough in the bowl until the fat is absorbed into it.
- Tip the dough out onto the table and knead for 5 – 6 minutes.
- Weight the dough and divide it into 6 equal pieces. Shape into balls.
- Place the dough balls on a plate or tray and cover. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This will set the dough and make it easier to roll out. You can leave it in the fridge for longer too. Make them a day ahead of time if you want to.
- Roll the dough balls out to 25cm (10in) in diameter using a rolling pin and a good dusting of flour. You can stack the tortillas on top of each other if your kitchen is not too humid. If it is, then dust some flour between them to prevent them from sticking together. Alternatively, you can roll them and cook them one by one.
- Cook in a preheated pan on high heat for no longer than 2 minutes flipping the tortilla every 30 seconds. If you are using an iron pan, then it may take even less time. Do NOT cook it until it has coloured well on both sides as this will take too long. The longer they cook the drier they get. Some darker spots where it bubbles up is all you need.
- As soon as it comes out the pan cover it to prevent it from drying out. Best served fresh. Enjoy!
Watch the video here
