Fine Cookings Flour Tortillas Food

OUR FAVORITE SOFT FLOUR TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Add the salt to the warm water and stir together until the salt has dissolved.
• In a large bowl, use a fork to combine the flour with the oil (or other fat) until it looks crumbly. Pour in almost all of the salty water and stir until a shaggy dough forms. If the mixture seems dry, add a bit more of the water.
• When the dough comes together, transfer to a floured work surface and knead until smooth, two to three minutes. Cover with a clean dish cloth and leave for at least 15 minutes and up to an hour or two. Resting the dough makes rolling it out easier.
• Divide the dough into ten equally sized blobs and then shape into small disks. Use a rolling pin to roll each small disc into 8-inch rounds or use a tortilla press. The thinner the better, here. If you happen to get 9-inch tortillas, don't worry! We also don't worry too much about making them perfectly round. (See our video to watch us do it.)
• Stack the rolled tortillas with a piece of parchment paper between them. Alternatively, you can roll and cook the tortillas at the same time. Roll one tortilla out, then while it cooks, roll the next tortilla out.
• Make ahead: Divide the dough into smaller balls (this recipe makes ten 8-inch tortillas), wrap them very well, and then place into the refrigerator up to three days. About thirty to forty minutes before you are ready to cook the tortillas, take the balls out of the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature before rolling them out.
• Heat a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add the first tortilla. Within 20 to 30 seconds, you should start to see it puffing up with bubbles forming.
• When the bottom of the tortilla has some brown spots, flip it and cook until the second side is browned in spots and the tortilla looks dry around the edges. Each tortilla will take 1 to 2 minutes to cook. If this is taking a long time, increase the heat. If the pan starts to smoke or brown the tortillas too quickly, turn the heat down a bit.
• Transfer the cooked tortilla to a dish towel and cover it then continue with the remaining tortillas, adjusting the heat as needed.
• Store leftover tortillas in a resealable plastic bag for a day or two or freeze if needing to store longer. Fresh homemade flour tortillas are in their softest state when warm so if you have room temperature or cold tortillas, we recommend reheating them in a skillet until they are warm and pliable again.

HOMEMADE FLOUR TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Steam the tortillas: If you are eating them right away, wrap them in a cloth napkin and let them steam for 5 to 10 minutes. If you are planning to store them to reheat later, turn a plastic zip-top bag inside out. Place the hot stack of tortillas in the bag, close the bag without sealing it, and let cool. When cool, remove the tortillas, turn the bag right side out, and slip the stack inside the bag and seal it. The droplets of steam will now be on the outside of the bag and you can pat them dry with a dishtowel.
• Store the tortillas: Store the well-sealed bag in the refrigerator for up to four days, or freeze for up to two months.
• Reheat the tortillas: Just before serving, heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Place each tortilla on the hot pan, and cook for 10 to 12 seconds on each side, or until hot. You can also reheat them in a microwave for 15 to 20 seconds.

FLOUR TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Heat the milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until tiny bubbles start to form around the edges of the pan (the milk should be 180 degrees F), 4 to 5 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat and stir in the lard until melted. Let cool for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl until completely combined. Pour in the warm milk mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until a shaggy dough forms.
• When cool enough to handle, knead the dough in the bowl until almost completely smooth, about 3 minutes; do not overwork, the dough should be soft and only slightly elastic and not sticky. Wrap in plastic and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour to relax dough.
• Divide the dough into 16 balls about a scant 3 tablespoons each (or 46g.). Arrange the balls on a rimmed baking sheet and cover with a damp kitchen towel until ready to use.
• Working with one dough ball at a time, roll out on a lightly floured surface to a 7-inch round.
• Heat a medium cast-iron skillet or large griddle over medium-high heat.
• Working with one at a time (unless using a large griddle), cook the tortillas, reducing the heat if they are getting dark too quickly, until air bubbles form on the surface and the bottom is brown in spots, about 30 seconds. Poke any large bubbles with a fork to release steam, flip the tortillas and cook until brown in spots on the other side, about 30 seconds. Stack and wrap the tortillas in a clean kitchen towel and keep warm. Repeat rolling and cooking the remaining dough balls.

SONORAN-STYLE FLOUR TORTILLAS

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Place bowl onto mixer, and affix paddle attachment. Mix for 30 seconds at low speed, then slowly add lard in a thin stream. Allow fat to partly incorporate, then slowly pour water in a thin stream. Allow dough to come together, then increase speed to medium-low and knead for about 2 minutes. The dough will be somewhat wet, webby and shiny. Place dough in a plastic bag, and allow to rest at room temperature for 2 hours.
• Divide dough into 12 pieces the size of a golf ball. Roll into smooth balls, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic, and allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Working on a very lightly floured smooth surface, use a rolling pin to roll balls into 4-inch circles, and place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Repeat with remaining dough, adding layers of parchment as needed to ensure tortillas do not touch or overlap. Cover last layer with parchment, and allow dough to rest 10 minutes.
• Heat a griddle or large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
• Working on a very lightly floured smooth surface, use a rolling pin to roll each tortilla into an 8-inch circle: Start with the pin in the center of the circle and roll out to the edge, rotating the tortilla after every roll. Roll until the dough is very, very thin and the edges begin to smear onto the work surface. Alternatively, stretch tortillas out by hand, rotating and pulling gently from the edges, until nearly transparent.
• When a few drops of water dripped onto the griddle or pan immediately sputter and evaporate, the cooking surface is sufficiently hot. Gently peel the tortilla off the work surface, and lay onto the griddle. It should immediately sizzle and puff lightly. Cook, rotating, for 20 to 30 seconds per side, until lightly golden in spots. Stack in a resealable plastic bag to allow to steam and soften. Continue with remaining tortillas.
• Serve warm or use to make tacos, quesadillas or burritos.

FINE COOKING'S FLOUR TORTILLAS

Steps:

• In medium bowl, stir flour, salt & baking powder. Add shortening or lard and cut into the flour with dough blender or 2 table knives until mixture resembles coarse corn meal. Stir in 2/3 cup warm water with a fork until a shaggy dough forms.
• Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead until smooth & soft, 3 to 4 minutes, reflouring the surface as necessary. After kneading, the dough shouldn't be very sticky.
• Portion dough into 8 equal pieces, about 2 oz. each, and shape each piece into a ball. Cover dough balls loosely with plastic and let rest on counter for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
• When ready to cook tortillas, heat large (11- to 12-inch) dry cast iron skillet or griddle over medium heat until hot. Working with one ball of dough at a time and keeping remaining dough balls covered, and using just enough flour to prevent sticking, roll dough into a 9- to 10-inch round shape. If not as circular as you'd like, don't worry--the tortillas will still taste great.
• Peel dough off of counter and lay it in the skillet or griddle. Cook until tortilla bubbles & puffs and the bottom browns in spots, 45 to 60 seconds. If any gigantic bubbles form, pierce them so the tortilla will cook evenly when flipped.
• Flip tortilla with spatula and cook until second side gets brown in spots & any raw-looking areas become opaque, another 45 to 60 seconds. (If tortillas begin to brown too quickly or burn in spots, reduce heat to medium low.).
• Transfer tortilla to clean dishtowel and cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining dough, stacking & covering each tortilla after it has cooked.
• To use frozen dough balls, allow them to thaw & warm to room temperature. For best results, don't let them sit out more than 30 to 60 minutes after warming to room temperature.
• To reheat several frozen tortillas, wrap them in foil & heat in 350 degree F oven about 10 minutes or until warm & pliable. To reheat an individual frozen tortilla, let it thaw and then rewarm on skillet or griddle.

HOMEMADE FLOUR TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. Mix in the lard with your fingers until the flour resembles cornmeal. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together; place on a lightly floured surface and knead a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into 24 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball.
• Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a well-floured rolling pin to roll a dough ball into a thin, round tortilla. Place into the hot skillet, and cook until bubbly and golden; flip and continue cooking until golden on the other side. Place the cooked tortilla in a tortilla warmer; continue rolling and cooking the remaining dough.

TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Combine the flour, vegetable oil and salt in a bowl. Pour over 150ml warm water and knead to bring the mixture together. Remove from the bowl and knead on a lightly floured work surface for around 5 mins until you make a soft, smooth ball of dough. Cover with a clean tea towel and rest for at least 15 mins before rolling out.
• Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (about 75g each). Roll out each ball of dough as thinly as possible on a floured work surface. They should make rounds about 20 cm wide, 2mm thick.
• Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Cook the tortillas for 1-2 mins on each side until golden brown and toasted. Wrap them in foil and cover in a tea towel to keep warm, while you cook the rest. Keeps for two days well wrapped, or cool, wrap and freeze for up to three months.