Homemade Tortillas

It's hard to get tortillas in the bush, so Steve and I learned how to make our own.  I discovered the original recipe on the internet years ago, and, sadly, I've lost the link.  I remember that the website had some Spanish on it...Errrrr...but that's about it.  Luckily, I've committed the recipe to memory.  The following is for a double batch of tortillas (enough for four people plus leftovers) because we were having friends over.





Start with six cups of flour.





A little salt.  I know that's not very helpful.  I think I use about a teaspoon or so.





Two tablespoons of baking powder.  Mix all the dry ingredients together.  I use my bread machine on the dough setting.






Add one cup of shortening.

Note to readers: if you line the measuring cup with saran wrap, it will be easier to clean.  You're welcome.



Mix the shortening with the dry ingredients.  If you use your bread maker, this might happen:



No problem.  Just use a wooden spoon to scrape the sides down.





Keep mixing until it looks like the above picture (the shortening should be thoroughly mixed with the dry ingredients and forming into small clumps).





Add two cups of warm water and mix together.  Knead (again, we use the bread maker on the dough setting).  The dough should be soft but not sticky.  I have provided the following pictures as guidance:





Small clump of dough.





Small clump of dough being squished.





Small clump of dough retaining its shape after being squished.  If the dough is too sticky, add more flour.






At this point, Steve and I like to put the dough in the refrigerator for a few hours, sometimes overnight.  We wrap it in saran wrap to keep it fresh.






Steve is the expert tortilla maker.  I usually pass the dough off to him and let him work his magic.

He starts with a small ball of dough.

Note to readers: this is the point in the post where the photography will start to get a little sketchy.  Steve is a wonderful tortilla maker and husband, but he's not very patient for food photography...





Then he smashes it in a tortilla press.  If you don't have a tortilla press, you can use a rolling pin.  It just takes longer.




The raw tortilla after the first smashing.





The tortilla is then moved to the second tortilla press, the electric one.





It works the same as the other press,





but it cooks the tortilla at the same time.  If you don't have an electric tortilla press, you can use a hot frying pan.  Flip the tortilla to cook it on both sides.  If the tortillas brown, you've cooked them too long, and they'll be hard and kind of crunchy (but, hey, if you're into that, go for it!).

Here's the recipe:


Double Batch of Tortillas

6 cups flour
1 teaspoonish salt
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 cup shortening
2 cups warm water

Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder.  Add the shortening and mix until it is thoroughly combined and forming into small clumps.  Add warm water.  Stir.  The dough should be soft but not sticky.  Knead.  Let dough sit in the refrigerator.  Form the dough into small balls.  Roll or smash the balls into hin circles.  Heat up a frying pan.  Cook on both sides.