I have so many friends getting culinarily creative right now, thanks to being homebound in the time of COVID-19. I call it quarantine cooking. One gal pal just posted pics of delicious-looking Asian pork steamed buns; another banged out 8 cups of Paleo granola. Well yesterday I did a thing, or as they say in Spanish, yo haco una cosa (I think that’s how you say it anyway) and voila, I give you HOMEMADE TORTILLAS.
I remember visiting the city food market in Puerto Escondido in Oaxaca several years ago, and eating hot fresh tortillas sprinkled with salt. I haven’t had as tasty a tortilla since — until yesterday, when I made them in my very own kitchen. And you can too! This recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman; in fact, she made them on a home quarantine-filmed episode recently!
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons lard or Crisco
- 1 cup hot water
- Extra flour to flour surfaces when working with dough
Materials:
- A large bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- A pastry cutter
- A spoon
- A kitchen towel
- A rolling pin
- A large pan
Directions:
Making the dough
- Put flour, baking powder and salt into large bowl and mix.
- Add spoonfuls of your lard or Crisco at a time and cut it in with a pastry cutter until the mix is crumbly and no large chunks remain.
- Slowing stir in 1 cup hot (but not boiling) water. Mix with spoon until combined into a ball.
- Lightly flour a flat surface and knead the dough until it forms a non-sticky ball. I did this about 50 times.
- Put the ball back in the dough for an hour or more with a light towel over it.
Preparing the dough
- After the dough has rested an hour or more, break off hunks and roll dough into balls about the size of … well, the recipe I followed said ping pong ball, which was too small I thought; and a tennis ball would be too big. So let’s say, slightly larger than a ping pong ball?
- Return dough balls to bowl, cover with towel, let rest 30 minutes or more.
Time to cook!
- Heat up a pan over medium to medium high heat. I used a big nonstick pan. You can also use a flat grill or cast iron.
- Lightly flour a flat area for rolling out the dough balls; repeat this as needed throughout the rolling process.
- Roll the dough flat, pressing out in various directions to achieve some proportional balance, but don’t worry if your dough isn’t a perfect circle — because it won’t be! It’s okay; the misshapen tortillas have a charming authenticity! Or so I told myself.
- The dough should be rolled so thin that it’s see-throughish. Gently lay it flat in the pan. Cook for about 30 seconds on each side. It should look slightly blistered and get some color. You do not want it crisp; it should be soft, but cooked.
- Repeat process until you’re done! The recipe probably made around 20 tortillas.
- Stack your tortillas on a plate and keep covered either until you eat them or they are cool enough to store.
These tortillas can keep for up to two weeks when you refrigerate them in a well-sealed bag. I can’t wait to make them again — I felt so accomplished!
We used our tortillas for soft tacos for dinner, then followed up this morning by filling them with soft scrambled eggs, grated cheddar, and a drizzle of hot sauce. Yum! To reheat, simply microwave them or warm them in the oven. Enjoy!