Email to Cat      

Mexican: Homemade Flour Tortillas

Source of Recipe

From "Mexican Made Easy" by Marcella Valladolid


Recipe Introduction

I absolutely love flour tortillas warm off the burner, smeared with butter and rolled up like a cigar. They are incredibly easy to make and so different from the rubber varieties you find at most supermarkets. Yes, I use lard. You have to in order to get the proper texture and flavor of an authentic flour tortilla. Honestly, I'll take a little lard over the twenty chemicals and ingredients I can't pronounce in some store-bought tortillas any day of the week!

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 3½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
â—¦ ¾ cup lard
â—¦ 2 teaspoons salt
â—¦ 1 cup lukewarm water



Recipe

Using a wooden spoon, blend the flour and lard in a large bowl until the mixture resembles fine meal. In a small bowl, mix the salt and water.

Gradually add the water to the flour mixture, stirring with the wooden spoon until the liquid is incorporated. Form the dough into a ball and knead it on a lightly floured surface for 2 to 3 minutes, or until smooth. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball.

Heat a griddle over moderately high heat until hot.
Roll one of the balls of dough into a 7-inch round. Cook on the griddle, turning twice, for 1 to 1½ minutes, or until puffed and golden on both sides. Wrap the tortilla in a kitchen towel to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining dough, stacking and enclosing the tortillas in the towel. (The tortillas may be made one day in advance and kept refrigerated in a plastic bag. Reheat before using.)


Makes 12 (8-inch) tortillas



• Note:
To warm tortillas, heat them directly over a gas burner or in a dry skillet over medium heat, turning once, for 20 seconds.


...Leftovers?

• easy buñuelos:
Fry tortillas in vegetable oil until golden and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar while hot.

• flour tortilla chips:
Cut into wedges and bake at 375° F for 20 minutes, or until golden brown, for the perfect accompaniment to any dip.

• tortilla pizzas:
Top tortillas with tomato sauce, Oaxaca or mozzarella cheese, and prosciutto. Bake at 350° F until the cheese is melted and golden.