Tortilla Recipe

This tortilla recipe is one of my favorites. Tortillas are one of the staples of Mexican cuisine, served up fried as tacos, rolled into soft burritos or layered as enchiladas.

The history of tortillas dates back to 10,000 BC. Later, it was popularized when a peasant prepared this flat corn bread to the Mayan king.

Missionaries later spread the recipe for tortillas throughout California, and today flour tortillas are favored over white bread for their versatility and low fat content.

Hi, Im Jason Hill of Chef Tips outside the Mission Tortilla Factory in Anaheim. Lets head back to the kitchen and learn how to make homemade tortillas.

To prepare this flour tortilla recipe, you only need four ingredients: flour, baking powder, vegetable shortening or lard and salt.

First, stir 4 cups all purpose flour and 1/8 teaspoon baking powder in a large bowl. Next add 1/2 cup of shortening or lard into the mixture and work the fat into the flour with your hands.

Dissolve 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt into 1 1/2 cups of warm water. Drizzle this slowly into the flour mixture and mix until you have a soft dough. Knead for 1 minute, adding flour or small amounts of lukewarm water if needed. The dough should not be too wet or dry. Once it is at the right consistency, turn bowl over to cover the dough and let it rest for about 20 minutes.

Next, divide the dough into 12 pieces and form into balls. As you form and roll the balls, coat your hands with a little bit of shortening. Flatten and cover balls with plastic wrap and let rest for 20-30 minutes.

To prepare the tortillas, preheat a griddle over medium heat. Remove a flattened ball and roll it into a circle. A small rolling pin works well. Turn the dough around after each stroke with the rolling pin. Roll as thin as possible, stretching with your fingers if necessary.

Place each rolled tortilla on a hot cast iron skillet, pan or griddle and flip over every 15-20 seconds. Youll know its done when it develops brown spots on each side and it bubbles up.

Serve these warm tortillas with butter right off the pan. You can even sprinkle them with a bit of cinnamon sugar for a dessert treat.

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