How to Make Your Own Tortillas

Co-authored by Andrea Lawson Gray

Last Updated: March 8, 2022 Approved

Nothing tastes better than fresh tortillas! If you dislike those leathery ones often found in the grocery store that tear when you wrap them and get soggy when you add ingredients to them, then you can easily make your own. Soggy and leathery is not authentic and definitely not worth it. Homemade corn or flour tortillas are much more delicious, and are a smarter choice as you know exactly what is going in them. Once you've made your own tortillas, you should challenge yourself to make huaraches, which involve homemade tortillas and loads of different toppings.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Flour Tortillas

1
Gather your ingredients. This recipe makes 8 tortillas. Here are the ingredients you'll need to make tasty flour tortillas:
- 4 cups of flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 cup of water (many substitute warm milk for a fluffier texture)
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening or lard
Make sure your bowl is big enough to accommodate all your ingredients.

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Use a pastry cutter or fork; don't work the dough too much.
The dough should be slightly sticky but not hard. You can add slightly more water or flour if needed.
This will let the baking powder work the dough into a fluffier tortilla mix.
Flour your work surface before you roll the tortillas.
You can apply a little bit of oil, grease, or lard, or you can go without.
If it starts to bubble up, that's long enough.
20-30 seconds should be enough.
14
Experiment with different kinds of tortillas. Now that you know how to make tortillas, you can change up the method a bit! Some simple touches to this basic recipe can add spice, flair, or sweetness to an otherwise simple flour tortilla.
- Add a little bit of cinnamon and sugar to your basic flour tortilla recipe for a sweet, cinnamon-y kick. Deep fry them if you want and add the cinnamon/sugar mix right after they come out of the oil.
- Add a bit of chipotle peppers and adobo to your flour tortilla recipe for a spicy kick. These tortillas come packed with a kind of salsa already in them!
- Add some chopped sun-dried tomatoes to your flour tortilla recipe for some savory richness. The perfect accompaniment to fish tacos or chicken mole.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Corn Tortillas

1
Gather your ingredients. This recipe makes 24 tortillas. Here are the ingredients you'll need to make tasty corn tortillas:
- 2 cups masa harina (preferably Masienda brand)
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Make sure salt is evenly distributed in the masa.
4
Knead the masa until dough begins to form. The dough should have the consistency of Play-Doh: springy and firm but also slightly dry.
- Add more water by tablespoons if the dough is too dry; add more masa if the dough is too wet. ^{[1]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Andrea Lawson Gray
  Private Chef
  
  Expert Interview. 10 February 2022.}
5
Roll a portion of dough into a ball shape and flatten it into a tortilla. Your tortillas can vary in size, but try out a golfball-sized portion to start. Then, flatten the dough into a round tortilla. Adjust the size of each ball of dough depending on the preferred size of your tortillas.
- Use a tortilla press lined with plastic wrap for even, more uniform-looking tortillas.
- If you don't have a tortilla press, use a rolling pin for more artisanal tortillas.
6
Check for the right consistency before you cook the tortillas. If the dough crumbles, it is too dry — add more water. If the dough sticks to the plastic on the press, or to the rolling pin, it is too wet — add more masa.
- This will be your final chance to get the consistency right before cooking.
The tortillas won't take long to cook, so you may want to have them all pressed before you begin cooking. If you're working with a tortilla press, you should have enough time to press tortillas while you cook.
Comal pans distribute heat evenly and quickly, so they are best for cooking tortillas. If you don't have a comal, opt for a cast iron skillet as an alternative.
Cook 1-2 minutes on one side, or until slightly charred and edges begin to curl. Flip onto opposite side and cook for 15 more seconds. Remove from heat.
Keep the tortillas warm by wrapping them in a clean kitchen towel if serving immediately.

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Question

Can I use a food processor to mix the ingredients?

Community Answer

Preferably not. Kneading your dough roughly when it's cooled keeps it from being sticky. Also, be extra rough with your dough before rolling to make it a little springy, it will be a lot easier to work with.

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What should I do if I want a high-fiber tortilla?

Thomas Dempsey

Community Answer

Try using wholegrain flour with a splash of olive oil or natural yoghurt in the mix.

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Do I need dough to make tortillas?

Community Answer

Yes, but this recipe is for the dough.

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Tips

Small hand-operated presses are available in some Latino cooking supply stores, if you want an easy way to shape tortillas.

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Apply some oil over the prepared tortilla and grill it in oven at high temperature for 4 minutes to get a baked homemade tortilla (If you are health conscious).

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To make fewer tortillas, only use half the measurements of each ingredient.

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Warnings

Store extra tortillas in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Since they don't have preservatives, they will spoil after a couple of days on the counter.

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Traditional authentic tortillas are more often made with masa or ground cornflour. ^{[2]
X
Expert Source

Andrea Lawson Gray
Private Chef

Expert Interview. 10 February 2022.} You will need to adjust all the ingredients in the recipe if you are using masa because it has a different texture from wheat flour.

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[1]

Expert Source

Andrea Lawson Gray
Private Chef

[2]

How to Make Your Own Tortillas

Steps

Flour Tortillas

Corn Tortillas

Community Q&A

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Tips

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