Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas

I know I have shared this flour tortilla recipe before, but I wanted to update it since the recipe and pictures didn't quite survive the transition to my new blog design. But if I am being really honest, I am updating this recipe for myself. I reference this recipe A LOT, so the fact that I couldn't easily search for it on the blog was not working for me.

We make these flour tortillas as often as we can because they just taste so much better (and are better for you) than the store bought ones which are probably weeks old and packed with preservatives. The tortillas that I make are taste so much like the ones I used to get from the number of the local Mexican food spots I frequented back home in San Diego.

Fresh, homemade tortillas can make just about anything taste good. and they are actually much easier to make than you might think. The recipe is essentially flour, water, oil, and salt. This time around I used coconut oil instead of my usual olive oil. While they were delicious, there was definitely a hint of coconut flavor. If that doesn't appeal to you, stick with a milder flavored oil, like olive oil.

No fancy equipment is needed for mixing. I just dig right in with my hands to mix all the ingredients together and form into a ball. Once it's in ball form, I wrap it in some plastic wrap then pop it in the fridge for a few minutes to set up.

After the dough has chilled for a bit, I divide it into evenly sized balls of dough. Mine were about 1.4 oz each, but you can make them as big or small as you want. I then press the dough balls in a tortilla press. A tortilla press is not necessary, but if you think you will be making tortillas on a regular basis, then I would recommend shelling out a couple bucks for one. If you don't have one, just roll out the dough with a rolling pin. In fact, I like my tortillas pretty thin, so I roll them out even after I have pressed them.

Once I roll out a tortilla, I pass it off to my husband to cook. We have our system down pat! I roll, he cooks. Roll, cook, repeat. His cooking technique is 15 to 20 seconds per side. You will know when the first side is ready because bubbles will start to form. The second side will cook just as quickly!

We like to store the tortillas in a tortilla warmer as we take them off the skillet so they stay warm and don't dry out. Once we are ready to eat, we just grab a warm tortilla and assemble.

There are few things better than a fresh, homemade tortilla. Which is why I like to spend a few extra minutes to make them if I am cutting some corners on the filling. For instance, my chicken taco recipe is so simple and requires very little time and effort on my part since I let the slow cooker to all the work. To make the chicken I put chicken breasts, a container of pico de gallo, and about 1 tbsp of taco seasoning in a slow cooker and let that cook all day. Then I just shred with two forks. Easy right? But it tastes like I slaved away for hours when it's wrapped up in these tortillas!

Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 10 tortillas

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp oil
1/2 to 3/4 cup water

Instructions

In a large bowl whisk together flours and salt. Pour in oil and 1/2 cup water. Mix with your hands until dough forms a ball. If the dough is too dry, add up to 1/4 cup more water until the dough is slightly tacky. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Portion out dough into 8 to 10 equally sized balls. Place the ball of dough on a tortilla press lined with plastic slightly off center toward the hinge. Press down firmly to form a disc.
For thinner tortillas, roll disc out even more with a rolling pin until dough is almost translucent.
Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium high heat until it gets hot enough that a drop of water immediately sizzles and evaporates.
Place the dough on the skillet and watch carefully for the dough to start to bubble. After 20 to 30 seconds, flip to the other side and cook for another 20 to 30 seconds.
Remove tortilla from skillet and store under a towel or in a tortilla warmer.

Notes

I prefer olive oil or coconut oil, however coconut oil has a distinctive taste. Vegetable or canola oil can also work. If you can get your hands on some lard, you can use that for authentic tortillas.