Easy Soft Flour Tortillas
- PREP 30min
- COOK 10min
- TOTAL 40min
Here’s how to make flour tortillas that are soft, pliable, and perfect for folding or wrapping. Our homemade tortilla recipe uses a few simple tricks to get the best texture every time.
Dissolving the salt in warm water before mixing helps season the dough evenly, especially if you’re using a coarse salt. Rolling the dough very thin with a rolling pin and adjusting the pan heat as you cook creates those signature bubbles that make tortillas soft and flexible (watch our video to see just how big those bubbles can get!).
You Will Need
2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled (260g)
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
⅔ cup very warm water (160ml)
5 tablespoons light flavored oil, melted shortening, melted lard, or melted butter (75g)
Directions
1Dissolve salt: Add the salt to the warm water and stir together until the salt dissolves.
2Make dough: In a large bowl, use a fork to combine the flour with the oil (or other fat) until it looks crumbly. Pour in almost all of the salt water and stir until a shaggy dough forms. If the mixture seems dry, add a bit more water.
3Quickly knead: When the dough comes together, transfer to a floured work surface and knead until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Cover with a clean dishcloth and leave for at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours. Resting the dough makes rolling it out easier.
4Roll out the dough: Divide the dough into 10 equally sized blobs and shape them into small disks. Use a rolling pin to roll each small disk into an 8-inch round (a rolling pin is better than a tortilla press for this recipe). The thinner, the better. If you get 9-inch tortillas, don’t worry! We also don’t worry too much about making them perfectly round. (See our video to watch us do it.)
5Stack the rolled tortillas with a piece of parchment paper between them. Alternatively, you can roll and cook the tortillas simultaneously. Roll one tortilla out, then roll out the next tortilla while the first one cooks.
6Preheat a skillet: Preheat a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes.
7Cook tortillas: When the skillet is preheated, add the first tortilla. Within 20 to 30 seconds, you should start to see it puffing up with bubbles. When the bottom of the tortilla has some brown spots, flip it and cook until the second side is browned in places and the tortilla looks dry around the edges. Each tortilla will take 1 to 2 minutes to cook. If this is taking a long time, increase the heat. If the pan smokes or browns the tortillas too quickly, reduce the heat.
8Keep warm: Transfer the cooked tortilla to a dishcloth and cover it, then continue with the remaining tortillas, adjusting the heat as needed.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Measuring your flour: Too much flour makes these dry and crumbly. To properly measure your flour, fluff the flour in its container, then gently scoop it into your measuring cup until slightly mounded. Level off the top with a knife for an accurate measurement. Or measure by weight using a kitchen scale.
- Whole wheat tortillas: You can substitute whole wheat flour for all-purpose flour. The dough may need a little extra water to reach the right consistency.
- Baking powder: Some tortilla recipes swear by adding baking powder to the dough for softer flour tortillas, but after trying them with and without baking powder, we leave it out. If you’d like to try it, whisk 1 ½ teaspoons into the flour before making the dough.
- Storing: Keep leftover tortillas in a resealable plastic bag at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze for longer storage. Homemade tortillas are softest when warm, so reheat them in a skillet until pliable before serving.
- Freezing: To freeze, stack tortillas with parchment paper between each one and place in a freezer-safe bag or container.
- Make ahead: Divide the dough into ten balls (for 8-inch tortillas), wrap them tightly, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Before cooking, remove the dough from the fridge 30 to 40 minutes ahead so it can come to room temperature.
- Nutrition facts are estimates and include vegetable oil.