Tortillas can be healthy when made at home. That's because they contain a lot less fat or shortening compared to most commercially made tortillas. This is a simple, easy and effortless recipe for healthy tortillas. And, you can use it to make delicious and soft tortillas, perfect for making fajitas, burritos, enchiladas, or wraps. Also, it uses ingredients that you already have in your pantry.
Table of Content
Don't get me wrong, I'm not one to brag about eating only homemade food. Being a working mom, often store-bought tortillas are the only way to go. In fact, I always have a pack of store-bought tortillas in the house for those times when my Aadi or Rhea bring friends over. And yet, it's still great to know what you eat and what is in it. That's how I keep a healthy diet in our family.
Back when I traveled, I used to be very confused about the word 'tortilla.' Some restaurants serve you an omelet and call it a tortilla. And, the same food in another restaurant is called Fritata. In another place, the tortilla is a flatbread served as a wrap such as burritos. Also, having grown up eating chapati, that looks like a tortilla, this was confusing.
How do you make regular flour tortillas?
Because I posted a healthier version of the flour tortillas, I often get asked how real flour tortillas are made? So, here goes.
- 1 cup flour (all-purpose)
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil (for more authentic use lard)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- and 1 cup of warm water
Combine all ingredients well, until you have a smooth dough. Then, let it rest for 15 minutes. Next, divide into four small balls. Then, roll and bake on a hot pan using the same method as detailed below.
Are flour tortillas healthy? Is there a healthy version of tortilla?
My mom made terrific tortillas. They were melt in the mouth delicious. And, she made them in the traditional method, which usually means ¼ cup lard for every 2 cups of flour. That's a lot. I know!!
So, I make flour tortilla as often as my mom use to make, but minus all that lard. I use olive oil or coconut oil instead. So, for every cup of flour, I add one tablespoon of olive or coconut oil. And, if I want to make these even healthier, I make Indian Chapati or Whole Wheat Tortillas. Indian chapati for my kids is like a treat. In fact, they do not need anything to go with it. These soft chapatis or whole wheat tortillas melt in the mouth.
The secrets to flatbread
The secret is the resting time — yup! As simple as it sounds.
Many people don't realize the power of resting the dough. It can do wonders for your baked goods especially bread. And, if you let the gluten relax, you will find your tortillas become soft, and you can roll them thinner. However, if you don't give it that resting time, what you end up making are thick, chewy pancakes. So, take a break. Get coffee, or find something else to do. And, if you want, use a timer to calm those nerves and let the dough rest.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Flour - Plain, all-purpose flour is all you need to make these tortillas. You can also use whole wheat flour to make whole wheat tortillas. And, I have a whole post on that here - Chapati or whole wheat tortillas.
- Oil - Olive oil, canola oil, coconut oil - are great to use in this recipe. I even used avocado oil, which adds tons of flavor.
- Water - Regular tap water works just fine. I like to use hot water as it softens the gluten in the flour. And, you can also use milk if you want to add more richness to the dough. But, I still prefer plain water.
- Baking powder - This makes the dough light and fluffy. You can omit baking powder, but then it makes the tortillas chewier.
Step by step instructions
Prepare the dough
- Combine flour, baking powder and salt to the bowl.
- Add the oil - combine the oil into the flour, almost coating every grain of powder.
- Next, add the hot water and use a fork or spatula to bring the dough together.
- Set it aside to rest until it's just warm and you can knead it.
- Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until soft and spongy.
- Use hands dipped in water to help knead (ideally, you would not need more flour but if the dough is too wet then add a little dry flour as necessary).
- And, if you find the dough is too resistant, rest the dough for 5 minutes covered with cling wrap.
- Then, knead again and until you have a soft, smooth dough.
- Rest the dough for 15 minutes.
See this one below is not smooth because it's not rolled enough, but it needs to rest first.
Form balls
- After the dough has rested.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal size balls.
I prefer to divide the dough in half, then half, again half... until I have an approximate size or number I need. - Then, roll each into balls and let rest.
Roll the tortillas
- I use my countertop and a rolling pin to roll the balls.
- Dab each ball with a little flour on both sides.
- Roll on a lightly floured surface.
- Then, roll into an approximately 8 to 10-inch diameter.
- And, if the dough is resisting and not letting you roll - let it rest. Then, try again.
Cook the tortillas
- Heat a griddle, skillet or frying pan on medium-high.
- Cook tortilla on each side for 2 minutes, flipping as needed.
- Each tortilla usually takes 3 to 4 minutes, so adjust the heat accordingly.
- Place the cooked tortillas wrapped in a clean kitchen cloth, so they stay soft.
The right way to cook a tortilla
One of the most common problems with laden bread, tortillas, chapati, pita, naan, etc. is that we flip the bread too fast not letting the dough cook. What happens then is that the dough dries out and you get tough, hard tortillas or chapatis when they cool. You want to retain the steam that builds inside the bread to keep these soft. Today, I'm going to show you how my mom taught me.
The next time you make tortillas - try this method of cooking. You will have soft, delicious tortillas.
- Make sure the pan is hot.
- Place the tortilla on the pan.
- Once you see little bubbles like this - it usually should take no more than 40 to 50 seconds.
- The first flip - Turn it over - give it about 2 minutes to cook on the other side. You will see the tortilla is getting a little puffy.
- Second flip - Turn it back on the first side - This will take another minute or so.
- Help the dough puff by gently pressing the sides that are not touching the pan. This will help cook those spots that are raised up.
- Third Flip - This is it. As long as you see no raw dough, a few specks of black freckles.
- The tortilla takes about 3 to 4 minutes each.
- If you roll an even tortilla, you will find they puff up at the last flip. Don't worry if these don't puff up these are just as delicious.
Storing the tortillas
- As soon as you take the tortillas off the griddle place it in between the layers of a clean kitchen towel.
- The steam in the tortillas will help keep them soft and warm.
- If you leave them out and open, they tend to dry and become tough.
Reheating tortillas
- To reheat t
ortillas - place them in between two damp (not wet) clean paper hand towels in the microwave. - Usually, it takes 30 seconds in my microwave - yours will be more or less.
- The damp paper towel help restore some of that moisture into the tortillas and makes them almost fresh again.
Frequently asked questions
NO! Quite confusing, which is why I wanted to start with this question. A Spanish tortilla is an egg-based omelet often with potatoes in it. And, the word tortilla in Spanish means Omelet, and in Mexico, it means flatbread. And yes, there is a Spanish omelet called Frittata as well. A frittata is also egg-based, and yet, it starts on the stovetop and finishes in the oven. A Spanish tortilla is only made on the stovetop.
As the name suggests, flour tortillas are made with flour while you make corn tortillas with cornmeal. Also, the flour tortillas are easier to make than corn tortillas, which is why they are more popular. And, flour tortillas stay soft longer while the corn tortilla gets crisp and hard instantly.
First of all, store-bought tortillas are not fresh, and nothing beats fresh homemade food. Also, the fact that store-bought tortillas are made a few months in advance. So, consider the preservatives needed to keep them fresh for that shelf life mentioned on the package.
Also, store-bought is soft, but that's because it usually has a lot of lard or palm oil. However, they still taste chewy and most people believe it's natural. Nope!!
Cut the tortilla into 8 wedges. Preheat the oven at 180 C / 360 F. Then, lay them on a single cookie sheet. Sprinkle any herbs, olive oil, or spices if you wish. Or, bake them just as is for about 7 to 8 minutes, until crisp. And, serve them with salsa or your favorite dip.
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Printable Recipe
Easy Homemade Healthy Flour Tortilla Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 g) All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil canola or coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ cup (120 ml) Hot water
Instructions
Dough
- Combine flour, baking powder and salt to the bowl.
- Add the oil - combine the oil into the flour, almost coating every grain of flour.
- Next, add the hot water and use a fork or spatula to bring the dough together.
- Set it aside to rest until it's just warm and you are able to knead it.
- Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until soft and spongy.
- Use hands dipped in water to help knead. (ideally, you would not need more flour but if the dough is too wet then add a little dry flour as necessary).
- If you find the dough is too resistant, rest the dough for 5 minutes covered with cling wrap.
- Then knead again and until you have a soft smooth dough.
- Rest the dough for 15 minutes.
Shape and roll
- Divide the dough into 8 equal size balls. I prefer to divide the dough in half, then half, again half... until I have an approximate size or number I need.
- Shape each into balls and let rest.
- Dab each ball with a little flour on both sides. Roll on a lightly floured surface.
- Roll into an approximately 8 to 10-inch diameter.
- If the dough is resisting and not letting you roll - let it rest. Then try again.
Cook the tortillas
- Heat a griddle, skillet or frying pan on medium-high.
- Cook tortilla on each side for 2 minutes flipping only as needed.
- Each tortilla usually takes 3 to 4 minutes, so adjust the heat accordingly.
- Place the cooked tortillas wrapped in a clean kitchen cloth so they stay soft.
Recipe Notes
- Use hot water to form the dough - this helps soften the gluten.
- If the dough is resisting while kneading - let it rest. Resting the dough will relax the gluten strands and make soft, not tough tortillas.
- Always keep the dough, ball, rolled tortillas covered to avoid drying out.
- When rolling the tortilla, if you find it is too stretchy and resisting, let it rest. Get a drink and come back in 5 to 7 minutes - it will be less frustrating.
- The working process - Usually, we roll and cook the tortillas simultaneously, but you can do them in batches of 4 or 5 at a time, so you avoid burning or overcooking them.
- Roll a few tortillas - Place a clean kitchen cloth over the rolled tortillas, so they do not dry out.
- Stop rolling - cook this batch then go back to rolling again.
- Remember to lower the heat when you roll the next batch, so the grill does not become too hot.
- Cook the tortillas on medium to high heat. Too high will cause them to burn in spots. Too low heat will cook them too slow which eventually will become crisp and tough.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Haley
Am I the only one who had to use way more water?
Veena Azmanov
FLour absorbs water differently Haley. So, it ok to add a little water. Perhaps a few tablespoons up to 1/4 cup?
Alexander
How many calories?
Veena Azmanov
Hey Alexander, the calories are calculated in the recipe card below automatically. Thanks
Marziya
Hi Veena,
I think I did something wrong, although I never have problems with cooking/baking. After dividing the dough into 20 pieces, found they were really tiny and to get them even to 10cm diameter I needed to roll them out to almost a see-through state. I then decided to make 14 balls, but they were still very small. I tried rolling out thin, rolling out thickish, nothing worked, they didn’t even have bubbles, let alone puff up. Do you really end up with 20 tortillas 20cm in diameter? How thin do you roll them? Please help me, I’m very upset I couldn’t make them right 🙁
Veena Azmanov
Oh, Marziya. I owe you an apology. I am so sorry.
I reduced the quantity in the ingredients to make 12 tortillas but forgot to change the number 20 in the instructions.
As you can see the recipe card below actually says 10.
The recipe should make between 10 to 14 depending on how thick or thin you roll.
Thank you so much for bringing it to my attention.
Once again I apologize for this.