# Tortilla Recipe



## sweetchica_2202 (Oct 27, 2004)

Hey everyone I am new to the forum and new to cooking and baking.  I have been working on my cooking a baking skills for like 6 months now.  I am hispanic and would like to know any tricks to making tortillas.  I have a recipe for tortillas but everytime i have made the tortillas they don't tend to have much flexibility they break when i try to fold them into a taco after they have been cooked. Any tips or ideas  to what might be wrong??  Thank you for the help in advance.


----------



## GB (Oct 27, 2004)

Hi sweetchica_2202 and welcome to the boards 

What type of tortillas are you trying to make, flour or corn? You may need to try using a little more water. Just a thought.


----------



## sweetchica_2202 (Oct 27, 2004)

GB said:
			
		

> Hi sweetchica_2202 and welcome to the boards
> 
> What type of tortillas are you trying to make, flour or corn? You may need to try using a little more water. Just a thought.



OOOOOHHHH sorry I forgot that part.  FLOUR Tortillas.

Thank you.


----------



## GB (Oct 27, 2004)

I have never made four ones before so hopefully someone more knowledgeable will chime in. I am sure they will


----------



## Audeo (Oct 27, 2004)

Hola, chica!  Saludos!!

In addition to GB's question about what type of tortilla you're making, I would echo his thoughts about water.  Are the tortillas cracking around the edges during pressing?  If so, you will need to add a little warm water into the dough and knead it in well.     

To make the shells, I fry each tortilla about 10 seconds in hot oil until it is limp.  Then, using tongs, I grab an edge and fold the tortilla in half and continue frying, holding the edges apart.  About 30 seconds later, I turn the tortilla over and continue cooking for another 30 seconds or so until they are crisp, Then drain on paper towels.  I have found that the thinner the tortilla to begin with, the crisper and stronger the taco shell is.  If mine are too thick, they will crack in a heartbeat.  It also sometimes helps to soften already cooked taco shells by reheating for a few seconds in hot oil, draining again on paper towels, then immediately filling the shells.

I don't have a press, but make mine by rolling the dough into balls, dampening them slightly with a little warm water, placing the balls between two sheets of waxed paper, flattening them slightly with a rolling pin, then pressing them thin using the bottom of a pie plate.

Hope this helps, and I look forward to reading your posts to come!


----------



## sweetchica_2202 (Oct 27, 2004)

well thank you you for the tips.  I am actually rolling them out with a tortilla roller (rolling pin) and when i put them on the skillet to cook and remove them and then try to handle them they break easy. . . .i am baffled.  I will try to add more water to my dough.


----------



## Shunka (Oct 27, 2004)

Do you add any shortening or lard to your recipe? I have several different tortilla recipes, some use shortening and some don't. It does sound like you need to add more water though.


----------



## sweetchica_2202 (Oct 27, 2004)

I am using crisco shortening. Should I use something else.


----------



## masteraznchefjr (Oct 27, 2004)

heres something comes out really great with no cracks. 

Flour Tortillas
Ingredients
•2 cups all-purpose flour 
•1-1/2teaspoon baking powder 
•1 teaspoon salt 
•2 teaspoons vegetable oil 
•3/4 cup lukewarm milk (2% is fine)
•1 teaspoon of butter 
Directions:
Stir together the flour and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and vegetable oil to the lukewarm milk and whisk briefly to incorporate. Gradually add the milk to the flour, and work the mixture into a dough. It will be sticky. 
Turn the dough out onto a surface dusted with flour and knead vigorously for about 2 minutes (fold and press, fold and press do not over knead). The kneading will take care of the stickiness. Return the dough to the bowl, cover it with a damp cloth, and let it rest for 15 minutes. (This dough will not rise, but it needs a rest.) 
Divide your dough into 8 balls of equal size, cover them, and let them rest again for about 1 hour. Avoid letting them touch, if you don't want them to stick together. 
Dust your work surface with flour. Working one at a time, remove each piece of dough and pat it into a 5-inch circle. With a rolling pin, roll out the tortilla, working from the center out, until you have a 7- or 8-inch tortilla a little less than ¼-inch thick. Transfer the tortilla to a hot, dry skillet or griddle. It will begin to blister. Let it cook for 30 seconds, turn it, and let the other side cook for 30 seconds. Remove the tortilla, place it in a napkin-lined basket and cover with aluminum foil. Repeat for the remaining tortillas. 
Although flour tortillas, like corn tortillas, are best if eaten right after they are made, these tortillas will freeze well. Wrap them tightly in plastic, and they will keep, frozen, for several weeks. To serve tortillas that have been frozen, let them thaw and come to room temperature, then wrap them in aluminum foil and heat them in a warm oven. Microwaving tends to toughen them.


----------



## Audeo (Oct 27, 2004)

That recipe is a lot like mine, masterazn!  I'll have to try that!

Mine uses 2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon canola oil and
1/2 to 3/4 cup of warm water (115 degrees F.).

I'll be interested in learning the difference of substituting milk for the water.  The only other thing I do differently is to make mine in the food processor and I don't knead mine, but certainly the processor does.

Thanks for the suggestion in your recipe!


----------



## Sue Lau (Nov 27, 2004)

I think they break when they are overcooked.
Try getting the griddle nicely hot and just leave them on for a short time.

Here is a recipe I have had success with:

http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/getrecipe.zsp?id=101601

The photo you see is what I made from that. The tortillas were nicely flexible. And this is a cinch to work up in the KitchenAid mixer.


----------

