A great flour tortilla recipe

Although tortillas have been used in Mexico for hundreds of years, they were originally made from corn. Flour tortillas have only existed since the Spanish arrived in Mexico in the 16th century and flour was introduced into the region. If you would like to learn how to make great flour tortillas, follow the easy-to-read guide below.

About tortillas and what is needed

Sizes
Tortillas come in a variety of sizes, ranging from 6-30 cm across, or just over 2-12 inches for those people not yet gone metric. When making they can be anything from extremely thin like a crepe to a thicker ¼ inch or 5mm. They can be used for a variety of dishes from burritos, fajitas or quesadillas. You will need:
250g or 8oz flour.
1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
200ml or 3/8 pint of lukewarm milk Equipment needed:
Large mixing bowl
Whisk
Flour for dusting
Rolling pin
Skillet or griddle

Making the tortillas

How to make your tortillas? - Mix the flour, salt and baking powder together in a large mixing bowl. Mix until they are all combined.
- Lightly whisk the vegetable oil into the lukewarm milk.
- Gradually add the liquid mixture to that of the flour. Work it all in until evenly mixed. At this stage the mix should be sticky.
- Dust a flat work surface with a little flour and turn the out onto this surface.
- Knead the mixture vigorously for around two minutes. The kneading should be a repeated combination of folding and pressing. This process should eliminate the sticky texture.
- Return the dough to the bowl. Ensure it is covered with a damp cloth and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. During this time the dough will not rise.
- Divide your dough into eight equally sized balls.
- Place them onto a floured tray with a space between each. You do not want them touching and sticking together.
- Cover them once again and let them rest for a further twenty minutes.
- Dust your work surface once again.
- Remove one of the dough balls and pat it with your hand into a circle approximately 12 cm or 5 inches in diameter.
- Taking your rolling pin, roll your tortilla to the thickness you require, turning the mixture constantly to retain the circular shape.
- Place the tortilla into a hot dry skillet or onto a griddle for 30 seconds. It will begin to blister, so you need to turn it over for another 30 seconds.
- Remove from the heat and serve immediately. Repeat this action for the remainder of the tortillas.