JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Want to level up your taco game? Try making them with homemade tortillas!
When I was young, I remember my great-grandma Jo teaching my sisters and me how to make tortillas from scratch. Sure, they take a bit of time, but they are worth it!
**DISCLAIMER** If you make this recipe, you will never go back to store-bought tortillas!
Ingredients
- 4 cups of flour
- ¾ teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons of lard
- A pinch of salt
- 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups of warm water
Steps
In a large bowl combine your flour, baking powder, and salt. Once your dry ingredients are all mixed add in your lard. Yes, LARD! The best tortillas are made with lard!
My grandma uses a large tablespoon, which in the end, is closer to one and a half to two tablespoons. Work the lard through the dry ingredients with your hands until you get a crumb-like texture.
Now it’s time for the water. Slowly add in the water, just a small pour at a time. Continue to mix until a tough dough forms. From here, transfer the dough onto a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes.
Once kneaded, pull off two-inch pieces of dough and roll into small balls. This recipe should make about 20 tortillas. With a rolling pin, roll each ball into a thin disk. I would recommend stretching and pulling the dough slightly right before you put it in the pan so that it will cook properly.
If the dough is too thick it will take a long time to cook, if it is too thin, it will rip or burn. The easiest way to tell if your tortilla is the proper thickness is to stretch it out and hold it up to a light, if you can see the light through it, then it’s just right. If you can see objects through it, it is too thin.
Heat up your pan to medium-high heat. The best pan to use is a cast-iron comal, but any pan will work. Once the pan is hot, add in one tortilla and cook for about 2 minutes on each side. You do not need to add oil to the pan, but if you are worried about them sticking, you can. If your tortilla starts to get a bit puffy while cooking, simply use a kitchen towel or a tortilla press to release the air bubbles. Repeat this with the rest of the dough.
There are so many different ways you can enjoy your tortillas! Burritos, tacos, quesadillas, you name it! But my favorite is to take a tortilla right out of the pan, add some butter and a sprinkle of salt to it, roll it up and enjoy!