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Homemade Flour Tortilla Recipe

2 cups of white flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vegetable oil
3/4 cup warm water

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In another
bowl combine the warm water and oil.

Add the water/oil mixture to the flour mixture, one tablespoon
at a time and mix the dough with a fork. Once the water is mixed
in, add another tablespoon of water and repeat the process until
all the water is mixed into the dough.

The dough will be sticky.

Kneading The Dough

Lightly flour a wooden cutting board and knead the dough.

Kneading is done by pushing the dough with the heals and palms
of both hands down onto the board. Fold the dough back onto
itself, give a quarter turn and push again with the palms and
heels of your hands. Just repeat the process of pressing,
folding and turning for about 4 or 5 minutes. Add a dusting of
flour when the dough gets sticky.

If the dough sticks to the cutting board while kneading, scrape
up the dough and dust the board with a little flour and continue
kneading.

Eventually the stickiness will go away and you will have a nice
smooth dough.

Place the dough back into the bowl and cover it with a damp
towel or damp paper towel. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes.

Divide the dough into golf-ball-size balls by pinching off the
dough with your thumb and fore finger. Form each ball into a
nice ball shape.

Place the balls on a flat dish making sure they don't touch each
other and cover with the damp cloth.

Let the dough rest again for 10 minutes.

Rolling The Tortillas

Preheat a skillet or cast iron pan on medium high heat. You
really can't beat cast iron pans for even heat distribution and
their ability to withstand high heat without warping.

Lightly dust your wooden cutting board with flour. Take one of
the balls of dough and flatten it out on the cutting board to a
4 inch circle. Rub flour on your rolling pin and begin to roll
out the dough starting from the center out. Roll the tortilla
until it is 6 or 7 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick.

It's difficult to roll out a perfectly round tortilla so if that
is important to you, you can always trim the tortilla with a
knife.

I like their irregular homemade looking shape. No one can
mistake these for store bought, especially when you taste them.

Don't be surprised if your kids take this flour tortilla recipe
to new heights by making shapes out of the dough. Their creative
little minds will be making homemade star shaped quesadillas!

Cooking The Tortillas

Back to the flour tortilla recipe...

Once you have rolled out the tortilla, place it on a preheated
skillet. You don't need to add any oil or butter. Cook the
tortilla for about 30 seconds. You will notice brown spots all
over your tortilla. Flip it over and cook an additional 30
seconds.

Don't over cook it as you want the tortilla to be nice and soft.


Keep your tortillas warm by covering them in a towel on a plate or in a tortilla warmer.

Storing Tortillas

Tortillas are best eaten hot right off the griddle, but you can
refrigerate and freeze them too.

If you freeze the tortillas, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and
put them in a ziplock bag. When you are ready to use them, first
thaw at room temperature and then wrap them in foil and place
them in a 250 degree oven for a 10 to 15 minutes.

I don't recommend microwaving them as this tends to
toughen them.