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The Gold Standard: Homemade Butter Flour Tortillas
When flour and butter meet a hot comal, there’s a special smell that fills the kitchen. If you grew up with homemade tortillas, you know store-bought ones just can’t match the soft, flaky, and slightly charred taste of a fresh tortilla.
Making tortillas might seem intimidating, but it only takes a few basic ingredients and some patience. Here’s why each ingredient helps make the perfect soft tortilla.
The Ingredient Breakdown: Why They Matter
- All-Purpose Flour: This gives the dough its structure. It’s sturdy enough to roll out thin, but still stays tender after cooking.
- Baking Powder: This is what makes the tortillas puff up. It creates air pockets and bubbles, so your tortillas turn out light instead of dense.
- Salt: Salt brings out the nutty flavor of the toasted flour and the richness of the butter. Without it, the dough tastes bland.
- Unsalted Butter: Many traditional recipes use lard, but butter gives a rich, creamy flavor and makes the tortillas flaky. The fat coats the flour and keeps the tortillas soft.
- Warm Water: Warm water helps the flour absorb moisture quickly and makes it easier to mix in the butter. This makes the dough soft and easy to roll out.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Combine the Dry Ingredients
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to your stand mixer bowl. Use the whisk attachment to mix them for a few seconds. This spreads the baking powder evenly so each tortilla puffs up.
2. Incorporate the Butter
Pour in the melted butter and whisk for about a minute. Make sure the butter coats all the flour before you add the water.
3. Knead the Dough
Switch to the dough hook and add the warm water. Knead on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes.
Pro-Tip: Watch the bowl. When the dough pulls away from the sides and bottom, it’s ready. Don’t over-knead, or the tortillas will turn out tough.
4. The Power of the Rest
Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes. This gives the gluten time to relax. If you roll the dough too soon, it will shrink back.
5. Shape and Roll
Divide the dough into 16 equal balls. On a floured surface, flatten each ball with your palm and roll it into an 8-inch circle. Use a rolling pin for a rustic look or a tortilla press for even rounds.
6. The Comal Finish
Preheat your comal or griddle to medium-high. Place a tortilla on it and wait about 30 seconds until bubbles form. Flip and cook for another 30 seconds.
Pay attention to the heat. If the comal is too cold, the tortillas will dry out and get hard. If it’s too hot, they’ll burn before cooking through. Medium-high works best.
The Final Step
Immediately move your cooked tortillas into a tortilla warmer or wrap them in a clean, thick kitchen towel. This “sweating” process is what keeps them soft and pliable for your tacos or just a simple spread of honey butter.
What equipment or kitchen supplies do I need?
Butter Flour Tortillas
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup warm water
Instructions
- Add flour, baking powder, and salt to a stand mixer bowl. Using the whisk attachment, whisk ingredients to combine.3 cups all purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt
- Add melted butter and continue to whisk for about 1 minute.1/2 cup unsalted butter
- Replace the whisk attachment with the dough hook. Add warm water and knead the dough on medium-high for 2-3 minutes or until the dough no longer sticks to the bottom or sides of the bowl. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl while the dough is kneading. Be careful not to overwork the dough.1 cup warm water
- Cover bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Pull the dough out of the mixer and divide the dough into 16 equal-sized balls.
- Preheat your comal on medium high.
- Flour your surface and place the dough ball in the middle. Lightly press down with your palm and sprinkle the top with flour. Uusing a rolling pin, roll each dough ball into 8-inch circles. You can also use a tortilla press to make your round tortillas.
- Place each rolled tortilla on your hot comal and cook for about 30 seconds or until your tortilla starts to bubble. Flip and cook for another 30 seconds. Do not overcook or your tortilla will harden. Remember, it is very important that your comal is maintained oh medium-high.
- Remove your tortilla from comal and place inside a tortilla warmer or wrap in kitchen towel. Enjoy!
Video
@roni.tapia.gonzalez Easy Butter Flour Tortillas Recipe | Receta Facil de Tortillas de Harina de Mantequilla @KitchenAid @mortonsalt @King Arthur Baking Ingredients • 3 cups all purpose flour • 2 tsp baking powder • 1 tsp salt • 1/2 cup unsalted butter • 1 cup warm water #kitchenaid #kitchenhacks #evergreenseries #flourtortillas #butter #tortillasdeharina #recetasfaciles #easyrecipes #ronigonzalez #cookingtok #comidamexicana #capcut #recipevideo #mortonsalt #kingarthur #mexicanrecipe
♬ La Bruja – Mexican Music Factory
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