Homemade Flour Tortillas

When you think of any country and its traditions, the food they serve is one of the first things that comes to mind. When we think of Honduras‘ food, the Baleada tops the list!  The Baleada is the crown jewel in Honduran cuisine for several reasons: They are loved by both young and old alike;  you can buy them for less than a dollar; and you can eat them for breakfast, lunch or dinner! Here is the Baleada recipe, but first, we must know how to make its main ingredient — homemade flour tortillas!

Steps in Making Homemade Flour Tortillas

First, begin by mixing together the dry ingredients: 2 1/4 cups of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder.

Then, add water and 2 tablespoons of shortening.

Mix all ingredients together by hand in a bowl.

Then, turn out and knead the dough for five to seven minutes.

Pinch pieces of the dough and form into balls.  As you form the balls, put a little shortening on your fingers and cover the surface of each ball.  The shortening will prevent them from sticking together and will also help them to easily release from the pan.  Place them in a bowl to let the dough rest for at least five minutes.  At this point, you could put them in the fridge to make them later or the next day.

Now, heat a skillet or a griddle over high heat. Then, take one ball of dough and begin to flatten. Next, toss back and forth between the palms of your hands until you have the dough stretched out into a circle.

In case any of you are wondering—no, these are not my hands!  I cannot do this.  I’ve tried, but at this point, I usually pull out the rolling pin and roll the dough out like a pizza. Which doesn’t turn out exactly the same but it does come pretty close, and you could totally do that if you can’t master this technique. Like me.  But what you see here is the authentic Honduran way of making flour tortillas.  It is truly an art form.  Thank you, Sindy and Gilma for doing the demo of how to make tortillas — the authentic Honduran way!

Now, place the tortilla on the pan and let cook until bubbles form on the side facing you.

Then flip it over and cook on the other side.  The tortillas will inflate while cooking, but take a paper towel and press them down flat.

Remove from pan and place on a plate or in a tortilla warmer.  Continue making the rest of the tortillas until you have a nice little heap like this.

See The Making Homemade Flour Tortillas!

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Homemade Flour Tortillas

Authentic, fresh, and all-natural flour tortillas!

Course Sides

Cuisine Honduran

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 2 minutes

Servings 12

Calories 104 kcal

Author The Recipe Island

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 Cups Flour
• 2 Tbs. Shortening
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 3/4 Cup Water

Instructions

1. Combine dry ingredients
2. Add shortening and water.
3. Knead and shape into balls and cover with additional shortening.
4. Let dough rest for a minimum of 5 minutes or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
5. Heat skillet.
6. Flatten pieces of dough and toss back and forth between hands to make a circle.
7. Place on skillet and cook on one side until bubbles form on the top side.
8. Flip over and cook on the other side.

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