Homemade Flour Tortillas
Nibbles & Bites Issue #19: Revamped Taco Tuesday & Ginger Beard Hot Sauce
Hi all,
Alison Roman announced earlier this week that she’s a hard shell taco gal and is trying to convert others to the hard shell life, which has me aghast. I think soft tortillas are far superior to hard tacos on so many levels. They allow you to add as many toppings as you’d like, they don’t shatter upon impact (leaving your dinner in your lap) and they are shockingly simple to make at home with a few pantry staples.
Listen, Alison is easy to pick fun at and I’ve thrown my fair share of jokes her way - you either love her or you hate her (just read the comments left behind on that latest post) - but she isn’t wrong in saying that taco night doesn’t need to be over thought or reinvented, and it certainly doesn’t need to be made too precious and fussy.
I love taco night so much because all you really need to do is empty out your crisper drawer and chop up whatever vegetables you have on hand. Dice some tomatoes, slice an avocado, quick pickle jalapeños or marinate an onion in lime juice and you’re already halfway there to having the best taco night ever. This format is perfect for catering to large groups and those with dietary restrictions because everyone can serve themselves and create their ideal pairings.
That being said, if there is one thing that you can do to reinvigorate taco night at your house, it’s to ditch the store-bought tortillas and to take a stab at making my homemade flour tortilla recipe. It’s so simple, takes very few pantry ingredients to make, and will have you converted in no time at all.
You’ll end up with some of the most buttery, flaky and perfectly charred tortillas out there, and I promise it’s worth the effort. Enjoy!
Fresh Homemade Flour Tortillas
Makes 16 tortillas
Ingredients:
4 cups of AP flour
2 big pinches of kosher salt
1 1/2 cups of warm water
3 tbsp of olive oil
3 tbsp of melted butter
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Make a small well in the center of the mixture and stir in the water and oil until the dough starts to come together. Knead the dough about 15 times on a lightly floured work surface (the dough can also be kneaded directly in the large bowl to minimize cleanup). The surface of the dough should be fairly smooth. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Divide the dough into two separate balls and then divide each ball of dough into 8 individual pieces. If you want each tortilla to be evenly sized, place each ball of dough on a food scale and redistribute the balls of dough until each weigh ~60g. Roll each portion into a 7-inch disc, keeping the rest of the dough balls covered by a kitchen towel to prevent them from drying out.
Meanwhile, lightly grease a cast-iron or non-stick pan with a combination of oil and butter. The pan does not need to be greased liberally. There should only be about 1/4 tsp of grease in the pan so that the tortillas are oily. Cook the tortillas individually over medium-high heat for about a minute per side until they’re golden brown and perfectly speckled.
Once charred on both sides, the tortillas can be kept covered tightly in the fridge for up to two days and reheated in the microwave, on the grill, or directly over a gas-burner until slightly charred and crispy, turning regularly with tongs to ensure they don’t burn.
Now all you need to do is pick the hot sauce of your choice, and voila! Dinner is served. While I have you, here’s a shameless plug for my cousin Stu’s fabulous Ginger Beard hot sauce–it’s very delicious and I am sure he’d send you some if you’re interested in trying it out.
Until next time,
Kristen
They look amazing!