4 cups whole wheat flour
or half wheat and half white
1/2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 to 1-1/4 cups water
Waxed paper
In a large bowl combine
the flour, salt and baking powder. The baking powder makes your
tortillas lighter, even if you roll them a little thick. Next
cut in the shortening with a fork. When the flour is crumbly,
add the water. Stir the dough with your fork until it makes a
cohesive ball of dough. You may need to add an extra small
spoonful of water if the dough is too dry. Be careful not to
add too much though. When the dough forms a ball, knead it
about 20 times. Then let it rest in the bowl for about 10
minutes. After it has rested, form it into 20 equal balls.
Roll each ball in a little flour, to coat the outside of it
evenly. Place a ball of dough on a sheet of waxed paper, or a
clean, well floured surface. Roll the dough out into a 7
or 8-inch circle. Try to get it as thin as you can.
Loosen the tortilla from the rolling surface. Flop it onto a
dry, hot skillet. Cook about 30 seconds, until the under side
is dry, with a few brown spots. Flip it and cook the other side
the same way. Transfer the cooked tortilla to a plate, and cook
the next one. This goes pretty fast after you get the hang of
it. You can roll out all of the tortillas first, in one stage,
and then cook them all in the second stage. After you practice
it some, the whole procedure takes less than 20 minutes, and the
tortillas are sooo good. Use them the same way you would
store-bought tortillas: burritos, soft tacos, etc.
The first few times you
make these, you will need 30 to 40 minutes for the whole
procedure. It takes time and practice to get the hang of
rolling them out quickly and into a roughly circular shape.
Please persevere. This recipe will save you $4 every time you
make them. Also, if you don't have access to the store, you can
still have lovely Mexican dishes all the same.
Homemade tortillas are not
as flexible as store-bought tortillas. To make them more
flexible, place them in a plastic bag while still warm, and let them
cool right there in the bag. The steam will make them more
pliable, and easier to roll up into fancy burrito shapes.
