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Hands pressing homemade tortillas dough flat on a floured wooden board

Homemade Tortillas

Manon Lapierre
Soft, warm flour tortillas made from scratch at camp with just flour, salt, baking powder, water, and oil, rolled thin and cooked on a hot cast iron pan.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Course Bread
Cuisine Fire Cooking
Servings 16 tortillas

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron pan or griddle
  • 1 rolling pin (or a clean wine bottle)
  • 1 clean dish towel

Ingredients
  

For the tortillas

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour 450 g
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1/4 cup olive oil or oil of your choice

Instructions
 

Make the dough

  • In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder.
  • Add the warm water and oil, then mix with a spoon or your hand until the dough comes together into a ball.
  • Knead for 3 to 5 minutes, until you have a smooth dough.
  • If the dough is too sticky, work in a little extra flour on your work surface and into the dough.

Shape and rest

  • Roll the dough into one large log and cut it into 16 small pieces.
  • Shape each piece into a small ball, then flatten it with the palm of your hand.
  • Cover all the pieces of dough.
  • Let rest for 15 minutes.
  • Using a rolling pin or a wine bottle from the night before, roll each ball out as thin as possible, trying to keep a round shape.

Cook the tortillas

  • Heat a pan or cast iron griddle and gently toast the tortillas one at a time.
  • As soon as a few spots are toasted, flip the tortilla and continue cooking for 30 to 60 seconds.
  • Place the cooked tortillas in a clean dish towel to keep them from drying out.

Notes

Yield note. The book gives this recipe as a yield per tortilla, not as a serving count. This batch makes about 16 tortillas.
Make it ahead. These can be made in advance and kept in their towel inside an airtight bag in the fridge for 5 to 7 days.
Reheating. Warm them back up on the hot pan or griddle, repeating the same cooking steps as when fresh.
Sticky dough. If the dough clings to your hands, work in a little extra flour rather than more water.
No rolling pin. A clean, empty wine bottle rolls out dough just as well.
See the frequently asked questions
  • Mixing the dough ahead of time
  • Rolling without a rolling pin
  • Fixing sticky dough
  • Using whole wheat flour
  • How long tortillas keep
  • Why tortillas turn out tough and chewy
  • Cooking over direct flame instead of a pan
  • Keeping tortillas round
  • Substituting the oil
  • Other ways to use the tortillas
Keyword bread, camping, homemade, sourdough, tortillas