Tortillas (homemade flour tortillas)

Method

1. Whisk the flour, salt and baking powder together in a bowl. Add the oil and warm water, and mix to a rough dough. Knead for 5 minutes, until smooth.
2. Divide into 8 pieces and shape each into a ball. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
3. Roll each ball out into a thin circle, about 20 to 22 cm across. Let rest again for 15 to 20 minutes, covered, before cooking.
4. Heat a dry, heavy pan over high heat until very hot. Cook one tortilla at a time, about 30 to 45 seconds per side, until light brown blisters appear and it’s fully cooked through.
5. Keep warm, wrapped in a cloth, while cooking the rest.

Notes

• Rest the dough twice: once as balls, once after rolling. Dough rolled without a rest first springs back elastically and refuses to hold a round shape; the second rest after rolling lets the gluten relax fully before it hits the heat.
• Use a dry pan, not an oiled one. A dry, very hot surface is what produces the characteristic light brown blisters; oil in the pan fries the tortilla instead, giving a crisper, less pliable result.
• Get the pan properly hot before the first tortilla goes in. A pan that isn’t hot enough cooks the dough through slowly and dries it out instead of blistering it quickly.
• Best eaten warm, straight from the pan, though they keep for 3 days wrapped in the fridge and reheat well in a dry pan.

Ingredient substitutions

• Warm, not hot or cold, water gives the best texture; too hot can start cooking the flour, too cold makes the dough stiffer to work with.
• A little lard or butter in place of the oil is more traditional if you’re not keeping it vegan.
• Use for tacos, wraps, or quesadillas.

From Christoph Mayer

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