Flour tortillas don’t typically make the cut when we talk about “authentic” south-of-the-border cuisine, but despite what you may think, corn hasn’t completely cornered the tortilla market in Mexico.
For the people of Sonora, a region in northern Mexico, wheat has been a staple crop for hundreds of years. Head to a Sonora restaurant and you will find tender carne asada wrapped in an even more tender flour tortilla. (It’s no wonder Sonora flour is prized by many a pastry chef.) The long history of settlers moving from Sonora to California certainly helped make the flour tortilla the Southwest’s wrap of choice.
Making your own flour tortillas at home is much easier than you think. If you have lard, we highly suggest using it for the best texture and flavor, but if you don’t, vegetable oil will do fine.
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Homemade flour tortillas
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup water
1/2 cup lard or vegetable oil
Directions
- Combine flour, salt and baking powder in a stand mixer.
- Add remaining ingredients, and mix on low speed until dough comes together.
- Turn out onto well-floured surface and cut into 10-12 equal pieces.
- Form pieces into balls and let dough rest for 10 minutes.
- Use a tortilla press or rolling pin to flatten into tortillas.
- Cook in a dry cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes each side, or until browned and bubbling.
