Tortillas, Anyone?

In my last post I related that bread products counted for a large part of my grocery budget. So today when I discovered we were out of tortillas, I bit the bullet and made them instead of buying them.

Making tortillas is a lot like making naan, as it turns out, although you do try to roll it a bit thinner. The recipe I used was pretty basic, and it called for regular oil instead of lard, which I believe is more traditional.

Ds had calculated how much a cup of flour costs us. I'll have to ask him in the morning. I don't think this recipe could have cost me more than $2.00. Probably less. The tortillas I buy at the store cost $4.00 per 10 pack. That's half price, baby!

Tortillas (24 small/12 or so large)

4 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups water
4 tbsp. canola oil

Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Mix the water and oil in your measuring cup. Add it to the flour mixture a bit at a time and stir thoroughly.

When the dough comes together (it will be a little sticky), turn out onto a floured board and knead for 5 minutes, adding flour as necessary to keep it from sticking. When it turns into a soft, smooth ball put it in a bowl and cover it with a cloth. Let sit for 20 minutes.

Divide it into the desired amount of tortillas. If you make 24 they'll be pretty small ("taco" sized). If you make 12 - 15, they'll be burrito sized. Put on a tray and let sit, covered, for an additional 10 minutes.

Roll out into very thin circles. Heat a thick frying pan until quite hot - you don't need to grease it - and cook the tortillas one by one, about 30 seconds to a side, checking frequently. You'll see the tortilla turn a lighter color, with brown spots, when it's done. Keep them warm on a plate with a cloth over it. Serve immediately, or refrigerate or freeze.