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Tortillas de Harina (Flour Tortillas)

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Photo of homemade flour tortillas on plate with a napkin.
Photo and Styling by Joseph De Leo

Flour tortillas are most used in northern Mexico, where wheat has historically been abundant and cheap. In Mexico City, most flour tortillas come from a bag from the supermarket, but they’re common in households, since they keep longer and better than fresh corn tortillas. Still, if you ever have a fresh warm flour tortilla made properly, you’ll understand why they’re so revered in the north. Pork lard gives the best results. The secret to making flour tortillas is using hot water—not scalding, but warmer than lukewarm.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 8 tortillas

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
½ cup pork lard (or substitute vegetable shortening), chilled
1 tablespoon kosher salt
About ½ cup hot water, plus more if needed

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Mix the flour and pork lard with your fingers until the mixture is the texture of coarse sand. Then add the salt with the hot (but not scalding) water and knead well. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour; if it’s a little dry, add more hot water. The kneaded dough should be slightly tacky but not sticking to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

    Step 2

    Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll each one into a round ball. Roll each ball between sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap into as thin a round as possible (the rounds will contract a bit when you stop rolling). As you roll each one, place it on a hot nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat.

    Step 3

    Cook for about 30 seconds, or until the tortilla starts to puff. Then flip and cook another 30 seconds. It should be cooked through and just speckled with golden brown spots. As the tortillas cook, place them in your serving dish covered with a dish towel, which will help keep the tortillas soft and pliable.

Cover of the cookbook featuring a slate grey background with large gold lettering spelling out "Mexico."
Reprinted with permission from Made in Mexico: Classic and Contemporary Recipes From Mexico City © Danny Mena with Nils Bernstein, Rizzoli New York, 2019. Buy the full book from Amazon.

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