Monday, August 13, 2007

Why would I take time to make my own tortillas...

In one word...YUM! They are soooo much better than store bought.
All you need is a rolling pin. Make sure that the dough is a little sticky, if not then add a little more water to the mix. It should look like this...

Spongy and slightly sticky...

Take a ball about this big...

Then let it rest that 10 minutes. You'll have an easy pliable dough. Roll it out with ample flour under and over it and make it thin.

Roll it thin...
Now, have your pan already hot and just lightly grease it, I use Pam. Throw your tortilla in and wait until it gets some light brown spots on it and flip. Wait until that side is speckled and it's done! Each tortilla will only take about 1-2 minutes to make. I usually make my next tortilla while one is cooking.

It'll get bubbly and rise slightly, then flip it...


Now it'll rise some more, when it gets speckles, it's done...


The finished product. I got about 22 from my dough...

Here are some ideas that we are going to try this week or things we've done last week...

Lentils and Rice (yum)
Eggs and Bacon (yum)
Potatoes and Pintos (Dorothy)
Beef and Refried beans
Chicken Salad
on the side with soup (Split Pea is good!)
BBQ Pork or Beef
Taco Stuff
PBJ

Really, anything goes!

Tortillas

3 cups flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup hot water

Combine first 3 ingredients. Add Shortening and combine until it looks like little peas. Add hot water and knead together to form a ball. Let rest for 10 minutes. Roll out in 10-12 tortillas and cook on a med hot skillet.

Here are some updates on my tortilla making...

I LOVE making tortillas! I make them once a week right now. The recipe is on my blog and since then I've perfected the cooking.I make the dough and then roll them all out at once and drape them over my plastic bowl rim. Then I get my pan nice and hot. I've found that you need to cook them pretty fast. I set my burner on med high and put the tortilla in the pan. Watch it puff up quickly and turn it. It should be spotted brown but not blackened. If it is, turn your heat down a little. Each tortilla should only take about 30 seconds on each side. Then I flip, wait a few seconds and flip it onto my waiting plate. Now this is another secret...cover the tortillas with foil. Just lift the foil and add the newly cooked tortilla on top of the previous one and replace the foil. It steams them and makes them very soft

Enjoy! We are. :)

Blessings,

Lisa

12 comments:

Jen said...

Sounds good. What could I use instead of shortening? I have very small amount of non TBHQed Crisco left and I am hording it for frosting.

Kathy in WA said...

Okay, okay already! :) You've got me convinced. It doesn't look too difficult. I know my family would love forever if I would start making homemade tortillas. I usually mix my white and wheat flour in my big flour container. Will the recipe work with a little bit of wheat flour in the mix???

Cynthia said...

You make it look so easy (LOL)! We had a man/wife team come to our co-op last year to show us how to make tortillas as part of one of our Spanish classes. The tortillas were SO GOOD.

Lisa in Jax said...

Jen,

I bet that you could use very cold butter instead of shortening. Just cut it in the same and go from there. Just like pie crust.

Kathy,

Yes, white and wheat mixed will work just fine. You may need a little more water, just keep adding until you get something like bisquick biscuit dough.

Cynthia,

It is easy or I wouldn't do it.LOL

Cynthia said...

Thanks Lisa. I figured it must have been quick and easy to make it to the BLOG! I'll give it a try one day.

Anonymous said...

Do you use any oil in the pan?

I really must try this. How long do they keep like that?

Lisa in Jax said...

Dorothy,

Yep. Just a little oil rubbed in the pan and then let it get hot. I don't need anymore oil after the first one.

Cynthia,

LOL! You know me well. Quick and easy is my motto.LOL

Jodi said...

Yum, yum, yum! Looks and sounds good!

Definitely doing this soon.

Kristine said...

Alright, I'm reading this with my chin hanging open. Homemade bread might be good too, but I'd never actually DO it! Oh, wait, do you do that too? vbg

Lisa in Jax said...

They taste great! And yes, I'm a nut.LOL

Anonymous said...

lisa,

these look great and easy. I always thought making tortillas would be hard! I'm definitely going to try this.

thanks,

angie
www.thriftyfloridamama.blogspot.com

Lisa in Jax said...

Nope, not hard at all! I make them every two weeks and I'm lucky if they make it to dinner time.LOL