Flour Tortillas

These are easy to make and can be used for many recipes. The ingredients can be found in almost every country. If you cannot find shortening, use butter or any other lard you can get your hands on. I have even used vegetable oil in a pinch but it takes a little practice to get the dough consistency correct!

Ingredients:

4 cups white flour
2 tsp baking powder
4 Tbsp shortening
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional)
1/2 tsp oregano (optional)

This is supposed to make 24 tortillas but I never get anywhere near that number! Probably a dozen good sized ones at the most.

Mix the ingredients together and make into a medium stiff dough. Break off enough to make a ball 3″ in diameter. Roll out into a round shaped cake as thin as possible. The trick is to roll on a floured board and make them as thin as possible. The dough must be moist enough to easily roll out but not so wet that it sticks. When I roll them out, I flip them every few times so that I know they are not sticking to the board or counter-top.

Cook on a dry hot skillet until they just begin to turn brown in spots. Cook on both sides and serve hot. They cook very quickly and it is important that they are not over-cooked or you will not be able to roll them up into wraps, etc. As soon as you see large pockets forming on the surface, flip them over and cook the other side very briefly. It should take less than a minute to cook each one!