From Scratch Tortillas

Did you know you can make tortillas at home with 5 ingredients in a couple of minutes? The toughest part is waiting 20-30 minutes for the dough to rest. It’s that easy! Don’t buy tortillas at the grocery store any longer.

Recipe Details

Makes: 12 Tortillas

Prep Time: 10 Minutes (even better with a mixer)

Rest/Rise Time: 20-30 Minutes

Cook Time: 5-7 Minutes

Total Time: 45-50 Minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Category: Homemade Staples

Ingredients

• 2 cups of all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp melted butter, cooled
• 3/4 warm water
• extra flour for rolling

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Method

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Mix the melted butter into warm water, then pour into the flour mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until a sticky, shaggy dough forms.
3. Lightly flour a counter and knead dough for 2–3 minutes until soft and smooth.
4. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball.
5. Flatten the balls slightly, dredge lightly in flour, and cover with a slightly damp towel. Let rest 20–30 minutes—this makes rolling easier.
6. Using a floured rolling pin, roll each dough ball into a thin circle. Stretch gently with your hands if needed. Aim for about 7–8 inches in diameter.
7. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Place tortilla in the hot pan and cook about 90 seconds until bubbles form. Flip and cook another 60 seconds. The tortilla should have light brown spots and stay soft.
8. Stack cooked tortillas in a clean towel to keep soft and warm.
9. Roll and cook the remaining dough balls.

Success Tips

Rest the dough – After shaping the balls, let them rest under a damp towel. This relaxes the gluten, making them stretchy and easier to roll.

Medium heat is key – Too hot = burnt, too low = dry. Aim for a gentle sizzle. We had some burnt ones because we heat the heat a bit too high at first.

Stretch gently by hand – After rolling, pick up the tortilla and pull slightly from the center. It helps them puff up while cooking. The rolling pin could only do so much towards the end.

Storage + Reheating

• Short-term: Stack, wrap in a towel or ziploc bag, keep at room temp (1–2 days).
• Long-term: Cool, stack, wrap tightly, freeze (up to 1 month).

Reheating

• Skillet: 30–60 sec per side on medium heat.
• Microwave: Wrap in damp paper towel, 20–30 sec.
• Oven: Wrap in foil, 10–15 min at 350°F.

💡 Tip: Keep warm tortillas covered so they stay soft.

💡 Tip: Don’t put these in the fridge! It dries them out faster.

What to make with your tortillas?

Tacos, burritos, quesadillas, tortilla chips, wraps, and just about anything.