Butter Tortillas are a very special type of flour tortilla made with (wait for it…) butter! Lard or vegetable shortening were the traditional fats we used in our kitchen when I was growing up. However, butter has made a big comeback in the U.S.A., so why not?
Uncommonly Delicious
Because flour tortillas are regional to Northern Mexico and South Texas, butter is not a common ingredient in this hot, desert climate. Most people rely on refrigerators these days to keep their food fresh. Even though Butter Tortillas are not too common, they are all kinds of delicious.
One of the tricks for making Traditional Flour Tortillas is to let the dough rest for at least 20 minutes before rolling them out. I always had trouble rolling out round tortillas before I discovered the resting trick. The dough should rest at least one hour on the countertop or overnight in the refrigerator. Flour tortilla dough that rested 4 days in the refrigerator rolled out beautifully round and thin with no difference in flavor.
You might notice that this recipe doesn’t call for baking powder. If you want to try baking powder when you make Butter Tortillas, simply add 2 tsp. (8g) of baking powder to the dry flour mixture when you add the salt. I think baking powder makes the flour tortillas a bit more spongey. Everyone has their own preference.
Roll, don’t press
Remember that you can’t make wheat flour tortillas using a tortilla press. Flour tortillas must be rolled out using a rolling pin. I know there are loads of marketing photos online showing flour tortillas made with tortilla presses, but that is incorrect. Wheat dough is too stretchy to be pressed out effectively. Only corn tortillas are made with a tortilla press. Use a good heavy rolling pin when making your flour tortillas.
I want to encourage you to practice making Butter Tortillas as often as possible. I messed up loads of tortillas when I first started making them. Keep trying and you will get the hang of rolling out round thin tortillas. Homemade Butter Tortillas are the best tortillas on the planet. I know you will agree!
PrintButter Tortillas are the buttery best
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 minute
- Total Time: 26 minutes
- Yield: 40 tortillas 1x
Ingredients
2lbs. flour (about 7 cups) (1kg)
1 tbsp. salt (4gr)
1 1/3 cups European style butter (250 gr)
2 cups hot water (480ml)
Instructions
In a large bowl, add the flour, baking powder, salt. and butter. Knead well with your hands. Add the water a little at a time until you have a smooth dough. Knead the dough for about 90 seconds, until elastic.
Form the dough into 40 small patties. Return the patties to the mixing bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Heat up your griddle.
With a rolling pin, roll out the patties into tortillas, as thin and round as possible (this takes a lot of practice!).
Place tortilla on the hot griddle. Flip tortilla to cook on the other side after 45 seconds. Flip again after 45 seconds. Flip one more time. The tortilla should puff up.
Take tortilla off the griddle after 20 seconds and place in a clean towel to keep warm. Continue with the remaining dough.
Notes
Tortillas dough can be stored int he refrigerator overnight.
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