Soft Flour Tortillas

Name: Soft Flour Tortillas
Prep time: 23 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting; 2 tsp (8 g) baking powder; 1½ tsp (9 g) fine salt; 6 tbsp (80 g) lard, soft, at room temperature, in small pieces; 1⅓ cups (315 ml) warm water, about 120°F (49°C)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Pliable, tender flour tortillas made with lard, a little baking powder and warm water, then cooked on a hot dry griddle until freckled with golden-brown spots. Far better than store-bought, and easier than you'd think.

Prep: 23 min
Cook: 22 min
Wait: 40 min
Total: 1 hr 25 min
Makes: 12 tortillas (8-inch / 20 cm)

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Steps

Before you start

Measure the flour by weight if you can (500 g). Scooped cups can run 20% heavy and make dry, stiff tortillas.
Heat the water to about 120°F (49°C): hot tap water is usually right, comfortably warm but not scalding.
Lard should be at room temperature and soft, not melted. Cold hard lard won't blend evenly.
Plan for a 30-minute dough rest. It relaxes the gluten so the tortillas roll out thin without springing back.

1
Whisk dry ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt for about 30 seconds until evenly combined.
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Ready when: No streaks or clumps of baking powder or salt remain.
2
Rub in lard
- Add the soft lard in small pieces.
- Pinch and rub it into the flour with your fingertips for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture looks like coarse, sandy crumbs with no visible lumps of fat larger than a pea.
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Ready when: Mixture clumps slightly when squeezed in your fist, then crumbles apart.
Tip: Work quickly so the heat of your hands doesn't melt the lard; evenly distributed fat is what makes the tortillas tender.
3
Add water
- Make a well in the center and pour in the 315 ml warm water.
- Stir with a fork or your hand, working from the center outward, until a shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains at the bottom of the bowl.
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Ready when: Dough is shaggy, sticky in spots, with no dry flour left.
Tip: If the dough feels stiff and dry after a minute, add water 1 tsp at a time. If very sticky, dust with 1 tbsp flour.
4
Knead until smooth
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter.
- Knead for 2 to 3 minutes, pushing with the heel of your hand, folding and turning, until it is smooth, soft and slightly tacky but doesn't stick to your fingers.
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Ready when: Dough is smooth and springs back slowly when poked with a finger.
Tip: Don't over-flour while kneading; extra flour makes tortillas tough.
5
Divide and rest
- Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces (about 76 g each).
- Roll each piece between your palms into a tight, smooth ball, pinching any seams underneath.
- Place the balls on the counter, cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
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Ready when: Balls feel soft and puffy, and flatten easily when pressed.
Tip: Keep the balls covered at all times; uncovered dough forms a dry skin that cracks when rolled.
6
Heat the griddle
- About 5 minutes before the rest ends, set a 12-inch skillet or griddle over medium-high heat.
- Do not add oil.
- Lay out a clean towel and a plate for stacking the cooked tortillas.
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Ready when: A pinch of flour sprinkled on the surface browns in about 20 seconds.
Tip: If the flour scorches immediately, lower the heat slightly; too-hot pans make brittle, spotty tortillas.
7
Roll out tortillas
- On a lightly floured counter, flatten one ball into a disk.
- Roll from the center outward, giving the dough a quarter turn after each roll, until it is a thin 8-inch (20 cm) round about 1/16 inch (2 mm) thick.
- Dust lightly with flour only if sticking.
- Roll 2 tortillas before starting to cook.
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Ready when: You can faintly see the counter color through the dough.
Tip: If the dough springs back, cover it and let it rest 5 more minutes before rolling again.
8
Cook on the griddle
- Shake off excess flour and lay a tortilla on the hot dry griddle.
- Cook 30 to 45 seconds, until bubbles form and the underside has light golden-brown freckles.
- Flip and cook 30 to 45 seconds more until it puffs in places and has brown spots.
- Flip once more for 5 to 10 seconds if needed to puff fully.
- Move to the towel-lined plate and fold the towel over.
- Roll and cook the remaining tortillas, rolling the next while one cooks, and stacking each one on top of the last.
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Ready when: Soft and flexible with scattered golden-brown spots; no raw, doughy patches or stiff, dark edges.
Tip: Overcooking makes tortillas crisp and cracker-like. They should look pale with spots and stay pliable.
9
Steam and serve
- Keep the stack wrapped in the towel for 10 minutes.
- The trapped steam softens the tortillas and makes them extra pliable.
- Serve warm.
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Ready when: Tortillas fold in half without cracking.

Good to know

Tips

Weigh the dough balls for even tortillas that cook at the same rate.
Roll thin: thick tortillas turn doughy and don't puff.
Keep the pan dry and clean; wipe off scorched flour between batches so it doesn't taste bitter.
Fold each hot tortilla into the towel right away. Steaming is what makes them soft instead of dry.

Make ahead

"The dough balls can be made through step 5, then refrigerated in a covered container or zip-top bag for up to 2 days. Let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling. Cooked tortillas can be made a day ahead and reheated."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: cool completely, then keep in a sealed bag for up to 2 days. Fridge: up to 5 days in a sealed bag. Freezer: stack with parchment between each, wrap airtight, and freeze up to 3 months. Reheat in a dry skillet over medium heat for 15 to 20 seconds per side, or wrap a stack in a damp paper towel and microwave 20 to 30 seconds."

Substitutions

lard → vegetable shortening (same weight). Gives a very similar tender texture and keeps the recipe vegetarian-friendly.
lard → neutral oil, such as canola (60 ml / 1/4 cup). Tortillas will be a little chewier and less flaky, but still soft.
all-purpose flour → half whole wheat flour. Replace up to 250 g of the flour; add 1 to 2 tbsp extra water as whole wheat absorbs more.
warm water → warm whole milk. Makes slightly richer, softer tortillas that brown a little faster.