These sourdough tortillas are unlike anything you have had before. They are soft, flavorful, and honestly, no other tortilla I have ever had can compare with these. The dough is incredibly fast to put together and has a long ferment option for those who are more sensitive to wheat. The best part is they can be made with active sourdough starter or discard and turn out great either way.
I grew up loving tortillas. We would turn them into wrap sandwiches, quesadillas, and sometimes even peanut butter and jelly roll ups. They are just so versatile. Once I was married and started making so much of our food from scratch, I knew I didn’t want to keep buying tortillas. I found a sourdough recipe online and liked it but have been slowly tinkering with it and converting it into a recipe all my own for so long now. These really are the best tortillas I have ever had and I’m sure when you try them, you will agree.
Sourdough
I keep my sourdough starter on the counter and feed him (yes him, his name is Terrance) every day or two. This means if I’m not making a loaf of bread every day, I end up with a lot of starter. I hate just throwing it away, so I am forever finding fun ways to transform my ‘discard’ into something delicious. This recipe is one I reach for all the time because we go through them so fast. I have also made it plenty of times with very active starter and noticed very little difference.
Creating foods with sourdough does more than just add to the flavor profile. The bacteria and natural yeast in the starter eat through some of the structures of the flour used in the recipe when doing the long ferment option. This makes it easier for our bodies to digest these tortillas.
If you are new to sourdough or just need some good go-to recipes, check out my e-book The Art of Sourdough. It has five recipes, instructions on how to start a sourdough starter and how to keep it alive. There are also tons of tricks, tips, and bits of advice tucked through it as well. It is just a great resource to have no matter where you are on your sourdough journey.
Some of my other favorite sourdough recipes are:
White chocolate raspberry scones
Tools
There are actually very few tools needed for this recipe. Most of these items are already in most kitchens.
Mixing bowl
Cast iron skillet or stainless steel frying pan. A non-stick pan can be used if it is what you have on hand, but I don’t recommend them. If you want to know why check out my post on plastics!
Let’s make homemade sourdough tortillas
Personally, we go through tortillas so quickly I always make a double batch. They can also freeze very well so a big batch does make it easier to have a stack in the freezer to pull out whenever you need a few.
Start by melting the butter and setting it aside.
Mix the sourdough, water, butter, oil, salt, and baking powder and stir until combined.
Add in the flour and mix until it comes together.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead for three minutes or until a smooth dough is formed.
Allow the dough to rest for thirty minutes to an hour. This step is optional but will allow the gluten to relax which makes it easier to roll them out. If wanting to long ferment the tortillas, wrap up the dough and transfer it into the fridge. if refrigerating, allow the dough to warm and soften at room temperature for thirty minutes to an hour before rolling.
Take the dough and divide it into 10-12 portions depending on how large you like your tortillas.
Flatten a ball of dough in your hand and pull the edges in toward the center to form a tight ball. Repeat all the dough has been rolled into balls.
Flour the counter and a rolling pin. The gluten in the tortillas makes them shrink a bit after being rolled out. I find it the easiest to roll out three or four tortillas at a time, then go back to the first one I rolled and roll it again before cooking it. It will produce a thinner and larger tortilla.
Cooking the tortillas
Allow a cast iron or stainless steel pan to get hot for at least five minutes over medium heat.
Place a thinly rolled tortilla onto the pan and cook for 30 seconds. There should be bubbles forming on the top. Flip and cook for another 30 seconds. There should be golden brown spots on each side.
If it burned your pan is too hot. If there are doughy spots give it a few more seconds. These do tend to dry out if slowly cooked so hot and fast is the way to go.
To keep them soft while cooling place them into a large pot with the lid on so any steam keeps them moist.
Once they are all cooked and cooled, transfer them into a Ziplock bag and store at room temperature for five days or in the freezer for six months.
If choosing to long ferment your dough, I do recommend using discard because I think the end product is better. When it is active the yeasted flavor is much stronger and the tortillas are a different texture.
Keys for success
Mixing-
A strong smooth dough makes a stronger and better textured bagel. Taking the time to kneed them allows the gluten to form which will let the dough get thin and not tear during cooking.
Resting-
Because there is gluten formed during the mixing process it is important to allow it to rest. The half hour or so of resting time lets the gluten strands relax so as each tortilla is rolled out the gluten isn’t fighting against the rolling pin.
Cooking-
These can dry out so making sure to cook them quickly will ensure they stay soft and pliable. If they do dry out, toss them in the oven on low for a few minutes to further dry them out and you will have the most delicious cracker like texture. They can also be added into an oven with a bunch of steam to help rehydrate them if they are only a little bit dried out.
If you make and like these tortillas, I would so appreciate you taking the time to come back and leave a comment or a five-star rating. Thank you!
Sourdough Tortillas
These sourdough tortillas really are the best you will ever have. They are filled with flavor and such a dreamy texture. They are so easy to throw together and can be a quick or long ferment recipe.
Ingredients
- 100g Sourdough (active or discard)
- 100g Filtered water
- 27g Butter
- 25g Oil
- 10g Sea salt
- 5g Baking powder
- 215g All purpose flour
Instructions
1. Combine the sourdough, water, butter, oil, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl until smooth and well combined.
2. Add the flour and mix until fully incorporated.
3. Turn out onto a floured counter and knead for 3-5 minutes until the is smooth and silky.
4. Return the dough to the bowl and cover with a towel and allow it to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. For long fermented tortillas place the covered bowl into the fridge overnight. (If long fermenting, allow the dough to warm on the counter for at least thirty minutes before continuing with step five.)
5. After letting the dough rest, turn it out onto a floured counter and divide the dough in half. Each half should be divided into 5-6 equal parts for a total of 10-12 portions. You can use a scale to get it exactly divided if you want. Simply weigh your dough and divide by the number of tortillas you want and that is how much each ball should weigh.
6. Take each portion and pull the edges together to make a tight ball. Repeat with each portion of dough until they are all rolled into balls.
7. Because of the gluten in the dough once they are rolled out, they will shrink resulting in a thicker tortilla. To avoid this roll three or four out until at least six inches across. Then go back to the first one you rolled out and roll it again. Allowing the dough to rest for a minute or two allows the gluten to relax so it can be rolled thinner and not shrink back.
8. Get a stainless steel or cast-iron pan hot for five minutes. Medium to medium high heat is ideal. Place the tortilla on the hot pan or skillet and cook for thirty seconds. There should be bubbles forming and small golden patches when it is flipped. Cook the other side for thirty seconds and remove from the pan.
9. To keep them from drying out place the warm tortillas in a pot with a lid and replace the lid each time a new tortilla is added. This warm steamy environment keeps the tortillas soft.
10. Once they are cooled transfer into a plastic bag and store at room temperature for up to five days. They can also be stored in freezer bags in the freezer for up to six months.
11. Enjoy!
Notes
Cooking them hot and fast will keep them soft, just be careful to not allow them to burn. If they do dry out a bit they honestly taste like the best crackers so enjoy them!
If choosing to long ferment the dough, I recommend using discard. Active starter will cause the dough to rise a bit in the fridge and the resulting texture is more bread like.
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