An easy recipe that will become a kitchen staple

These wheat tortillas are perfect if you need to whip something up quick for lunch or dinner. And they are delicious filled with sauces, salads, spreads, and really any kind of filling. You can make them from scratch in just 15 minutes, and they are so easy that you will wonder why you ever even bought them.

I love making tortillas since they are so quick and easy to make. All I need to make them is a good hot cast iron frying pan. Although I have seen people make them in those regular non-stick pans. There is something so satisfying about seeing your tortilla puff up in your pan. That is when you know you have the golden amount of heat in that pan to create the perfect tortilla.

If you don’t heat your pan up hot enough, your tortilla won’t puff up, and you will likely end up with a tough and inflexible tortilla. It will still taste alright though, and there is no reason you wouldn’t be able to use them for something like a tortilla lasagna. But they won’t have that same flexibility and that scrumptious springiness when you bite into them. But don’t let the fear of failure stop you from trying to make your own tortillas. Because even if they don’t come out perfect, they will still be tasty, and you will still be able to feel proud of yourself for making them. And is eating some tortilla lasagna really that bad of a punishment? I think not, I think it is quite a good prize in fact.

Wheat tortilla vs corn tortilla

Traditionally, the people of Latin America made corn tortillas, which they made from maize that had been cooked in limewater. This made it more nutritious and made it possible to form a dough from the maize. They are very healthy and delicious, and many people still make them by hand to this day. 

But with the arrival of the Spanish into Latin America, so too arrived the wheat tortilla. Although the flavour might not be the same as the corn tortilla, it is also a delicious tortilla. And for most of us far easier to make since wheat flour is so much easier to come by than masa harina. Which is lime-cooked maize which is then dried and turned into flour.

How to make the tortillas

These easy and quick flour tortillas are delicious and a perfect accompaniment to countless meals. Fill them with sweet or savoury fillings and discover and experiment with new flavour combinations.

Makes: 10 tortillas
Prep: 5 min
Bake: 10 min

Ingredients for the wheat tortillas:

• 260 gr plain flour
• 180 ml water
• 60 ml olive oil
• Pinch of salt

Preparation for the wheat tortillas:

Add the flour, salt, water, and oil into a bowl, and with the back of a spoon stir it until it forms a ball. You will see it pull away from the sides.

Tip it out of the bowl onto a clean counter and give a light and quick knead. To ensure everything is properly incorporated into the dough.

Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces of 50 grams.

Shape the lumps of dough into balls by continuously pulling the edge and folding it over the top. Turn the ball clockwise while you continue pulling and folding over the edges, to create a shapely ball.

Set the balls of dough to the side on a floured countertop.

Heat up your cast iron frying pan on the stove, you want your pan good and hot, so I put my heat to about 3/4 of the way up. Don’t add any fat or oil since you need to cook your tortillas in a dry pan.

While the pan is heating up, roll out your first tortilla ball so that it is about 16 to 18 cm in diameter.

While holding the tortilla on the palm of your hand, flip it onto the frying pan.

Once the tortilla looks semi-cooked and starts puffing up a bit, you will want to flip it over with a thin and long spatula.

You can also use a regular spatula, but I find a thin one works best. And if you have heat-proof fingers, you can even try to flip the tortilla with your fingers.

Leave it to cook for another half a minute or so. Now you should start seeing your tortilla really puff up a lot. That is if you’ve heated up your pan to a good hot temperature.

If it doesn’t puff up and stays pale, you can be pretty certain that the heat was too low.

If it turns brown and maybe even black before it is thoroughly cooked, it won’t get a chance to puff up, and your heat was set too high.

Every stove is different and so is every pan, I use two pans for my tortillas most days, and they both have to go on a different heat setting. But I find that most people will crack it after 2 or 3 tortillas.

Keep your tortillas soft and warm by placing them inside a folded clean tea towel. You can also freeze them in an airtight bag in the freezer for a month or so and thaw them in the fridge when you need them. Although, I tend to just make fresh ones when I need them since they are so quick and easy to make.

How to fill your wheat tortillas

Now that you’ve mastered making your very own homemade wheat tortillas. Why not use them to make some delicious enchiladas or maybe some scrumptious quesadillas for dinner. Or maybe, you want to eat some for lunch and would like the fill them with a nice chicken salad with some home-grown lettuce leaves. You might want to make some breakfast burritos for a good hearty breakfast. Or enjoy some tacos and let the family choose their own fillings.

If you want to try out some more of my recipes, then pop over to my food from scratch page.

Let me know in the comments how you enjoyed your tortillas or send me a dm on Instagram.

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