Making homemade tortillas takes a little bit more time than buying them in a plastic bag, but your efforts will be rewarded with delicious, nutritious tortillas that burst with lots of fresh flavor but no preservatives. Using whole wheat flour ups the nutrition ante, as well. Making them from scratch also allows you to use locally milled, organic wheat, if you are lucky enough to have a source for it. To search for organic mills where you live, visit Local Harvest.
Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, olive oil, butter or lard
1/2 to 1 cup warm water
Instructions:
1. Stir together the dry ingredients.
2. Add oil or lard and stir until well-combined.
3. Add water, a teaspoon at a time until the dough can be gathered up into a ball. Let the dough rest for about 15 to 20 minutes. (it is almost always a good idea to let whole-grain doughs rest for a while so that the grains will absorb some liquid and soften up.)
4. Knead the dough on a floured work surface for a few minutes, then let it rest for another 10 minutes or so.
5. Pinch or cut the dough into about 10 small chunks, and roll them into balls. Cover them with a towel, and allow them to rest for a few minutes more. Then roll each ball into a thin round on a floured work surface, adding more flour as needed. You can layer the rolled-out tortillas between wax paper while they wait to be cooked.
6. Heat an ungreased skillet to medium-high, and cook each tortilla for about 30 seconds on each side. The dough will puff a bit and form a few bubbles. You can keep the cooked tortillas warm in a low oven or wrapped up in a kitchen towel.
Makes about 10 whole wheat tortillas