Tortillas were one of the first things I ever tried making completely from scratch.
I made my first attempt back when I was still working as a Vet Tech and buying Ramen noodles, margarine, and boxed cereal on a regular basis…
In fact, I probably made that first batch with a generous slug of canola oil…. Oh how times have changed…
I’ve come a long way since then, and so have my tortillas.
After I had that initial blissful moment of “look what I made!”, I ended up experimenting with about a million different tortilla recipes before I found one I was finally happy with.
We had gummy tortillas, burnt tortillas, cardboard tortillas, crumbly tortillas, soaked tortillas, rubbery tortillas, and tiny tortillas… Betcha didn’t know it was possible to mess up one item so many ways, huh?
I finally found a whole wheat sourdough tortilla method that I loved. However, there was a problem– I didn’t always have a sourdough starter going (I don’t right now, actually), so we needed an alternative.
Enter this recipe. I’ve made it many, many times and I think it’s pretty much perfect (after some tweaking, of course…)
Homemade Flour Tortillas
- 2 cups flour (use what you have: unbleached white, whole wheat, or a combo of the two. See kitchen notes at bottom.)
- 1 t. sea salt
- 2 T. coconut oil (I prefer the expeller-pressed variety for this recipe, since it doesn’t have coconut flavor) OR lard
- 3/4 cup warm milk (or whey or even water)
Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl.
Cut the solid (NOT melted) coconut oil or lard into the flour- much like if you were making a pastry or pie crust. I usually start with a fork and end up using my hands to mash all the little coconut oil balls into the flour. It’s going to be lumpy, and that’s OK. Just try to keep the lumps small.
Slowly add the milk until the mixture begins to form a ball. Knead for 2 minutes, and then cover the dough and allow it to rest for 20 minutes. One of the reasons I love this recipe is that it always seems to be the perfect ration of flour to liquid. I rarely, if ever, have to add extra flour or water to make a knead-able, dough consistency. But, be ready to adjust as needed, as climate and flour variety can play a part in this.
Divide it into 8 balls. Roll each ball as thin as you can in a circular-ish shape. (Even if you like thick tortillas, they will end up puffing when you cook them.)
Cook the tortillas in a pre-heated, medium-hot skillet for about 30 seconds on each side. You are looking for some golden brown spots to show you it’s ready to flip. My oven has a fifth burner in the center that converts into a cast-iron griddle, so I usually use that to make tortillas. However, I also love using my cast-iron skillets for making tortillas.
Store in the fridge. They are best if used immediately. However, you can re-heat them for a few seconds in your skillet if you plan on using them the next day.
Serve with a scoop of homemade refried beans, or turn them into tacos or burritos. You also might catch me smearing a warm tortilla with butter and homemade jam sometimes…
Kitchen Notes:
- Use whatever flour you like for these. I usually splurge and use unbleached white for this recipe. The more whole wheat you use, the more you will struggle with them turning cardboard-y the next day… Yes, you can reheat them and that helps, but hubby still doesn’t like taking the cardboard ones in his lunches…
- I have a tortilla press. But, I still prefer my rolling pin. It’s hard to get a large tortilla from a press, plus I’m faster with my pin.
- When I’m in a hurry, I often skip the 20 minute resting period. Actually, I almost always skip the 20 minute resting period…
- You’ll want to make a double or triple batch of these… At least that’s what I always do. They will freeze- just reheat them in your skillet to soften them before serving.
- I have found that I don’t need to oil my skillets when cooking these. They do just fine in a dry pan.
- The secret to making large, thin tortillas? THE OIL. It took me a loooong time to figure out why my tortillas would never roll out… I’d be standing there rolling with all my might, but the dough was like a rubber band… It would always shrink back as soon as I lifted it off of the counter… I realized that it was from the liquid olive oil I was using. Tortillas are traditionally made with lard. In our modern times, many folks use shortening instead (a big no-no…) I knew I needed to use a solid fat for my dough, but
don’t have access to lard at the moment(We finally butchered our hogs! Here is my DIY lard rendering tutorial), and I won’t touch shortening. So, I turned to coconut oil. Bingo! As long as I use my solid coconut oil for this recipe now, I have no problem rolling out big ol’ tortillas. - To store my tortillas, I like to line a large Ziploc baggie with paper towels. This seems to help keep them from drying out so fast. (I learned this tip from Wardeh in the GNOWFGLINS eCourse!)
Have any tortilla tips to share?
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About Jill Winger
I just tried a new thin crust pizza dough last night and had a little trouble rolling it out. But after adding a dash more liquid it was fine. I’ll have to try these tortillas! Thanks for the tip on the oil.
I have some nice white lard in the fridge that I’d like to try. Have you used lard in this recipe, and if so are the ratios the same? Thanks! Sheri
I’ve not yet tried lard, but the ratios should be exactly the same. Let me know how they work for you!
heehee your range looks a lot like mine. Just cleaner.
Thanks for this recipe and directions. I finally have the homemade refried beans down, as my son is now living with us. He eats beans and rice like most folks eat candy. Not that the beans and rice are expensive, but knowing what is in them sure makes me feel better.
Great site.
blessings, jill
PS. I see you are a rattlesnake killer…do you eat them? My husband does, totally gross in my city girl opinion;-)
No, I haven’t tried eating them yet– although a lot of people do and say they are yummy, lol!
Enjoy the tortillas!
Thanks so much for sharing! I have seen lots of tortilla recipes which required sourdough starter, but like you I rarely (if ever) have this on hand! I am a little senorita at heart, and I love my Mexican cuisine! I believe I will be trying this recipe soon! Thanks Again!
AFG,
Megan Jenelle @ A Blossoming Homestead
1 Cor 10:31
I just made some homemade tortillas last night and they were amazing! I have been using my recipe for years and it is similar to yours, but I use butter (2c flour, 1/4c butter, 3/4 salt, and 1/2c + 2Tbsp cold water). I don’t have an issue with shrinkage either with my recipe and I can roll them out pretty paper thin. Once cooked, they are highly soft, flexible, and addicting! Nothing beats homemade tortillas!
Thank you! I recently moved to South Texas and tortillas are a staple here. I’ve been intimidated by the rolling/pressing process, but will try your recipe and see what happens.
Hope you like it Melissa! The rolling isn’t hard at all- mine are always a little lopsided, but they still taste great.
Oh thank you, Jill! We’ve just started our homesteading adventure (I’m currently reading and working through your book), and tortillas are a thing we eat a lot of – and I do mean a LOT of them, both wheat and white. I’ve yet to come across a good recipe. Your’s seems like it might actually work!
I have seriously considered buying a tortilla press….but so far, I have not shelled out the money for a good one.
I was all excited to get mine (it’s 100% cast iron- super heavy), but have been unimpressed with it… I takes just as much work to press them as it does to roll, in my opinion. And the tortillas are pretty small (hubby likes the BIG ones!). So, unless you could find a super nice one with better features, I’d save my money!
I’ve seen on that is electric that gets good reviews…and that’s the one I’m considering. But I’m still considering. At this point in life, nails and paint are much more important.
That one might be worth a try! If you end up getting it, I’d be very interested in how it works. And I totally understand- I usually ask for fence posts and wire for my birthdays….
I love my tortilla press, as I am not a good one for rolling anything! The tortilla’s cook so nicely and quickly. Only drawback is that you can only do one at a time unless you also have a griddle which I also use. This recipe sounds awesome!
Great recipe! We eat ALOT of tortillas in our house and while the whole wheat organic ones I can find at my local natural grocer’s are tasty (and locally made), I’ve been toying with the idea of trying them at home. Thanks for doing all the hard work to perfect the recipe (and sharing, of course!)
I live in New Mexico so toritllas are all over here!!! But, I do have to say that homemade ones are the best!!! We do have a bakery here that makes them fresh every morning!! For me a great snack is cheese melted onto a tortilla!!
I have tried making tortillas many times and they always turn out hard. These look wonderful. I will have to save the recipe and try them the next time I make beans.
Kimberly
totally trying. thanks.
Can you use warm almond milk instead of cows milk?? We’re Vegan and lactose intolerant
I’m betting that’d work just fine Amanda!
I’m vegan as well and made this with just warm water. Although I dont know if its because I had the heat up too high, I rolled them too thin or cooked them too long but I was able to snap it in half :/
It sounds like you might have cooked them a bit too long Ashley. Using water instead of milk seems to make them a tad less soft, but not to the point where they break. Hope they work better next time around!
MILK Shouldnt be part of the recipe this receip is wrong.
this recipe is not authentic Mexican recipe..email me if you want it?
Okay thanks!!
I appreciate it!
I love how simple (since you’ve already ironed out the wrinkles with the difficult parts) the recipe looks – only 4 ingredients!! I’ll definitely be trying this. Thanks.
We love our homemade tortillas…there’s really nothing like them
Thanks for sharing your tips!
Love this recipe but curious about using my coconut oil. It seems to alternate between liquid and solid on a regular basis. I was told not to store in the fridge but since we have VERY hot summers, I probably won’t have solid room temp coconut oil until the fall.
Thanks! Love the blog!
Good point, Yekcal. Our summers aren’t quite that hot, but mine does turn liquid sometimes, too. You can use the liquid oil for sure- it just seems to make the torts harder to roll out.
I tried these tonight and they were AMAZING! This is the first time I’ve had success making homemade tortillas. Since we have tacos at least once a week around here, I will be making many more in the near future! Thanks for the great recipe!
(I found you through frugally sustainable!) I’m glad you posted there.
Wahoo!! So happy that they turned out for you- it’s truly my favorite tortilla recipe.
As much as we eat tortillas in this family, I should give this one a try! I’m sure they are tons better than the store bought variety!
Is it supposed to be 2 teaspoons or 2 tablespoons of coconut oil? It seems like a very small amount of oil for 2 cups of flour.
Thanks!
I am going to try making these with the palm oil shortening I just got from Tropical Traditions. I made peach cobbler using it the other night and it was awesome.
I think the palm oil shortening should work great for these!
Thank you for sharing your recipe & tips. I’ve wanted to make tortillas but wasn’t sure they would work well without a press. I hadn’t seen anyone on food network roll them..I will make these, though. I’m not fussy about having them perfectly round. My granddaughter often wants tacos for her birthday supper, so I’ll make these next time.
Yes- I definitely prefer my rolling pin over the press. And it helps not to be picky about them being perfectly round.
Mine are usually lopsided, but they still taste just as good. 
I’ve been struggling with figuring out a tortilla recipe that works well. I use lard and water, but I think milk might be just the trick. Thanks for the recipe!
Yes- I think the milk really helps. You’ll have to let me know how it goes if you try it!
We have stopped eating tortillas here, only because the gluten free, rice ones we found in the store were hard and crumbled easily. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’m going to give it a try with my gluten-free flour blend and see how they turn out. I know that my children would love to have breakfast wrapped in these and it would be a welcome surprise for everyone in the family!
Did you try with GF flours? What kinds and how were they?
I wonder if you could make them using Kefir Milk? I’m always searching for different ways to use it.
Lard and hot water work great in making the tortillas. My husband also made me a tortilla roller out of a 1″ dowel. I use the press to flatten the ball of dough and start the shape in the right direction and then roll it out with the pin. this allows me to get it much thinner than with a regular rolling pin.
I am curious about the comment above asking if it is truly 2 t (teaspoons) or if it is supposed to be 2 tablespoons? All the other recipes I have seen use a much larger ratio of coconut oil. I just made this with a random spoonful of oil since all the recipes called for different amounts and they were good. Pretty think since I have no roller and had to use my hands, but the taste was right! I used unsweetened almond milk for anyone wondering. Can’t wait to try the same recipe with whole wheat flour and a rolling pin!
Whoops! Yes, it is supposed to be 2 tablespoons. Going to change that right now. However, I usually just eyeball it and they always turn out ok. So, exact isn’t real important in this recipe.
If you don’t have a rolling pin, or just don’t feel like taking it out, use a big glass tumbler. My Mom used to do that when making something quick.
I have been making them for years ! (Parents are from NM) My recipe uses water and not milk. As for the tortilla press, those are typically used for corn tortillas and not flour. I have 3 “special” towels that are only used to hold/store my tortillas in. And yes you can use lard, although by this recipe I would definitely add more to it. I typically make about 10-12 by using 4 cups of flour.
Sopapillas anyone? Roll your tortillas out and I use a pizza cutter to make pie shapes. Throw them into some hot oil and watch them puff up. Brown on both sides then drizzle with honey to eat. Can you say Yum???? Enjoy !!
I’d like to know more about how you use your special towels to store them. I currently put them in a paper-towel lined Ziploc baggie, but would like to figure out a method that isn’t so “disposable”!
Thank You so much for this recipe. I just have to try it.
Can the dough be made in advance and kept in the fridge? I’d like to use whole wheat but we won’t eat them all in one day. Thanks
I just came across your blog and browsing through posts found this one. I love homemade tortillas, but have had trouble finding time to make them lately… this makes me want to get back to it! And I have to say that lard makes a truly fantastic tortilla!
I’m wondering why you say that the liquid oil is what makes the dough resist rolling… My understanding is that the gluten causes that, and that’s the reason for the rest period– to allow the gluten to relax, just like when shaping loaves or rolls or any other bread. I usually pull off balls of dough and let them rest a few minutes while I roll others. By the time I get to them, they’re relaxed enough to roll.
For as long as I’ve tried to make this recipe with olive oil, it was incredibly difficult to roll out. It didn’t matter how long I let the dough relax, my results were always the same. However, as soon as I switched to using a solid oil (coconut oil, but lard would be awesome too) and “cut” it into the flour (think more like a pastry dough), the tortillas roll out nice and big with no problem.
Thanks! I had a different recipe, but I like the way this comes together better. I also rolled some of the dough thicker for a pita-like flatbread. Some even puffed correctly without doing anything else! Going to try leaving the dough to actually rest next time to develop more flavor.
How would it work with hand milled flour? I cant wait to try these
Should work fine– I use my freshly ground whole wheat flour all the time. Using whole wheat makes for a slightly less soft tortilla, but still good.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! The dough was so easy to work with and rolled out nice and thin.
We had these for dinner tonight with red beans and raw cabbage filling. My husband and son went ballistic and gobbled down all but one of the tortillas (mine). We’ll definitely be having these again, but a double batch, for sure.
~Anne
Wahoo! I love comments like these Anne.
Sounds like my hubby– he gets so possesive over food, ha! 
Why kill rattlesnacks? They are important to the eco system. When I worked in the Claifronia Mtns. The site staff were trained in removing them.
Kim, As a Jill’s fellow prairie dweller, let me address your question about why we would kill a rattlesnack. SE Wyoming is nowhere near Claifronia. (I’m assuming you mean rattlesnakes and California and that you have a wayward autocorrect function on your phone.) We modern homesteaders don’t have site staff trained to remove “rattlesnacks” from our property. The rattlesnakes here on our prairies are sometimes aggressive depending upon the time of the year, especially when molting, and may without provocation, strike at a kid, a dog, or a shovel. Personally, I shoot them rather than make snacks from them, although they might be pretty tasty with Jill’s above posted tortilla recipe. As far as the ecological benefits, I agree.. they can be beneficial somewhere far away from my house, my dogs, my livestock and my kids. And let me be clear.. we don’t hunt them just to hunt them. I will not kill a bull-snake, which has many of the same ecological benefits as their poisonous brethren, such as rodent control etc… I went to great lengths to catch and re-locate a bull-snake last summer (the bastard bit me for my trouble) since they are not poisonous and didn’t pose a threat to my chickens, except stealing eggs. However, rattlesnakes are another matter entirely. Another point: Most of us live a fair distance from the nearest clinic or hospital. If our kids get bit… it might be an hour to the nearest 24 hr care facility. That isn’t something I’m going to risk. I hope this provides you and any other potential rattlesnack-loving commenters, with some insight about why we might do things a certain way out here in the middle of prairie no-where. (Oh.. and lest you think I’m an ignorant, truck-driving, tobacco-chewing, country music lovin’, redneck, let me clarify any potential stereo-types: I’m probably the most liberal, classical-music listening, crunchy granola lovin’, environmentally conscious, college educated, Birkenstock-wearing, tree-hugger within three counties. I just don’t like rattlesnakes!)
I totally agree. “Rattlesnacks” aren’t worth dead livestock or severely sick and injured children. And I am a member of PETA.
So glad I found this recipe on your site! I got some corn flour from the 99 cent store, (along with 2 packages of tortillas, a staple around here lately..) and I think I am going to try rolling out my own thanks to your recipe and tips! My daughter is hooked on my simple egg burritos for breakfast- scrambled eggs,grated cheese, green salsa wrapped in a flour tortilla.Easy peasy and yummy. =) Thanks again!
Thank you!!! I have just made these and used butter. They tasted so good! I cannot believe that I have never tried to make these. For some reason, I thought they would be difficult. Not at all! Your instructions were great. For those in Australia, the flour is plain flour.
Yay! So glad you enjoyed them.
Thank you for another great recipe. This is going to save my family tons of money!
Your recipe for tortillas was inspirational. I changed the flour to one part bread flour and one part almond flour, however, but used the coconut butter and water as your recipe suggested. The tortillas were fantastic, easy to roll out, and incredible to eat. I served them rolled up with fried rice and as a dessert, they were mouthwatering with a bit of olive oil margarine and cinnamon-sugar sprinkled on top.Thanks so much.
Sounds DELISH! So happy you are enjoying the recipe.
You mentioned using paper towels to keep them from drying out. Do you dampen the paper towels? Also, I don’t have a griddle or cast iron. Can I ‘dry-fry’ them in a regular (non-teflon) skillet? Thanks for this recipe. I’ve been wanting to try, and was intimidated until I read this post.
No, I don’t dampen the towels– but they do become damp from the steam that comes from the hot tortillas. And yes, a regular skillet should work just fine. Best of luck!
These look good and sound easy. What I’d like to know though is what brand of stove do you have with a cast iron griddle in the middle? I have a smooth top electric but my next stove will be gas and I would love to have a griddle if that size stove would fit. Thanks.
It’s a Fridgidaire– it also came with a grate that you can use in place of the griddle if you wish. I love it! I had a smooth-top for a while, but got this one last year.
Oh my goodness. I am pinning this and making them… maybe tonight! Thank you for showing me how!
Hey Jill,
Can you cook these on an electric griddle???? Does the press make them faster???
You should be able to cook them on a griddle just fine. Honestly– I’ve found that a rolling pin is just about the same as a press.
hi! If we are using whey do we have to substitute the entire liquid with whey or can we add 50% whey and the rest 50% with water?
Any ratio would work– so 50/50 would be fine.
HELP!!!!! I keep rolling them out and they keep sticking to my table!!!! I rolled one out then i had to scoop it up and do it again, then again, and again!!!!!!! I tried adding more flour and helped a tiny bit but I don’t know what to do!!! It just keeps on sticking!!! Are you online right now? ‘Cause I kind’a need help fast!!
Hi Katie,
I would keep adding flour as you roll until they don’t stick anymore. I usually don’t have to do that, but everyone’s climate/flour is different. Another option would be to use a bit of olive oil rubbed onto your pin and counter top. hope that helps!
Thank you a lot. Unfortunately, the boys got too hungry before I read your reply and I had to compromise. So I made them really small, and added a lot more oil to the pan and presto! Super yummy tortilla chips!! They ar-….uh….were really good!!! We um *ahem* already ate them. But I did make a half-recipe……But hey! They liked ‘em a lot!
Thanks for the recipe, maybe next time i’ll make them right 
hehe– well, I’m glad you got creative and made them work anyway! Yes– I do believe they would make good chips too!
Just want to point out, no snake, in the ENTIRE world is poisonous. There are venomous snakes. And I have collected snakes from Maine to San Diego, and when I read this stuff I always chuckle at how ignorant or exaggerated a story can get about reptiles. Leave them alone, don’t act like thr dang thing came after you.. You walked up on it.
Please.
I use coffee filters in between my tortillas, they work great, A tip I got off the internet somewhere, just wanted to share this tip.
That is a good tip– never heard of that one before.
I did it according to your recipe and it is really gooey and sticky. Thus is the first time I have ever done anything like this so maybe that is how it should be????
No– shouldn’t be very gooey– Maybe try adding more flour next time until you get a nice, workable dough? Differences in flour/climate/elevation might make adjustments necessary.
My family and I are all allergic to coconut. What would you suggest I use instead?
HOLY WOW!!! Now I have to make a second batch for supper LOL (I ate too many of the first batch
Oh yes, I always, always make a double batch!
(like)
I made another 1.5 batch for supper
you ROCK!
I made these today and they were delicious. I used Coconut oil at first, but it was warm today so I grabbed my Coconut Butter which was more solid and used it. And then I also worried the warm milk would melt the coconut butter/oil that I had added. So I added cold milk. I used a food processor to blend. I also added 1 tsp of baking powder. I have seen that in other recipes and so I just added it before I realized it wasn’t in this one. These came out perfectly. When you roll them out, if you have a Silpat or silicone sheet they will not stick. I did use a bit of flour on the surface for my rolling pin. I had no problems with sticking. I bought an extra large silicone mat at Aldi once and I love it. I use it all the time on my counter top when working with doughs. It’s too big for my oven sheet pans. http://www.silpat.com/roulpat.html
Yay Angela! So glad you enjoyed them. And that’s cool about the coconut butter– I haven’t thought to try that.