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A stack of freshly made flatbreads on a white plate. The flatbreads have golden brown spots and are placed on a wooden table under sunlight.
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4.34 from 6 votes

Easy Homemade Flour Tortillas

With a stash of these homemade tortillas in your fridge or freezer, weeknight dinners get instantly leveled up 🙌.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Resting Time15 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Tutorials and Hacks
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Keyword: baking recipe, easy flour tortillas, flour tortilla, homemade flour tortilla
Servings: 8 tortillas
Author: The Modern Nonna

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cups bread flour plus more for dusting
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ cup hot water
  • 2 ½ tablespoons melted butter lard or oil will work
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Add the bread flour, salt, and baking powder to a bowl.
    A person is pouring a bowl of white powdery ingredient, likely flour or sugar, into a larger glass bowl. The background shows a blurred window with light filtering through, and some green leaves are visible.
  • Next, carefully add the hot water to a large measuring cup and add the butter. Let the butter sit in the water as you stir a few times, until it melts.
    A glass measuring cup contains melted butter on a wooden surface. The butter is partially melted, with some solid pieces visible. Sunlight creates highlights on the cup and the wood.
  • Once the butter is melted and the water is warm to the touch, add it to the dry ingredients.
    A hand pours yellow liquid from a measuring cup into a glass bowl containing white flour. The background features soft, warm bokeh and a green plant. The scene is well-lit, creating a cozy, inviting atmosphere.
  • Mix the wet and dry ingredients with a fork until combined and then switch to your hands. Knead for a few minutes. The dough should be nice and soft.
    A glass bowl containing a mixture of flour and melted butter with a spoon partially submerged in the ingredients. The mixture is partially combined, showing patches of dry flour and wet butter. Sunlight casts a gentle shadow on the bowl.
  • Note: If the dough is too sticky after a few minutes of kneading, add a small dusting of flour until a smooth ball forms.
    A hand kneading dough on a wooden surface, with sunlight casting shadows through a grid-patterned window. A plant with green leaves is partially visible in the top right corner.
  • Cover the dough in plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.
    A hand holding a round ball of dough wrapped in plastic wrap, with sunlight casting shadows on a wooden surface in the background.
  • After the dough has rested, divide it into 8 equal portions (or more or less portions depending on how big or small you like your tortillas). Roll each portion into a ball. From here, I like to use a tortilla press for a smaller, thicker tortilla or roll it out with a rolling pin for a thinner, larger tortilla.
    Hands hold a knife cutting dough into sections on a wooden surface with sunlight streaming through a window.
  • If using a tortilla press, place a dough ball in between two pieces of wax paper. Close the top and gently press down with the lever to form a perfect tortilla.
    A hand holding a small, round ball of dough against a wooden table with a window in the background. The scene is bright with natural sunlight streaming through, casting shadows on the table.
  • Note: For thinner, larger tortillas, simply add a tiny dusting of flour onto each ball of dough and roll them out nice and thin with a rolling pin.
    A wooden rolling pin rolling out dough on a wooden surface. Sunlight and shadows from a window frame create a pattern on the scene.
  • Once the tortillas have been rolled out, heat up a pan on the stove over medium heat and cook on each side for a few minutes, or until golden bubbles form.
    A single piece of flatbread, lightly toasted with brown spots, cooking in a metal frying pan.
  • To store: Stack the tortillas, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap or a reusable bag, and then store them in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, or freeze them for longer storage.
    A close-up of a plate stacked with several round, golden-brown flatbreads on a wooden surface. The flatbreads have a slightly charred appearance, indicating they were cooked on a hot surface. Sunlight casts shadows across the scene.
  • To reheat: To reheat homemade flour tortillas and keep them soft, you can wrap them in a damp paper towel or dish towel, then heat them in the oven, microwave, or on a stovetop skillet. The skillet is my favorite way.

Video

Notes

  • A Note on Size: You can make these tortillas any size you want. The tortilla press I shared can make 8 inch tortillas or smaller. If you want larger tortillas, for a burrito, you can always use a rolling pin instead of a press. You'll want to aim for about 10 inches. For street taco-style tortillas, opt for about 4 inches. 
  • A Note on Thickness: The level of thickness is totally up to you and your preference. It's always a good idea to make, cook, and taste one tortilla before continuing with the rest of the dough. Thicker tortillas can be chewier but they won't rip as easily when stuffed with fillings. 
  • Gluten-Free: You can easily make these gluten-free by using a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour blend. 
  • Vegan: Make these vegan by using a neutral oil, such as avocado oil. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1 tortilla | Calories: 102kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 228mg | Potassium: 21mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 110IU | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 0.2mg
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