Tortillas Made with Freshly Milled Flour
These tortillas made with freshly milled flour are soft, flexible, and made with 100% hard white wheat. Two resting periods give the fresh flour time to hydrate and the dough time to relax, making the tortillas easier to press, roll, and cook.
Servings: 18 6" tortillas
Equipment
- Kitchen towel or tortilla warmer
- 10-inch cast-iron griddle or skillet
- 8-inch cast-iron tortilla press or rolling pin
Ingredients
Freshly Milled Flour
- Hard white wheat berries, finely milled 680 grams
Dough
- Kosher salt 10 grams
- Lard or vegetable shortening 180 grams
- Warm water 390 grams
Instructions
- Mill the flour – Mill 680 grams of hard white wheat berries on the finest setting. I use the freshly milled flour whole and unsifted. If you prefer to sift out some of the bran, mill about 30–40% more wheat berries, then weigh 680 grams of flour after sifting.
- Mix the dough – Add the freshly milled flour and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the lard or shortening and mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in 390 grams of warm water and mix until no dry flour remains.
- Rest the dough – Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 20 minutes. This gives the freshly milled flour time to absorb the water before kneading.
- Knead – Knead in the stand mixer for 5–7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. It should feel similar to soft modeling clay, not sticky or stiff. If it feels dry, add warm water 1 tablespoon at a time, kneading briefly between additions.
- Divide and rest – Divide the dough into 18 equal pieces and shape them into smooth balls. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel so they don't dry out. Let the dough balls rest for 45–60 minutes.
- Press the tortillas – Place one dough ball between two pieces of parchment paper and flatten it with a tortilla press. Leave the parchment attached and use a rolling pin to gently roll the tortilla a little thinner, to about 6–7 inches across.
- Remove the parchment – Peel away the bottom piece of parchment first, then flip the tortilla onto the hot griddle with the remaining parchment still on top. Gently peel away the top piece once the tortilla is on the griddle. I've found this helps the tortilla hold its shape instead of shrinking before it reaches the hot pan to cook.
- Cook – Cook on a dry cast-iron griddle or skillet over medium heat for about 30–40 seconds, until bubbles begin to form and light brown spots appear. Flip and cook for another 30–40 seconds, until lightly browned and puffed in places. Don't overcook or the tortillas can become crisp.
- Keep the cooked tortillas covered – Transfer each tortilla directly from the hot griddle to a tortilla warmer or clean kitchen towel. Keeping the stack covered traps a little steam and helps the tortillas stay soft and pliable.
Notes
Check the dough by feel – The dough should be smooth, elastic, and soft like modeling clay after kneading. If it feels dry, add warm water 1 tablespoon at a time and knead briefly before adding more.
Keep the dough covered – Don't leave the divided dough balls exposed during their 45–60 minute rest. Cover them with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel to prevent the surface from drying out and causing cracks when you press and roll them.
Press, then roll – I get the best results by flattening each dough ball between parchment with a tortilla press, then using a rolling pin to finish thinning it to about 6–7 inches.
Keep them warm – Place each tortilla into a tortilla warmer or clean kitchen towel as soon as it comes off the griddle. Keeping the stack covered helps hold in steam and keeps the tortillas soft.