I'm trying to make tortillas...

[Summers]

... for the first time and they came out kind of hard. (Plus I think they need more salt). I used the recipe on the back of the White Wings back. What did I do wrong?

[rl64tx]

go to a tex mex restaurant and buy them fresh...much easier

[IceColdBrewski]

Sorry, can't help ya. I go to HEB for mine.

[AlamoSpursFan]

I'm addicted to those tortillas they make in store. I can't walk by that little rack and NOT pick up a package or two. Even if I'm just going in for beer, I come out with beer and tortillas. They should be outlawed.

[Taco]

Man Mama Taco could make some gooooooood Homemade Tortillas!!!!

I miss Mama Taco

[Big P]

My buela makes them from scratch, but my mom uses this recipe so she can have an idea about the amounts of each ingredient. Hope it works for you. Remember after you make the masa, let it set up a bit, usually takes 10-15 minutes and it shoul be somewhat soft, and the water amount says 1/3, but it takes about 2/3 to 1 cup.

Making tortillas from scratch can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a little frustrating. My eleven-year-old son, Jordan, rolls his tortillas out into perfect circles, but mine end up looking like the state of Texas! Don’t give up if they don’t come out right on the first try. Once you get the hang of them, everyone will be asking for more. These will keep, well wrapped, for up to 1 week in the refrigerator and up to 2 months in the freezer.

Makes sixteen 6-inch tortillas

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup vegetable shortening

1/3 cup hot water, or as necessary

Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the shortening and hot water, mixing until a soft dough forms.

Divide the dough into 16 pieces and shape each into a ball (these are called testales). On a floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll out each ball to a 6-inch circle.

Heat a griddle until hot. Place a tortilla on the griddle and cook until the bottom is lightly browned in spots, 1 to 2 minutes; the tortilla will puff up. Turn and cook until lightly browned in spots on the second side. Place in a towel-lined basket and cover with the towel to keep warm while you cook the remaining tortillas.

Serve immediately.

Variation:
For extra flavor and crunch, add 1 cup finely chopped pecans to the dough, mixing thoroughly.

[tsb2000]

Don't use shortening. Use lard- it makes way better tortillas.

[Trainwreck2100]

It's not that you did anything wrong, it's just cause usted es gringo

[Fillmoe]

i dont even think mexican ppl make tortillas anymore.....

[MannyIsGod]

i dont even think mexican ppl make tortillas anymore.....

Yeah we do. The store bought ones taste like ass.

[Melmart1]

i dont even think mexican ppl make tortillas anymore.....

Almost every Mexican I know still makes tortillas, including my sister and me. Mine never come out round though, they are always some weird shape that resembles round.

[Dr. Acula]

Almost every Mexican I know still makes tortillas, including my sister and me. Mine never come out round though, they are always some weird shape that resembles round.

except your not mexican you're irish!!!

[LuvBones]

Almost every Mexican I know still makes tortillas, including my sister and me. Mine never come out round though, they are always some weird shape that resembles round.

me too! Well when I used to make tortillas they would come out in more of a square shape or round with a triangle shape on top.

[E20]

Manny is Mexican?

[tsb2000]

i dont even think mexican ppl make tortillas anymore.....

My wife and her mother (and her sisters) still do, even if it's not as often as they used to make them. Mostly during the holidays; they turn it into a big production.

[Shelly]

Has Jesus or the Virgin Mary appeared in any of these ho'made tortillas?

[ObiwanGinobili]

Don't use shortening. Use lard- it makes way better tortillas.

yes.

and mix the dough by hand - but do not over mix. over mixing makes tough chewy tortillas.

[ObiwanGinobili]

Almost every Mexican I know still makes tortillas, including my sister and me. Mine never come out round though, they are always some weird shape that resembles round.

I stopped even sttempting round... besides oblong tortillas make better taco meat holders.

[AnkleBreaker21]

i dont even think mexican ppl make tortillas anymore.....

just gotta be in a mexican family, we eat fresh tortillas whenever. store ones suck balls, you can get good ones at some bakerys, i forgot which ones.

[Summers]

Thanks for the advice everyone! Bip P, I think you're right about the water. I thought the dough seemed very tough and dry but since I've never made them I just thought I'd better follow the recipe. It also said to knead for 5 minutes, but it makes more sense to handle the dough very little like Obi said if you want a layered light bread. I'll just mess around with it until I get something edible, I guess.

[Big P]

No problem Summers...and I just saw the paragraph under what I wrote, that came with the recipe when I copied & pasted it...lol...I don't have an eleven year old son, I'm not even married..anyways keep trying & eventually you will get them the way you want them.

[dallaskd]

Mexicans didnt even invent tortillas

[NorCal510]

i dont even think mexican ppl make tortillas anymore.....

they're in SA, they put mayo in their salads n ...

[MannyIsGod]

I don't know where you got that mayo from, but I promise you people in California eat far more weird than people here.

[NorCal510]

I don't know where you got that mayo from, but I promise you people in California eat far more weird than people here.

i doubt that

that's why the obesity polls say texas is FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT while california is just overweight