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INGREDIENTS
- FOR THE TORTILLAS:
- 6 C. ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
- 2 TBS. BAKING POWDER
- 2 TSP. SALT
- 1 C. CANOLA OIL
- 1 1/2 TO 2 C. WARM (ALMOST HOT) WATER
- ALSO REQUIRED:
- LARGE GRIDDLE OR MULTIPLE LARGE SKILLETS
- 1-INCH DIAMETER WOODEN DOWEL OR ROLLING PIN
- LARGE CERAMIC DINNER PLATE (NOT PLASTIC OR MELAMINE)
- SEVERAL CLEAN KITCHEN TOWELS
INSTRUCTIONS
- WHISK THE FLOUR, BAKING POWDER, AND SALT TOGETHER IN A LARGE BOWL. MAKE A LARGE WELL IN THE CENTER. POUR THE CANOLA OIL INTO THE CENTER OF THE DRY INGREDIENTS. WORK THE OIL INTO THE FLOUR BY TOSSING THE FLOUR INTO THE OIL, SCOOPING UP CLUMPS OF FLOUR THROUGH THE OIL, RUBBING THE CLUMPS AND OIL TOGETHER BETWEEN YOUR FINGERS TO CREATE SMALLER CLUMPS. CONTINUE THE PROCESS UNTIL ALL OF THE OIL IS WORKED INTO THE FLOUR MIXTURE, WITH THE CLUMPS BEING THE SIZE OF SMALL PEBBLES OR SMALLER—THE MIXTURE SHOULD RESEMBLE COARSE CORNMEAL WITH A FEW LARGER CLUMPS. (THE PROCESS OF WORKING THE OIL INTO THE TORTILLA DOUGH IS SIMILAR TO THAT OF CUTTING BUTTER INTO FLOUR TO MAKE PIE DOUGH, AND SHOULD LOOK MUCH THE SAME AT THIS STAGE.)
- GRADUALLY ADD ENOUGH WARM WATER, WORKING IT IN WITH YOUR HANDS, UNTIL THE MIXTURE STARTS TO ADHERE TOGETHER WHEN SQUEEZED. THE FLOUR MIXTURE SHOULD BE DAMP (NOT WET,) AND SLIGHTLY CRUMBLY. TURN THE DOUGH ONTO A LIGHTLY FLOURED WORK SURFACE AND KNEAD IT UNTIL IT FORMS A COHESIVE MASS. SHAPE THE DOUGH INTO A LARGE BALL. COVER THE DOUGH WITH A CLEAN TOWEL TO KEEP IT FROM DRYING OUT.
- PINCH OFF GOLF BALL SIZED (AROUND 2 OZ. EACH) PIECES OF DOUGH AND ROLL THEM INTO BALLS; WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE PIECE OF DOUGH THAT YOU ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH, KEEP THE DOUGH COVERED WITH THE TOWEL AT ALL TIMES. THE DOUGH SHOULD YIELD ABOUT 18 SMALLER BALLS.
- HEAT THE GRIDDLE OR SKILLETS OVER MEDIUM-HIGH HEAT. SET THE CERAMIC PLATE AND ANOTHER CLEAN KITCHEN TOWEL NEXT TO THE STOVE TOP.
- SPRINKLE THE WORK SURFACE WITH A LITTLE MORE FLOUR. WORKING WITH ONE OF THE SMALL BALLS OF DOUGH AT A TIME, GENTLY STRETCH IT WHILE ROTATING IT IN A CIRCLE TO CREATE A SMALL FLAT DISK. ROLL THE DISK INTO A VERY THIN TORTILLA THAT IS ABOUT 6 INCHES IN DIAMETER. THE TORTILLA SHOULD BE THIN ENOUGH TO SEE A SHADOW OF YOUR HAND UNDERNEATH WHEN HELD UP TO THE LIGHT, BUT NOT SO THIN AS TO TEAR. I PREFER TO ROLL OUT 2 TO 3 TORTILLAS AT A TIME BEFORE TOASTING THEM. IF ROLLING MULTIPLE TORTILLAS BEFORE TOASTING THEM, BE SURE TO KEEP THE DOUGH AND ANY ROLLED TORTILLAS COVERED WHILE YOU WORK.
- TOAST THE TORTILLA FOR ABOUT A MINUTE ON THE HOT SKILLET UNTIL IT JUST BEGINS TO BROWN. FLIP THE TORTILLA OVER AND TOAST FOR AN ADDITIONAL 30 SECONDS OR SO UNTIL IT BEGINS TO BROWN ON THE OTHER SIDE. THE IDEA IS TO TOAST THE TORTILLA UNTIL IT BUBBLES AND A FEW GOLDEN BROWN SPOTS APPEAR UNDERNEATH. ONCE TOASTED ON BOTH SIDES, STACK THE WARM TORTILLAS ON A CERAMIC PLATE AND COVER THEM WITH A TOWEL. REPEAT THE PROCESS UNTIL ALL OF THE TORTILLAS ARE TOASTED.
- ONCE ALL OF THE TORTILLAS HAVE BEEN TOASTED, FLIP THE ENTIRE STACK END OVER END SO THAT THE LAST TORTILLA MADE IS NOW ON THE BOTTOM OF THE STACK AND THE FIRST TORTILLA MADE IS ON TOP OF THE STACK. COVER THE STACK OF TORTILLAS WITH THE TOWEL AGAIN. SERVE FRESH FLOUR TORTILLAS WHILE WARM.
NOTES
KEEPING THE DOUGH COVERED WITH A TOWEL EVERY STEP OF THE WAY IS THE KEY TO KEEPING BOTH THE DOUGH AND THE FINISHED TORTILLAS SOFT AND SUPPLE.
IF THE DOUGH BALLS REFUSE TO ROLL FLAT WITHOUT IMMEDIATELY AND SIGNIFICANTLY RETRACTING, THEN COVER THE DOUGH AND ALLOW IT TO REST FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES BEFORE TRYING AGAIN. ROLLING WILL REQUIRE A FAIR AMOUNT OF EFFORT TO GET THE TORTILLAS AS THIN AS THEY NEED TO BE. I’VE FOUND THAT A LARGE WOODEN DOWEL CUT TO THE SIZE OF A ROLLING PIN WORKS WELL FOR ROLLING THE TORTILLAS AS I AM ABLE TO GAIN GREATER LEVERAGE THAN WITH A STANDARD ROLLING PIN. DOWELS ARE VERY INEXPENSIVE. MOST HARDWARE STORES WILL CUT THEM TO SIZE. SIMPLY SAND THE ENDS AVOID SPLINTERS.
TOASTING THE TORTILLAS BEYOND JUST BARELY BROWNED WILL CAUSE THE EXTERIOR TO CRISP, MAKING THOSE TORTILLAS LESS MALLEABLE AND BETTER SUITED FOR TOSTADAS THAN TACOS, ETC.
WORKING WITH A PARTNER TO FINISH THE TORTILLAS IS BOTH FUN AND A TIME SAVER, AS ONE PERSON CAN ROLL OUT THE TORTILLAS WHILE THE OTHER TOASTS THEM ON THE STOVE.