Flour Tortillas - Traditional and "Sourdough"

Tortillas had been on my bucket list for some time and in trying to find a recipe for Indian Naan bread, I stumbled on tortillas! I could not believe how easy and quick these were, literally an hour start to finish. Having tortillas on hand can be a quick dinner of quesadillas, tacos, or a sweet treat warmed with butter and cinnamon and rolled up! So without delay, tortillas; traditional and using sourdough starter/discard.

Side note, I also found a great recipe for Naan bread and will share that too.

This recipe by Ester Seha via Janie's Mill (https://www.janiesmill.com/blogs/recipes/infinitely-adaptable-flatbreads)

Ingredients

• 2 cups (260g) bread flour; hard white, hard red, Kamut - take your pick
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup (160ml) warm water
• 1 to 1-1/2Tbs olive oil (this helps tortillas keep longer)

Equipment

• medium skillet or griddle 

Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. Add the warm water and oil and mix the dough with a spatula or spoon until the ingredients come together.
2. Using your hands, knead dough until it is soft and smooth, about 2 minutes.
3. Place the dough in the bowl, cover with a towel, and let rest for 30 minutes.
4. Heat skillet or griddle to medium-high heat.
5. Divide dough into 8 pieces and roll out each piece to a circle, about 1/8” thick. Avoid using flour to roll out your dough as it will make the flatbreads dry. If needed, lightly oil your work surface to prevent the dough from sticking to the surface. While using a rolling pin works fine, you can also shape the dough with your hands. 
6. Once rolled out, drape individually onto hot pan. Cook 30-60 second till tortilla releases on its own and golden brown dots start to form on the bottom, flip and cook 30-60 seconds. The flatbreads reheat well in the oven or toaster or can be transformed into crackers.

“Sourdough” Tortillas

There is no fermentation in tortillas so they do not hold the same properties as sourdough bread, nor do they have a true sourdough flavor.

 Ingredients

• 210 g (1.5 heaping cups) bread flour; hard white, hard red, Kamut...
• 7 g (1 1/4 teaspoons) kosher salt
•  1-1/2 T olive oil or softened butter (this helps tortillas keep longer)
• 100 g warm water +  
• 100 g (1/2 cup) sourdough starter (active, inactive, discard – any will be fine)

1. In mixing bowl combine flour and salt. Add the warm water and oil and mix with spoon or by hand till ingredients come together. Add additional warm water till shaggy dough is achieved and all flour has been picked up.
2.  On unfloured silicone mat knead dough till it is soft and smooth, about 2 minutes.
3.  Place dough in bowl, cover with towel and let rest for 30 mins to 2 hours.
4. Heat skillet or griddle to medium-high heat
5. Divide dough into 8 pieces for about a 6-7" tortilla and shape into balls
6. Lightly oil mat if needed and roll out with rolling pin or hands till almost see-through, keeping other dough balls covered. The thinner they are rolled out the more bubbles will form.
7. Once rolled out, drape onto hot pan. Cook 30-60 second till tortilla releases on its own and golden brown dots start to form on the bottom, flip and cook 30-60 seconds.

Wrap tortillas in towel. Store 3-5 days at room temp, 3 months in the freezer.