Homemade Whole Wheat Tortillas Recipe

By Chris Siciliano

The following recipe makes eight 6-inch whole wheat tortillas. Finished tortillas are chewy, with a pleasant mouth-feel and pronounced wheat taste.

These are great for everything—from slow-roasted pork shoulder to black beans and homemade salsa. Once cool, tortillas will stay good for a couple of days in a plastic bag or container, though it's always best to warm them up again before eating. From start to finish, the recipes takes about an hour to complete.

• 125g natural white flour (about 1 cup)
• 125g (about 1 cup) fresh-milled hard red winter wheat, or regular wheat flour
• 150g water (5–6oz)
• 25g olive oil  (2 Tblsp)
• 3-5 grams salt (1/2 tsp)
• 1 tsp baking powder

Directions for Homemade Tortillas

Mix ingredients together into shaggy mass, knead briefly (about a minute or two) until the mass forms a ball. Let sit for about 10 minutes, knead briefly again, until the dough is smooth and satiny. Cut into 8 eight equal pieces (about 50g each). Shape into balls. Rest for 10–20 minutes. Roll tortillas out to desired thickness, thinner is better. Use extra flour to keep the dough from sticking. Place raw tortilla on a hot skillet (cast iron works best). Cook on one side until bubbles form (30-45 seconds); turn over; cook until done (20-30 seconds). Place finished tortilla in a towel until all tortillas are finished. Serve warm.

Notes/Tips 

• For a more subdued wheat taste and increased chewiness, substitute 1/2 cup (50-65g) of the whole wheat flour with regular white flour.
• Also, feel free to substitute the hard red winter wheat with other grains/flours available at Siciliano's. I've had success making this same recipe with spelt, rye, hard spring wheat (both red & white), 6-grain flour, and of course plain old white flour.
• When time allows for a short fermentation, I substitute the baking powder with 2g (1/2 tsp) instant yeast. I don't know if it makes much difference flavor-wise, but the texture seems better.
• Heat your skillet over medium-high to high heat; make sure the skillet is clean or else you'll be setting off the smoke alarms.
• Too long on the skillet leads to a less pliable tortilla. It will still taste good, but won't keep for as long or as have the same pleasant chewiness. This is to say, keep an eye on your tortillas—they cook quick!
• If you accidentally cook your tortillas too long, or you simply want to experiment, you can slice them into wedges (like a pizza), bake in the oven until crisp, and serve them with salsa like nacho chips.

Questions or suggestions? Let us know. We're always looking to improve our recipes. For more pictures, see below.

Dough ball

Dough bits

Junior dough balls (under bowl to escape drafts)

Rolled flat, ready for the skillet