Mexican: Tortilla Recipe

To prepare this flour tortilla recipe, you only need four ingredients: flour, baking powder, vegetable shortening or lard and salt.

First, stir 4 cups all purpose flour and 1/8 teaspoon baking powder in a large bowl. Next add 1/2 cup of shortening or lard into the mixture and work the fat into the flour with your hands.

Dissolve 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt into 1 1/2 cups of warm water. Drizzle this slowly into the flour mixture and mix until you have a soft dough. Knead for 1 minute, adding flour or small amounts of lukewarm water if needed. The dough should not be too wet or dry. Once it is at the right consistency, turn bowl over to cover the dough and let it rest for about 20 minutes.

Next, divide the dough into 12 pieces and form into balls. As you form and roll the balls, coat your hands with a little bit of shortening. Flatten and cover balls with plastic wrap and let rest for 20-30 minutes.