Flour Tortillas

I've been working on a flour tortilla recipe ever since I had to give up gluten - a long time!  This has undergone a few tweaks over the years and was pretty good, but the addition that turned the recipe into a real keeper was an idea my oldest son had .... use a tortilla press.  Genius!  This gets the tortilla thin enough that it has flexibility and isn't gummy tasting.  I got mine on Amazon for about $25.

Some are pre-seasoned, which you may want to avoid if you're working with various allergies.  With this recipe, you will be using parchment paper to avoid horrible sticking, so the tortilla won't actually be touching the press.

Flour Tortillas

3 cups rice flour - finely ground works best.  If you're buying pre-ground and the tortilla isn't turning out thin and flexible, try using sweet rice flour from an Asian market.
1 1/2 cups tapioca flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup palm shortening or lard
1 T vinegar

Mix the first four ingredients together.  Cut in the shortening until it's the size of small peas and well distributed.  Add the vinegar and enough warm water to give you a dough the consistency of play dough.  This varies from time to time for me but is usually a little less than a cup.  Knead a few times and divide into balls the size of a small egg.  Put back in the mixing bowl and cover with a towel.

I fry mine on a dry electric frying pan heated to the top temperature, but any hot pan will work.  Put a piece of parchment on the bottom of the press and liberally sprinkle with tapioca flour.  Put one of the dough balls on top of it and sprinkle with more tapioca flour.  Put a second piece of parchment paper on top and press firmly down.  

Take the top piece of parchment paper off, lift up the bottom piece with the pressed dough, turn upside down and put it on the hot pan.  Press another!  I work with three at a time.  When there are two on the pan, I turn over the one I put on first (it will have small brownish spots) and put on the third tortilla.  After I press a fourth tortilla, I put the first one on a towel and cover it with another towel, turn the second tortilla over, and put the new tortilla on the pan.  Pretty soon you'll get in a rhythm!

These keep well in the refridgerator for a few days, but need to be warmed (I warm mine in the microwave) to become soft and pliable again.