Homemade Flour Tortillas: Yes. You. Can. Homemade tortillas are light and lovely, slightly buttery, and truthfully, not too tricky to make. The dough requires minimal kneading and a short 30-minute rest before being rolled. And while a tortilla press is nice to get the rolling process going, it is unnecessary — a rolling pin does the job.

Two bean and cheese burritos, made with homemade flour tortillas, on a board.

There was a period many years ago during which I ate at Taco Bell once a month. And I loved it. I more than loved it, in fact — I looked forward to it: to prying open the steaming nearly transparent tortilla holding oozing cheese and beans; to smothering the open burrito with hot sauce. It was a real treat (especially when dining out options extended from El Pollo Loco to Togo’s 🙂 ).

In all seriousness though, as someone who is picky about meat, at the time I was grateful for  Taco Bell and this particular burrito. The beans were truly tasty! Cooks Illustrated agrees: Taco Bell Home Originals Refried Beans prevailed as the winner of their refried bean taste test.

Now, as much as I loved my monthly Taco Bell routine, can I tell you what I loved even more? Recreating the bean-and-cheese burritos at home, starting with homemade flour tortillas.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Homemade tortillas are light, slightly buttery, and not too tricky to make. The dough requires minimal kneading and a short 30-minute rest before being rolled. And while a tortilla press is nice to get the rolling process going, it is unnecessary —a rolling pin does the job. Here’s how you make them:

  1. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt
  2. Cut butter into the flour mixture.
  3. Stir in warm water with a fork until a shaggy dough forms.
  4. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead 3-4 minutes until smooth, soft, and not sticky.
  5. Cut the dough into small pieces; shape each into a ball.
  6. Let the dough rest 30 minutes and up to two hours (at room temperature or 24 hours in the fridge).
  7. Roll out each ball into a thin, flat round.
  8. Cook tortillas in a dry skillet for 45-60 seconds,

There is a recipe for a vegetarian bean and cheese burrito below, but if you’re looking for a meaty filling, this is my favorite meaty taco recipe.

PS: Homemade Sourdough Flour Tortillas

tortilla dough balls aside a rolling pin and a tortilla press
A skillet holding a homemade flour tortilla.

Tortilla Dough. Note: A tortilla press is unnecessary. I mostly use my rolling pin.

A homemade flour tortilla cooking in a skillet stovetop.
A homemade flour tortilla in a skillet.
A stack of homemade flour tortillas.
An overhead shot of a stack of homemade flour tortillas.
A montage of images showing refried pinto beans and the assembly of a bean and cheese burrito wrapped in foil.
A halved bean and cheese burrito made with homemade flour tortillas on a board.
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homemade flour tortillas

Easy Homemade Flour Tortillas

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Alexandra Stafford
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 60 minutes
  • Yield: 10 taco-sized tortillas (5 inches) or 5 burrito-sized tortillas (10 inches)
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Description

Update: The baking powder is actually unnecessary. Read this post for more details, but in short, the key to making great tortillas has nothing to do with the leavening agent but more to do with rolling the tortillas really thinly and using a really hot skillet. 

Ingredients

  • 256 g (about 2 scant cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, see notes above
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter

Instructions

  1. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. With a knife cut little pieces of the butter into the flour. Then with two knives cut the butter into the flour until mealy, smaller little bits of butter than in a pie dough.
  2. Stir in 2/3 c. warm (not from tap, preferably) water with a fork until a shaggy dough forms.
  3. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead 3-4 minutes until smooth, soft, and not sticky.
  4. Cut the dough into 2-oz. pieces for taco-sized tortillas or 3-oz pieces for burrito-sized tortillas. You will have 10 small pieces or 5 larger pieces. Shape pieces into a ball.
  5. Cover with a very light kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Be careful that your room isn’t too hot. Let the dough rest 30 minutes and up to two hours (at room temperature or 24 hours in the fridge. If you need to store the in the fridge, transfer balls to an airtight container.)
  6. Roll out each ball to about 6 – 8 inches (taco) or 10 to 12 inches (burrito) in diameter, or till you can see the counter start to come through — in other words, roll them as thinly as you are able.
  7. Heat a 12 inch non-stick or cast-iron pan (do not add any oil) on medium-high. Lay the tortilla in the pan and cook until it puffs and little brown spots on the underside appear. Turn with tongs or your fingers and cook again till lightly brown. Each tortilla takes about 60 seconds. You don’t really want the tortilla to brown at all.

Notes: When making tortillas for burritos, it’s best if the tortillas are cooked just before you plan on filling them, wrapping them and placing them in the oven. This way they’ll stay pliable.

  • Category: Flat Bread
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Mexican

Keywords: homemade, flour, tortillas, easy