Sourdough Flour Tortillas (made with discard or not)
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This sourdough flour tortilla dough couldn’t be simpler to mix up — truly it takes 5 minutes to stir together — and after a brief rest, it’s ready to be rolled and cooked. Homemade tortillas are so, so delicious, and so nice to have on hand for enchiladas and tacos of all kinds 🌮🌮🌮🌮
A few weeks ago, I pulled out a bag of my favorite Caramelo flour tortillas to inspect the ingredient list. I had known the company used only high-quality ingredients and very few of them, but I had forgotten if they used some sort of leavening agent, such as baking powder or soda. If you are unfamiliar, Caramelo tortillas char and blister so beautifully due to the presence of myriad air pockets throughout the dough.
It turns out Caramelo uses neither baking powder or soda. Their ingredient list includes: flour, sea salt, fat, and water.
How. Interesting. The simple, flour tortilla recipe I have been making for years calls for baking powder. The recipe works so well I never questioned the necessity of any of its five ingredients, but shortly after this ingredient investigation, I decided to make the flour tortillas without baking powder, and guess what? The tortillas cooked up just as beautifully as ever.
So if it’s not baking powder or some other leavening agent — a sourdough starter, yeast — then what makes a tortilla balloon so dramatically in a skillet?
The more I make tortillas, the more I realize it’s simply a matter of two things:
- Rolling the dough as thinly as possible. Truly: you want to roll until you can nearly see your work surface through the dough.
- Using a hot skillet. I alway find my first 3 or 4 tortillas never turn out as well as the remainder, and this, no doubt, is because my skillet isn’t hot enough initially.
That’s it! There’s no fancy mixing or rolling technique, no leavening agent required. Which might have you wondering:
Why use a sourdough starter to make tortillas?
For a few reasons:
- If you do a lot of sourdough baking, chances are you may find you have a bit of discard on your hands, which as long as it is not many days old, you can use in this recipe.
- Or you may find yourself having mistimed the feeding of your starter. In other words, maybe you fed your starter, but never got around to using it at its peak, and in the meantime, it has collapsed — this happens to me all the time. Rather than feed it again, you could use that collapsed starter in this recipe.
- Or maybe you have extra bubbling, very active starter that you’d like to put to use before you stash your starter back in your fridge.
Regardless if I am using super bubbly active starter or discard, the sour flavor is subtle. This is likely because there really isn’t a fermentation period. After you mix the dough, it rests for 30 minutes, a short period of time that allows the gluten to relax and makes rolling out the dough a teensy bit easier, (though you can get away with skipping this step if you are pressed for time.)
This recipe is a snap to throw together (as is the non-sourdough version), and I hope you give it a go soon, and then treat yourself to a pan of homemade enchiladas. So, so good.
What is the best pan for tortillas? A crepe pan!
I love my Le Creuset Toughened Nonstick Crepe Pan, which costs about $120, because it’s the perfect size for cooking tortillas, large or small. The slightly smaller Cuisinart 10-inch Crepe Pan is a less expensive alternative, at about $25. Note: It doesn’t come with the wooden spreader, which you don’t need for tortillas, and which I never use when making crepes anyway.
PS: If you are unfamiliar with the sourdough process, I have a free email course that covers the basics. Sign up here: Sourdough Demystified.
PPS: A Few Favorite Sourdough Bread Recipes
- Sourdough Pizza
- Sourdough Focaccia
- Sourdough Boule
- Sourdough Boule (Whole Wheat-ish)
- Sourdough Toasting Bread
PPPS: Easy, No-Knead Flour Tortillas
How to Make Sourdough Flour Tortillas
Here’s the play-by-play: Gather your ingredients: flour, salt, softened butter, water, and a sourdough starter.
Combine the ingredients and mix to form a sticky dough ball.
Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and knead gently to combine
Divide into 12 portions and roll each into a ball.
Transfer to a small floured board, if you wish — I do this to give myself more space on my work surface to roll out the tortillas. Cover with a tea towel and let rest 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Roll each ball out as thinly as possible. Each ball will roughly be about 8 inches in diameter.
You can layer the tortillas between sheets of parchment paper to give yourself more space.
I recently purchased a box of 8-inch square sheets of parchment. I really like the convenience of having smaller sheets on hand. Just a warning: I have only been able to re-use them once before they start losing their non-stick property.
Once your tortillas are rolled out, cook them in a hot, dry skillet for roughly 30 seconds a side, or until browned to your liking. I love using my Le Creuset nonstick crepe pan for this.
Store the tortillas in an airtight bag or container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Sourdough Flour Tortillas (made with discard or not)
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 12
Description
This recipe is adapted from this flour tortilla recipe, which is made with baking powder (as opposed to a sourdough starter). Regardless of which recipe you are using, there are two keys to success here:
- Roll the dough as thinly as possible.
- Get your skillet piping hot.
I love using my Le Creuset crepe pan for cooking tortillas.
Ingredients
- 210 g (1.5 heaping cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 7 g (1 1/4 teaspoons) kosher salt
- 56 g (1/4 cup) softened butter
- 100 g water (1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon)
- 100 g (1/2 cup) sourdough starter
Instructions
- Whisk flour and salt together in a medium bowl. Using the back of a fork, cut the butter into the flour, mixing and smushing it until it is well incorporated into the flour. You can use your hands if necessary to further incorporate the butter into the flour.
- Stir in the water and sourdough starter and mix with a spatula until a shaggy dough forms. Use your hands to gently knead the dough in the bowl, if necessary, to get the mixture to form a rough ball.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for another 1 to 2 minutes or until it is smooth and not sticking to the work surface.
- Cut the dough into 12 pieces for taco- or enchilada-sized tortillas or 6 pieces for burrito-sized tortillas. Shape each piece into a ball. (Video guidance here.)
- 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.)
- Roll out each ball to about 6 to 8 inches (taco size) or 10 to 12 inches (burrito size) in diameter, or till you can see the counter start to come through — in other words, roll them as thinly as possible.
- 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 total to cook. If you like a bit of char, keep the tortilla in the skillet until it is charred on both sides. Note: Your first 3 to 4 tortillas may be on the pale side. This is just likely because your skillet isn’t up to temperature. Once you make a few, you’ll find your rhythm and adjust the heat as necessary depending on if you want more or less char.
- Once the tortillas cool, store them in an airtight bag or container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Tortilla, Bread
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican, American
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
387 Comments on “Sourdough Flour Tortillas (made with discard or not)”
My dough has more that doubled in 6 hours. Should I leave it for 12 or use it now?
You can use it now!!
I did use it right away and then fridged it overnight and used the next day. Epic fail. Dough was too tender (soft) and would not hopd up to handling.
Did you use a scale to measure? What kind of flour did you use?
I did scale ingredients. I used bread flour
Hi! I’m so confused… are we talking about the same recipe? This is the sourdough tortilla recipe. There’s no bulk fermentation step that calls for the dough doubling in volume? You mix the dough, divide into 12 portions; then proceed. It sounds as though you let the dough bulk ferment until it doubled in volume?
I scaled mine too and it was too soft to handle. Ie got holes in it when I tried to move it and also stuck to counter even with dusting. I used whole wheat flour and followed those directions.
I am new to sourdough starter. I have discard and was looking for an easy tortilla recipe. I followed the recipe using my kitchen scale. And cooked on a flat skillet. Once I got the heat high enough they cooked perfectly. So easy and so amazingly good. Been making these every other day and teaching a good friend this recipe also. I will definitely be making more recipes. Thank you!!!
Wonderful to hear this, Karen! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this 🙂
This tortilla recipe was amazing! Always looking for new ways to use my discard and this worked so great.
The tortillas were so soft and delicious. I used a kitchen aid and it made the whole process even easier.
Highly recommend using this recipe if you need quick tortillas that taste great and have an amazingly soft texture.
Great to hear, Lizzie! Thanks for writing 🙂
These are fantastic, they are easy to make and delicious. My only issue was getting them to bubble, they’re a bit flat/dense. I rolled them as thinly as possible while still able to peel off the counter.
Is there anything that I should do differently?
My only thought would be to let them sit at room temperature for a little bit longer before you roll them out (make sure they are covered so that they don’t dry out). You could also try letting the rolled out tortillas sit at room temperature before you cook them (again: make sure they are covered so that they don’t dry out).
Ali – I may have confused two recipies. I will try the tortillas again when I can use them right away. I had made the dough and then refrigerated the balls overnight (in an airtight container) because it was too late to cook them. I did use a tortilla press and that worked pretty well. The dough was just too tender to hold up to handling. I really want this recipe to work. I will keep you posged on my progress. Thanks for trying to help.
Sounds good! Keep me posted 🙂
this is a chapati. Well done!
Can I ferment the dough for longer? I’m gluten intolerant.
Sure.
I’m surprised there aren’t any comments here! I made these tonight and they were super good. I probably could have rolled them thinner, but that’s a me problem not a recipe problem. My 5-year-old declared them the best tortillas ever and even my skeptical 8-year-old ended up helping herself to seconds. A great way to use up discard without having to buy a bunch of other ingredients!
Great to hear, Kiersten! Thanks for writing and sharing all of this 🙂
ok, well after reading other comments – I’ve gathered that I need to add more flour! I’ve added almost at least 2/3 cup so far which seems like a lot to me.
Newish to sourdough and I’ve probably made these tortillas 10 times now. They’re a weekly staple for us! Absolutely love this recipe. Used a tortilla press to make it a bit easier for me. Thanks!
Great to hear, Jess! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this 🙂
Hi, have you tried to long ferment the dough by leaving it overnight before baking?
I have not.
Your recipe says 100g sourdough starter. Is this supposed to be 100g sourdough starter or discard? What would the instructions be if I want to use discard instead of starter. Thanks!
Either starter or discard is fine!
I’m so glad I found this recipe! I’ve tried a few recipes and these ones roll out the best and taste the best too!
Great to hear, Jamie! Thanks for writing 🙂
This recipe was amazing! The tortillas were easy to make and stayed so soft once they were cooked. I had my doubts after the first one was flat and very crispy, but the pan wasn’t hot enough and i jumped the gun!
Great to hear, Bryanna! Thanks so much for writing 🙂
Easy and delish!! Dough is perfect for rolling . Kids love them. So much healthier than store bought preserved tortillas with their long list of ingredients. Thank you!
So true! And great to hear. Thanks for writing 🙂
Hi Ali,
I have made these 3 times. The taste is always great, but my first and last batch came out dry and crispy. 2nd batch a was lovely and soft. I use a scale. I am altitude and wonder if i need to make adjustments to water. Any thoughts?
Thank you.
Hi! Usually when baking at high altitude I recommend increasing the water. Has the weather changed recently? Has it gotten dryer? If so, I’d increase the water… take notes and adjust with more or less next time around based on your result.
These are delicious!! And so easy to make. I have two questions.
1. I’m new to making tortillas. These did puff like the tiniest amount but they didn’t puff up like yours at all. Any ideas what I may have done wrong? I rolled them as thin as I possibly could. It rested on the counter for 30 mins. I used a food scale. NOTE: I did have to swap butter for vegetable shortening (100% palm oil).
2. Is it possible to cut the amount of butter/shortening in half?
Hi! It’s possible that the shortening is what is causing the lack of puff — in recipes like this, when the water in the butter steams upon hitting the hot surface, that promotes the puff. You can definitely cut the shortening in half, but do keep in mind the shortening provides flavor and pliability. But give it a shot!
I am so excited I found this recipe! I have been making or trying to make tortillas for years and it wasn’t until today that I found the perfect absolute perfect recipe! This checks all the boxes for me/ easy, delicious, roll beautifully and so nice and thin and they stay soft. They bubbled beautifully. I am so so excited! Thank you so much for this amazing easy recipe.!!
Great to hear, Michelle! Thanks so much for writing and sharing all of this 🙂
I make these ALL THE TIME!
They are so much better than store-bought and have a nice sourdough tang rather than a fake preservative supermarket tang. Sometimes in a pinch I’ll buy store-bought…which apparently have an expiry date in 2025 – eek!
I know, terrifying, right?!
Great to hear all of this. Thanks for writing, Rachel!
I use this recipe all the time, we love it!!
Great to hear, Kimberly! Thanks for writing 🙂
My husband can’t have butter, do you think I could sub the butter with olive oil?
I do!
I adore this recipe!! This is my second attempt at sourdough tortillas and this recipe is FAR superior The butter and sourdough together make it taste like buttermilk The only issue is I am having a hard time not eating them ALL!
Not a bad problem to have!! Great to hear 🙂 Thanks for writing!
Fabulous recipe, and I really appreciate that your measurements are in grams.
I grew up in SoCal, eating tortillas made from lard. They’re amazing, but I don’t have access to beautiful fresh(lacy pastry) lard.
I tried this recipe and it was great. Truly a 4.6 or better. ThenI started to experiment,
and after I made one change, it’s a 5.
All it is, is the butter. I replaced it, gram for gram, with coconut oil. Trust me, it’s a game changer. They have the stretchy lightness that the lard created.
So interesting! I will try. Melted coconut oil or solid?
Okay so my tortillas didn’t stretch to the length yours did in the video, and when I cooked them on the skillet, they became soft but also kinda like a chip too. Any thoughts on what could’ve gone wrong? I’m sure it’s just on my end but I don’t know what it could’ve been. Did I knead them too much?
Possibly kneaded them too much but more likely didn’t let them rest at room temperature long enough before trying to roll them out. I’d give them some more time next time around.
I’m always on the lookout for sourdough recipes and came across yours for tortillas. So glad I did! I whipped up a batch in no time and they came out perfect … although my dough rolling abilities need some work – most were rectangles! Thanks for posting this.
Great to hear Cindy! Thanks so much for writing… rolling does take practice. I’ve made many amoeba-shaped tortillas in my time 🙂
I haven’t bought store bought tortillas in over a year thanks to this recipe!!
So great to hear, Charity! Thanks for writing 🙂
How would I store the tortillas all rolled out before cooking. Can I freeze or refrigerate them? In the recipe and the comments it talks about cooking before putting in fridge or freezer.
In our household, we have access to amazing store-bought tortillas that are uncooked and kept in the fridge, so that we always have them available and can pull them out and cook them up hot for tacos (which we eat almost every day).
I’d like to use this recipe, but would want to be able to prep a lot of tortillas to be ready to cook at some later date.
Hi Matt,
I find sourdough does best frozen post baking — I find when I freeze sourdough pizza dough or other sourdough doughs, they lose a lot of their oomph even after short periods of time.
My concern with storing in the fridge, too, is that they’ll overferment and be tricky to work with — it sounds as though you want to be able to store the dough balls or rolled out tortillas for long periods of time, correct?
I haven’t experimented enough to advise. I would suggest trying with 2 to 3 dough balls so as to not waste a ton. You can freeze the cooked tortillas, which will revive beautifully upon being reheated.
Great recipe, works every time
These came out REALLY good! Way better than any regular non sourdough with baking powder recipes I have tried.
I’m a fan of those tortillas. Most recipes call for olive oil but I think butter is better. I melt the butter..I tried it because I hate cutting butter into flour and they turned out great. I let my dough rest for two hours and they are always perfect and puff up nicely. I bake those a lot when I don’t have time to bake bread..a win.
Great to hear, Sasha! You’re so right: this is a great one to turn to when you are short on time but need bread. Everybody loves them 🙂
Hello,
I mill my flour. I will use soft white wheat berry. I will let you know. This will be my first go at tortillas.
Let me know your thoughts on milled berries. I don’t use regular flour. Everything tastes so incredible with the whole milled wheat berries. Excited to try.
Tish, please report back on how they turn out with the milled flour — I have never milled my own flour so I can’t comment on that. But I’m so impressed that you only use home-milled flour now. I’d love to get there someday 🙂
Hello Ali,
Well I made these with the hard white wheat berry. I kept all measurements the same but with fresh milled flour it requires more water and autolyzing it for 15 minutes or so. I added maybe a T plus a little more water. But oh my gosh they turned out great. Delicious. Thank you. Easy peasy.
T.G
Great to hear, Tish! Thanks so much for writing and sharing these notes. So helpful for others wanting to do the same.
This was so easy to make. First time I followed the recipe with olive oil. Second time I used 100 gms home made multi grain flour. It was a hit with my family. Thank you for sharing your recipe
Great to hear! Thanks for writing 🙂