Homemade Flour Tortillas

When I was young and growing up in Austin, my family frequented a grocery mega-store called Central Market. I know I'm not able to do it justice, but between the frequent exposure to their fresh cheese counter, deli, butcher, endless produce selection, and a bakery, my foodie tendencies were sure to arise early in life.

The highlight of our trips to Central Market, at least for me, was going home with a pack of ten fresh flour tortillas - and by fresh, I mean I was able to stand outside the bakery and watch women pluck hot tortillas from the griddle and toss them into a bag. Oftentimes, the bags were still warm and sweating when they went into our cart. On the rare chance that they made it all the way home, we never dared "waste" them on tacos or enchiladas - they were to be eaten solo, naked and pure.

My love for tortillas followed me to Nashville. Like so many things, I miss Austin for them.

Now, armed with knowledge and a trusty stand mixer, I'm able to make my own tortillas. They're not like Central Market's...theirs are chewy and floppy, almost doughy, and mine are sturdy and floury. Either way, when I remove them from the griddle, blistered and hot, I can't help but think back to those Saturdays at Central Market...only now, others are watching me pluck tortillas off the griddle in anticipation.

You will need:

4 cups of all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons of baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups of warm milk
 
Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and oil. Slowly add the warm milk and stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed. Transfer to a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, and knead on low speed for 2-3 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. Remove to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Rest dough for 20 minutes.
 
Once dough has rested, pick off ping-pong sized balls and roll into balls. Set on a large plate or cutting board without touching, and cover with plastic wrap to rest for another 10 minutes.
 
One at a time, place dough balls on a floured surface, pat into a four-inch circle, and then roll with a rolling pin from the center until thin - about eight inches in diameter. Place tortillas on a very hot, ungreased griddle and turn over when one side is blistered and brown/golden brown in spots. Wrap in aluminum foil to keep warm. If you have leftovers, they will keep wrapped in foil for about a day.
 
Makes 16 8-inch tortillas.
 
From Homesick Texan, a girl after my own heart.