Learn To Easily Make Your Own Wheat Flour Tortillas

Wheat flour tortillas are an essential part of Latin American cuisine. The tortilla has also become an integral part of many North American dishes. They are flat in shape because they are not made with yeast. This makes them very similar to the Indian roti.

In most of the countries in Latin America they are used to prepare traditional dishes. This is especially true for Central America. All over Mexico, for example, they eat tortillas made from wheat flour. However, in the more southern regions of Mexico, people tend to eat corn tortillas more often.

The history of the wheat flour tortilla

The tortilla made of flour has its origins in the sixteenth century. This was the time of the great conquests by Spain. At that time, the so-called conquistadors brought wheat flour to the countries of Central and South America.

According to tradition, it all started in the year 1542, with a group of Spaniards encamped in Mexico. They had great difficulty finding the right ingredients to make bread the way they had done it for years.

The Spaniards in Sonora, in the extreme northwest of Mexico, therefore started making zaruki. This is a mix of wheat flour and water. This mix was eventually further developed into what we now know as the wheat flour tortilla.

Wheat flour tortillas quickly became an important part of the Spanish meals. Particularly for the Spanish explorers who entered California in 1769. This was mainly because tortillas are so easy to make.

Many years later, a tortilla filled with meat suddenly appeared in Mexico. This dish has come to be known as the burrito. The burrito is very popular in the United States. As a result, most Americans know the tortilla as the main ingredient of the burrito.

The nutritional value of wheat flour tortillas

The wheat flour tortilla is classified as a cereal product. This is due to the ingredients used to make these types of tortillas. A serving of tortilla contains about 467 calories. To give you a better idea: one serving consists of about 200 grams of tortilla.

467 kilocalories may seem like a lot. But if you compare it with  other grain products, it’s not that bad. In fact, tortillas contain the least number of kilocalories per 100 grams of all grain products. Rice cakes, for example, contain 387 kilocalories per 100 grams. Corn tortillas, however, contain only 237 kilocalories per 100 grams. So this is a lot less.

Tortillas are normally made with lard. But this does not add a lot of extra kilocalories. 100 grams of tortilla consists of:

• 7.6 grams of fat
• 49.3 grams of carbohydrates
• 8.0 grams of protein

Perhaps the biggest fear of many people is the amount of fat in tortillas. However, this is not very special either. 100 grams of tortilla contains less than 12% of the daily recommended amount of fat.

How do you make wheat flour tortillas yourself?

You can now follow the recipe below to make your own wheat flour tortillas. Maybe you really hate lard. You can also use oil instead of lard. But if you opt for this, your tortillas will taste just that little bit different. 

The quantities listed below are sufficient to make 24 tortillas.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cup wheat flour (180 grams)
• 2 teaspoons salt (5 grams)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder (10 grams)
• 1.5 cup water (300 milliliters)
• 2 tablespoons lard (30 grams)

Preparation

Mixing the ingredients in this recipe is not too difficult. However, there is something you will soon find out. And that’s the secret to the perfect tortilla dough, which is having an eye for detail. This way you make sure that your tortillas look fantastic.

Remember, mixing all the ingredients properly may take a little practice.

• First, mix the wheat flour, salt and baking powder together in a bowl.
• Then use your fingers to add the lard.
• Then mix it until it forms an even mixture.
• Add the water and mix until well blended.
• Sprinkle your counter with some wheat flour and place the dough on it.
• Then knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic.
• Then divide the dough into 24 equal balls.
• Now heat some oil or butter in a frying pan to later fry the tortillas over low heat.
• Use a rolling pin to flatten and round the dough balls.
• Place the tortillas alternately in the pan and brown on both sides.
• Make sure to turn the tortillas on time. This will prevent them from burning.

Didn’t use all the tortillas? Then roll them in a tea towel to keep them fresh. If a tortilla is exposed to the air for too long, they dry out.

Go ahead and try making these delicious tortillas yourself!

Feel free to share your own experiences with making tortillas. Especially if you’ve found a different way to make them yourself.