My easy homemade flour tortillas are soft, flaky, and ready in under an hour—no yeast, kid-friendly, and perfect for tacos or quesadillas.
- 3 cups (15 oz/426 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (8 fl oz/240 ml) water , warm
- ⅓ cup (2 ½ fl oz/75 ml) vegetable oil
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix on low for 30 seconds.
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With the mixer running at medium speed, add the water and vegetable oil.
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Continue to mix on low until the mixture comes together and starts to form a smooth ball, about 5 minutes.
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Transfer the dough to a work surface and divide it into 12 even pieces. Shape each portion into a ball. (Don't flour your surface at this stage to make it easier to shape the balls)
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Then, using the palm of your hand, gently flatten out each piece to about 3 inches. Cover the flattened pieces of dough with a clean kitchen towel and let them rest for at least 15 minutes.
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On a lightly floured surface, using a rolling pin, roll out each piece of dough into a 6-inch (15 cm) circle. Do not stack uncooked tortillas on top of each other as they will stick.
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Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Place one tortilla in the pan and cook for 1 minute, or until the surface of the dough starts to bubble and the bottom starts to brown. Then flip and cook for 30 seconds on the other side. The tortillas should be soft and have little brown spots on them. If you overcook them, they will become crispy.
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Place the cooked tortillas on a plate. You can stack them on top of each other at this point.
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Enjoy freshly made for quesadillas, tacos or whatever you like! Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days. They also freeze very well in a ziplock bag for up to 8 weeks.
- Double the recipe: Make extra tortillas to freeze, so you always have some ready for quick meals.
- Freeze dough balls: Roll dough into balls and freeze raw; later, defrost and roll out for a fun cooking activity with kids.
- Rest dough: Letting the dough rest for at least 15 minutes makes it more pliable and easier to roll.
- Use a hot pan: Preheat your pan well; a properly heated pan creates the classic soft, slightly charred spots.
- Don’t overcook: Cook tortillas just until bubbles form and brown spots appear—overcooking makes them crispy.
- Stack carefully: Place cooked tortillas on a plate and cover with a towel to keep them soft and warm.
- Flour lightly when rolling: Too much flour can make tortillas dry; use just enough to prevent sticking.
- Custom flavors: Add herbs, spices, or garlic powder to the dough for a flavor twist.
- Storage tip: Fully cooled tortillas freeze best in a ziplock bag; separate layers with parchment for easy thawing.