Have you ever tried homemade flour tortillas before? Let me just say that the taste and texture is far superior to those that come in a plastic bag at the grocery store. Those at the store honestly don’t even deserve to be called tortillas compared to the real thing. And luckily, the 
tastiness of homemade tortillas justifies the effort it takes to make them. Up until now almost all the recipes I have posted have been easy to make, but I must admit that this one is definitely an exception to the rule. I will also say that I actually tried a couple of different methods for making tortillas and this is the easy (easier) version. Please trust me when I tell you…it is worth it!
Once the dough has been made it takes me about 30 minutes to roll out and cook a dozen of these tortillas. Everyone in my family (including me) practically scarfs them down as soon as I make them, and if used as wraps they can add some variety to your lunch over typical sandwich bread. My 3-year-old’s favorite combination (which she lovingly calls a “roll up”) is to have hummus and cheese wrapped up in her tortilla. I actually love a “roll up” myself although I usually add diced tomatoes, cucumbers, or spinach to mine. My kids also just like to snack on plain tortillas too and if you have time to make a big batch then you can freeze some for later!
Whole-Wheat Tortillas
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour I used King Arthur’s white whole-wheat flour
- 1/2 cup avocado oil or other oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup water heated in the microwave for 1 min
Instructions
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In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer set with a dough hook, pour in the flour, oil and salt. Beat with the paddle until crumbly, about 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape the sides as needed. If your hand-held mixer comes with dough hooks those can be used as well.
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With the mixer running, gradually add the warm water and continue mixing until the dough is smooth, about 3 minutes.
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Take out the dough and divide it into 12 equal sized pieces. I do this by making the dough into a big log shape that is about 8 – 10 inches long. Then I cut it in the middle. Then I cut each of those pieces in the middle and so on until you have 12 pieces.
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Using the palms of your hand roll each piece into a round ball and flatten it out on a baking tray or board. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes or up to one hour.
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Heat a cast iron skillet, griddle or 12-inch skillet over med-high heat. The pan should be fairly hot before you begin cooking the tortillas.
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On a lightly floured board or counter top, use a rolling pin to turn each ball into a 8 to 10 inch flat circle (measure against your recipe if printed on a 8.5X11 sheet of paper). Be careful not to use more than a teaspoon or two of flour when rolling out each ball into a tortilla because too much excess flour will burn in the pan.
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Grease the pan with a touch of oil (or ghee) and then carefully transfer each tortilla, one at a time, to the pan and cook until puffy and slightly brown, about 30 to 45 seconds per side. Set aside on a plate to cool slightly. Eat within an hour, refrigerate or freeze.
Thank you for adding the place to adjust the amount of servings to be made. It simplifies this already simple recipe! I always have to double or triple this recipe because my family is eating them as they come off the pan.
Has anyone tried this with a gluten free mix? I’m new to GF but my son is supposed to eliminate. Finding a good tortilla that stays together for wraps, etc has proved difficult. Suggestions are helpful! Thanks!
Lisa:
very nice and easy to make recipe, however, I have a problem with it. I am Vegan and I am not about to break the rules. What Can I use instead of the oil you suggest?
The reason I don’t include oil in my diet is because all oil is fat, no matter where it comes from.
Hi there – Sorry I don’t know of any substitutions for the oil in this recipe. As far as I know Avocado Oil shouldn’t break any vegan rules, but I understand you are trying to cut back on oil all together…good luck with that!
Oils are good for your body, your body needs a certain amount of oils? I use avocado and coconut oil.
“I am vegan and I’m not about to break the rules.” ??
With Avocado Oil? Seriously guy?
I agree with CookinTime. What you just said seems a bit silly. Good luck with trying to stay away from all oils. I am interested to know how well you are able to not break THAT rule.
Hi Lisa. Everyone needs some healthy fat in their diet and avocado oil is among the healthiest and is certainly vegan. Fat is essential for your body and brain to function properly. You might take a look at this article: http://drhyman.com/blog/2013/11/26/fat-make-fat/. Best wishes. ~Amy
I realize this post is older but I felt someone needed to come to your defense… and frankly I’m shocked at some of the outrageous replies! I understand why you are vegan and avoiding oil if you are following the Forks over Knives diet. While a challenging eating protocol which indeed requires planning, the research supporting this diet is pretty amazing! If you are personally dealing with or have a strong family history of heart disease or cancer, this diet would indeed be appealing. Good luck in your eating endeavors!
This is an old post, but I hope you eat oils now, they are important in our diets, the lack of oils affect your brain and makes your body to store the little fat it has for energy, so don’t skip the oil in your recipes. some fat free products are worse than the ones that have fat in them. The best oils you can eat are avocado, olive, coconut, grape seed, sesame, and nut oils, really good for you in moderation of course.
hi in reading through the comments one poster said she omitted the oil all together and said they came out fine. happy cooking! 8)
I use this recipe all the time, and I don’t have a stand mixer. I use a silicone spatula to mix everything, and pouring all the water in at the same time seems to work best.
Can you reduce the oil any? Will they turn out the same or will it not work at all? Thanks!
Hi Shawna. You need the oil. You could try reducing but I am afraid your tortillas will fall apart. ~Amy
A reader below said she reduced the oil to 1/4c added water and had success. :) ~Amy
Just made these today for the 1st time. I’d add a bit more salt, otherwise they are good!
What type of Avocado oil do you use and where is it purchased?
Hi there. Fortunately avocado oil is pretty widely available now. Lisa does most of her shopping at Earth Fare. I buy my avocado oil from Costco. It is a great deal.