How do I make flour tortillas floppy?

[Mel!]

Mine always turn out crispy, so I cant use them for things like making burritos, wraps etc.

Mel

 

[vagriller]

Posting your recipe and method of preparation will help people help you.

 

[kadesma]

Mine always turn out crispy, so I cant use them for things like making burritos, wraps etc.

Mel

Mel, I assume you buy your tortillas from the store..If they are either flour or corn just warm them slightly, put in your filling and continue on..That's what I do.I've wrapped in foil and put in the over works fine.I've warmed on top of the stove one at a time.
Hope this helps a little.
kades

 

[GB]

I steam my store bought tortillas before using. The way I do this is a take a paper towel and dampen it. I put the tortillas on a plate and place the damp paper towel over then. nuke for 15-20 seconds and they will be soft and pliable.

 

[velochic]

Well, I'm assuming you make them from scratch (so very easy to do). I would guess that you are rolling them out too thinly.

You could be cooking them too long/too high heat.

Or you are using oil to cook them. They have oil in the dough and should be cooked in/on a dry pan/press.

If you are using baking soda in the recipe, I'd eliminate it.

 

[bigdaddy3k]

I figured you were making from scratch. Velochic is right on with all suggestions.

You could try GB's trick to loosen them up if they are too crisp with your current method, but I think you need to refine your scratch prep a bit like Velo said.

 

[Mel!]

I make them myself.

Here is my receipe.
White flour.
Water or milk.
Oil.
Salt.

I make balls from the dough, and roll it out to discs and then cook in a pan with either nothing in it or a sprinkling of flour.

Likely, some of the suggestions above are what are causing them to turn out crispy. I think, I do make them too thin, because I try to roll them as thin as possible. I will make them thicker in future, and see what happens. And the cooking them on too high heat is another likely cause. I turn the heat up full. I will try lower heat in future. Thanks for these cool suggestions.

Any changes I should make to my ingredients? When I was in C and S America, they seemed to make things in the simplest way possible, so I just put together a simple receipe to try to copy the tortillas I had there.

 

[vagriller]

I make balls from the dough, and roll it out to discs and then cook in a pan with either nothing in it or a sprinkling of flour.

I am not a pro tortilla maker by any stretch, but I would say don't cook them in flour. What type of pan are you cooking them in?

 

[velochic]

The sprinkling with flour is fine. Your recipe looks good (I use water). I'd say it's the high heat and thickness. Homemade tortillas are not quite as thin as commercially made tortillas (we can't achieve the incredibly even heat they do in factories). The pan should be hot enough to puff the tortilla only a tiny bit. If it really puffs up, it's too hot (at least that is what I have found to be true). Good luck!!

 

[Lizannd]

I use shortening not oil and they come out floppy. When I

first started making them they turned out crispy also, then I cut the amount of shortening the recipe called for in half and they come out perfectly every time. I cook them over fairly high heat, med high on my electric stove then put them in a covered container so they can keep warm and 'steam' until I have cooked all of them.

 

[bigdaddy3k]

Could someone share the ratios of ingredients?

 

[GB]

I only made tortillas once BD, many years ago, but what I remember was that it was more of a feel thing, kind of like making bread. Each time you do it it might be a little different. Sorry I could not be more help.

 

[bigdaddy3k]

I know that flour water reaches its own level. I was more concerned with the oil. (drizzle, cup, tanker?)

 

[Russellkhan]

Some rough approximations would be helpful - not only how much oil, but I'm guessing it should be a thick dough, like bread, right? And do you knead it? How much gluten development is wanted?

 

[MoodyBlueFoodie]

This recipe looks great.... drooling....


Homesick Texan: March 2007



Texas Flour Tortillas

(adapted from The Border Cookbook by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison)


Ingredients:

Two cups of all-purpose flour
(can make them whole wheat by substituting one cup of whole-wheat flour for white flour)

1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
3/4 cups of warm milk

Method:
Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and oil.

Slowly add the warm milk.

Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.

Knead for two minutes on a floured surface. Dough should be firm and soft.

Place dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap for 20 minutes.

After the dough has rested, break off eight sections, roll them into balls in your hands, place on a plate (make sure they aren’t touching) and then cover balls with damp cloth or plastic wrap for 10 minutes.

(It’s very important to let the dough rest, otherwise it will be like elastic and won’t roll out to a proper thickness and shape.)

After dough has rested, one at a time place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a four-inch circle, and then roll with a rolling pin from the center until it’s thin and about eight inches in diameter. (If you roll out pie crusts you’ll have no problem with this.)

Don’t over work the dough, or it’ll be stiff. Keep rolled-out tortillas covered until ready to cook.

In a dry iron skillet or comal heated on high, cook the tortilla about thirty seconds on each side. It should start to puff a bit when it’s done.

Keep cooked tortillas covered wrapped in a napkin until ready to eat.

Can be reheated in a dry iron skillet, over your gas-burner flame or in the oven wrapped in foil.

While you probably won’t have any leftovers, you can store in the fridge tightly wrapped in foil or plastic for a day or so.

Makes eight tortillas.

 

[Andy M.]

Here's the Rick Bayless recipe. Looks easy to do.

http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/view?recipeID=207

 

[Lizannd]

The Rick Bayless recipe is just about the proportions

I use. I may use a little more shortening because I don't use lard. You don't knead the dough at all. Just mix the flour salt and shortening together very well. Like a pie crust but you want the shortening almost completely mixed in. I learned from the Two Hot Tamales show. She actually rubbed the flour and shortening between her hands. Then add the slightly warm water and mix just until combined. Dough will be rough looking. Portion out into small balls for rolling then cover with a towel and let rest for 15 to 30 minutes. This resting is very important. When you go to roll them out they roll very easily.

 

[Mel!]

Thanks for the great tips. Hopefully, I will get it right next time.

Ratio is hard to post here, because I just keep adding the water or milk to the flour until it is so it can stick together and be rolled into balls.

I just put a splash of oil and a pinch of salt in.

 

[mexican mama]

Thanks for the great tips. Hopefully, I will get it right next time.

Ratio is hard to post here, because I just keep adding the water or milk to the flour until it is so it can stick together and be rolled into balls.

I just put a splash of oil and a pinch of salt in.

This is a good idea..good luck on your next tortilla