Have you ever gone shopping and found that the grocery store has stopped carrying your favorite brand of something? That is ho
w I was inspired to figure out this whole wheat tortilla recipe. It is easy to make, but does require that you have a little time, and a rolling pin. In a pinch I have used a wine bottle covered with plastic wrap, and it works too.
You start by mixing together your ingredients and forming a ball. Using hot water helps to soften the whole grain flour quickly, so you can form it right away. I like to form my dough into two cylinders or rolls, tapping in the ends as I go to keep the roll even (See photo >>). Cut each roll into 6 portions, being carful to keep its shape. I find this is easier than rolling each dough portion into a ball.
In this recipe, I let the dough rest for an 
hour after forming into portions. It is an important step that will make rolling out the tortillas much easier. The whole grain flour needs time to absorb the water and soften, which will allow it to stretch when rolling. You can allow the portions to sit longer than an hour, but make sure they are covered well and will stay moist until you can get to them.
HOW TO ROLL OUT A TORTILLA
1. When rolling out the dough, use 1 tsp flour or less for each portion to prevent it from sticking to the board. Excess flour will burn when the tortilla is cooked.
2. Take a single portion and flatten it with the palm of your hand into the flour on your rolling surface to form a disk. Flip the disk over and smear it in flour so that both sides are coated with flour before you start rolling.
3. Pressing with a rolling pin (Don’t you love my pink pin, it’s classy!), roll in one smooth motion upward or downward to make an oval.
4. Turn the dough horizontally and take a single roll again. Alternatively, rotate your rolling pin and roll the dough without turning it.
5. Continue to alternate rolls until you reach about 8 inches in diameter. Some portions may be smaller and some larger, I usually roll until the dough is very thin and doesn’t want to stretch anymore.
Now it’s time to cook tortillas!
Cooking over medium high heat, flip tortillas after bubbles start to appear. Cook another 15-20 seconds and flip again. Cook until both sides of the tortilla have golden brown spots. Watch this step carefully because cooking goes fast and you can easily burn your tortillas. With practice and some prep work, you can cook and roll tortillas out at the same time, but I recommend doing it separately the first time so that you can learn how hot to set your stove top.
Finally, I recommend placing hot tortillas in a paper towel- lined, zip-top bag. This will allow them to steam while hot and remain soft, instead of becoming your first batch of tortilla chips Enjoy!
- 2 cups white whole wheat flour
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup canola oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup warm water (microwaved for 1 minute)
- 12 tsp all purpose flour
- Stir together flours, oil and salt until crumbly. Make a well in the center and poor in the water. Stir it together as much as possible, then knead until a smooth dough ball forms. Split the dough into 2 portions, rolling each into a cylinder, tapping in the ends to keep the roll even. Cut each roll into 6 portions, trying to keep its shape. Cover and let rest 1 hour.
- Press each dough portion into 1 tsp flour and roll out into an 8 inch circle (See photos for instructions).
- Place tortilla in a hot skillet and flip when bubbles start to form. Flip again after 15-20 seconds or after the tortilla starts to brown. Cook until both sides have brown spots.
- Place cooked tortillas in a paper towel lined gallon sized zip top bag to steam and stay soft. Repeat with remaining dough balls. Store cooked tortillas in refrigerator in zip top bag.
Recipe inspired by All Recipes.
