Thursday, March 13, 2014

Frugal Flour Tortillas ($.07 each!)



It used to be that tortillas were a staple that I bought every time that I went to the grocery store. Now the sale price on a package of 10 tortillas is $2.00... $.20 each? That's a sale?? UGH!

But there is always a silver lining! I began experimenting with tortilla recipes that were flooding the internet (apparently I wasn't the only one irritated by the raising prices per pack!) and after a few tweaks I found a recipe that works best for me. Not only are making tortillas at home a lot more cost effective but they taste better too! Soon I'll try experimenting with flavored wraps :-)

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour (approx. $.28)
2 tsp baking powder (approx. $.08)
1 tsp salt (penny)
4 tbsp lard (approx. $.33) Note: If you don't have on hand you can just use all shortening.
2 tbsp shortening (approx. $.12)
1 cup to 1.25 cup water (free-ish)

Start by combining flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add lard and shortening and blend into flour mixture using a fork. This step might take a few minutes. You'll want to make sure that there are absolutely no balls of lard/shortening in the flour mixture. This will cause an irregular consistency in the tortilla. Once the mixture is crumbly with no tiny balls, test to make sure it's ready by balling up the mixture. If it stays in a ball when molded then crumbles easily when touched, it is good to go! Add 1 cup of water and mix well. If the dough is still too dry to begin kneading then add up to another 1/4 cup water. Once the dough is no longer sticky, knead on a lightly floured surface by folding dough over and rolling through using the bottoms of your palms. Fold dough over again and repeat. Continue this pattern of kneading for 15-20 times. Then place dough ball on a plate and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for about 15 minutes.

Then start to divide the dough into 12 balls. I find it easiest to divide into even balls by cutting the ball in half, then cutting each half again and then again until I have 12 sections. Roll each section into a ball and place on the plate and cover all with cling wrap and let rest on the counter top for another 30 minutes.

After all the waiting is over, it's time to get cooking! There are a couple ways that you can mold the tortillas. The easiest way is to use a tortilla press: Simply place the ball in between 2 pieces of wax paper and press between the cast iron plates. If you do not have a tortilla press you can simply use a rolling pin. The tortillas might not be perfectly round but that just adds to the authenticity of the homemade tortillas! Ha!

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. DO NOT ADD OIL! If you cook the tortillas in an oiled pan they will crisp up and that's not what you want. Cook each tortilla over med-high heat about 25 seconds on each side until you see those little brown spots on the cooked sides. Store in a tortilla warmer while you cook the rest OR simply just put them on a plate and keep them in the microwave to stay warm (a little tip/trick!).

Best when served immediately but you can separate them using a paper towel or wax paper and place in a storage bag. For best results, store in the fridge and warm before serving.

Makes 12 tortillas for about $.82 or about $.07 each!


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