Homemade whole wheat flour tortillas are a favorite in our house. We enjoy them in so many ways: traditionally as tortillas with filling made from mushrooms, sweet potatoes, or beans, topped with salsa, greens and cheese (we prefer nut cheese); or topped with some pizza ingredients as a thin and instant pizza crust; or even with some apple butter as a sweet treat. Yum yum!
We love them homemade, not just because they are more healthy (and they are), but more so because they are so irresistibly delicious. You will never buy Tortillas again.
I like to make 20+ at a time, and freeze the leftovers. Yes, homemade tortillas freeze very well. To reheat I often put the tortillas into a plate and cover with another plate, and place the plates on top of a hot pan or pot. Reheating in the oven is possible too, but they tend to dry out more.
These homemade whole wheat flour tortillas can be made with any whole grain, but I find they taste the best with whole grain Kamut. Kamut is a brand name for an ancient Khorasan wheat. It is nutrient dense and highly digestible. In fact, some people who cannot tolerate wheat are able to enjoy Khorasan wheat. It has more protein than wheat, and delivers a healthy complement of complex carbohydrates, and a high mineral content. It contains selenium, zinc, magnesium, vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and copper.
Now if this all sounds to scientific for you, all you need to know is that it’s good for you and tastes great. More nutrients simply means more taste. You can buy Kamut at many places or order online from Breadtopia.
Tortilla presses do not only work with corn tortillas, they also work great for Kamut flour tortillas. It makes the job so much easier and saves time, too.
I like to put the dough into a cut open plastic bag, so the tortilla does not stick to the press. It will stick to the plastic too, but is relatively easy to remove it from it.
If I work alone,
I press and put the first tortilla into the hot pan,
press the second tortilla,
turn the first tortilla in the pan,
remove the second tortilla from the plastic,
now with one hand remove the first tortilla from the pan, and
place the second tortilla into the pan.
Are you dizzy yet? Now repeat this 20+ times ;).
To make tortillas alone is doable, but it sure is nicer, more relaxed, and fun, to do it with two people. Now you know what you can do for your next date night ;).
One last thing, does the recipe really need oil? The whole food, plant-based diet omits the oil wherever possible. You can totally make homemade tortillas without oil or salt. However, at least for me it does not work in the tortilla press, it just sticks to much. Whenever I make tortillas oil free, I roll them with a rolling pin. The flour used for rolling out the tortillas tends to burn in the pen. All in all, I find the little bit of coconut oil to be a better option.
Now let’s get started.
- 6 cups (750 g) whole wheat flour (preferably freshly ground) (I like to use kamut)
- 2 cups cold filtered water
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1½ teaspoons non-aluminum baking powder
- ½ teaspoons sea salt (Optional)
- ⅓ cup coconut oil melted
- Combine the ingredients in a bowl and make a dough.
- Let the dough rest for at least an hour, better over night.
- Divide the dough into 24 pieces (or more if you want smaller tortillas, less if you want bigger ones)
- Roll out or press the tortillas.
- Fry the tortillas in a frying pan on medium heat for about a minute each side. Do not use oil when frying them, the oil in the dough is enough to keep the tortillas from sticking.
- Enjoy!
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While reading another recipe the author was using a CucinaPro Electric Tortilla Maker. I’ve always used a regular press and cooked in my cast iron skillet but this looked like something I could put on my next Christmas list! Tortillas are my main go-to for a flat bread and lunch is Hummus, diced sun dried tomatoes in oil, diced olives, grated Jack cheese and sprouts or diced lettuce rolled up in a tortilla. Can’t wait to try your out! Yum!
This sounds so yummy! I have heard about the Electric Tortilla Maker, but was not sure if it is worth the extra cost. As far as I know it also does not really cook them just prevents flour tortillas for shrinking in size. Using Kamut, we do not have this problem anyways.
I make tortillas for my family. They taste SO much better than store bought. I usually get one or the other of my family to help me with them. I roll them out with a rolling pin and my “helper” fries them on a dry cast-iron griddle. I use fresh ground whole wheat for mine. I didn’t know they could be frozen successfully though, so it is usually a big job to make a meal with them for the whole family. Now I know that I can make a whole big batch of them one day and have a quick meal of fajitas another! Thanks for the tip. 🙂
You are welcome. It is great to have a helper for making tortillas.
Homemade tortillas always taste better! Thanks for this healthy version!
You are welcome. Food can be simple, but it should be tasty and healthy.
I India we make them almost daily . We just use flour and water and roll it flat using a rolling pin
Does the press really work for flour tortillas? My understanding is that the press is only for corn tortilla. I’ve been using a rolling pin for flour tortilla.
It does work with Kamut flour and coconut oil, like the recipe shows.