freshly milled whole wheat tortillas

I’m here to say, homemade freshly milled whole wheat tortillas are not so hard. In fact, they’re not hard at all. And they’re actually really, really good! 

They are soft and bendy and smell like warm olive oil and a baker’s oven. Even the irregularities are a welcomed aesthetic against the modern monotony of uniformity.

A note about the wheat

You’ll want a hard wheat, AKA a high protein wheat, because wheat protein = gluten, and gluten = stretchy, elastic and able to hold a bubble.

While this recipe does focus on gluten development (achieved through kneading the dough causing a “web” of structure to form), it does not require proofing. There is no rising time to constrain your schedule. The only time requirement is the *rest* for the sake of hydration, which I’ll talk about momentarily.

This recipe is my adaptation from Sue Becker’s book, which has taught me so much about the best uses for each kind of grain.

How To

At first it’s a little tricky as you get the technique down, but if you persevere through a few tortilla-making sessions, you’ll be savvy as a flap jack flipper. 

Grind your wheat and add in the bit of salt and baking powder. In the standing mixer, add a cup of warm water and the olive oil. Now combine everything into the mixer and allow the dough to knead on low for for a minute or so, until a dough ball forms. Turn off the mixer and let the dough rest for a while, at least 10 minutes. 

Of course you could do this by hand too. And we would all admire you from a distance.

Resting & Soaking

“Resting” allows the flour to become hydrated, which makes all the difference when it comes to working with freshly milled whole wheat doughs! It becomes compliant. It’s akin to toddler who’s had a nap vs. one who hasn’t. 

When your dough has rested for at least 10 minutes (or longer is just fine) and is feeling particularly amicable, turn the mixer on low again and let it spin for a few minutes or until the dough looks entirely smooth and consistent. It should seem elastic and soft and prefer to stick to itself in one large form rather than to the sides of the bowl.

If it’s too wet, feel free to throw little spoonfuls of flour in until it looks right. On the other hand, if the dough is too dry, that’s a bigger problem. A dry dough will make cantankerous little tortillas that are brittle and apt to crack. Make sure your dough is well hydrated. 

Here mine is pillowy and stretchy while not sticking to the sides. I was able to pull it out of the bowl with little fuss. Not to brag.

Now for the fun part

On your biggest cutting board, or directly on your clean countertop, drizzle some olive. Rub a little oil on your hands and on to your rolling pin as well. 

If you’re using a griddle or a pan, you’ll want that nice and toasty before you slap down a tortilla, so go ahead and turn on the heat (about medium). I personally use my flat top range like a griddle, like literally cooking on the hot glass, and it works great. No one has stopped me, so, I’m going to keep doing it. 

Go ahead and use as much olive oil as needed to accomplish the shaping of the tortillas. It will only add to the flavor and it will prevent you from saying bad words in front of children.

To form the tortillas, you’ll push down the little dough ball with your fingers, and then roll out the tortilla, first one way, then another, and then pick it up and gently pull it until you’re satisfied with the thinness. Most importantly, make sure the thinness is consistent so it all cooks at the same rate!

Lay it on the heat in whatever fashion you find works for you. Wait until it begins to bubble up and becomes more opaque than glossy and then flip! Wait until it begins to puff again, and it’s done. Move it to the rack and repeat.

I can typically get into a rhythm of rolling out the next tortilla while the previous one is on the stove, and then doing a swap out, and repeating. 

And just like that, you’re done!

Now go make something really good with them, like steak and cheese quesadillas or homemade enchiladas or Cuban chicken black bean wraps!

… And if there’s left overs,  Buñuelos!  

Courtney

FMWW Flour Tortillas

Homemade freshly milled whole wheat flour tortillas are incredibly flavorful with a texture that holds up to baked enchiladas and are much healthier than anything you can find in the grocery store!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Resting Time 20 minutes mins

Servings: 3

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 3/4 cups milled flour (330 grams) hard white and/or hard red
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Method

 

1. Pour all ingredients into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment.
2. Knead the dough on low until well incorporated, 2-5 minutes.
3. Turn off the mixer and allow dough to rest and soak for at least 10 minutes.
4. Knead again on low again for about 3 minutes. The dough ball should become well formed, elastic and glossy. It should not be sticking to the sides of the bowl at this point.

   NOTE: If your dough seems too dry, it's ok to add water, and if it seems too wet and sticky, it's ok to add flour, just add a little at the time and allow it to fully incorporate. Error on the side of hydrated, not dry.
5. Pull the dough from the mixing bowl and form a dough ball with well oiled hands and set it on a large, clean, oiled work surface.
6. You could divide your dough ball into about 12 even pieces and roll those pieces into dough balls (OR you could squeeze dough balls off of the main dough ball, which is kind of fun).
7. Once your dough balls are formed, set them to the side to make a work space for rolling out the tortillas. Put a pan or griddle on the heat (or just use your glass top range if you have one) and let it get warmed up. Set out a cooling rack to receive hot tortillas. (A cooling rack will prevent condensation and soggy tortillas.))

Begin an “assembly line” of rolling, shaping, cooking, flipping and replacing tortillas.

1. Press your dough ball flat with your fingers, and then roll it flat into a long oval with the rolling pin. Flip it 90 degrees and roll again to form more of a round shape. Be sure to apply pressure evenly and do not make the middle too thin or taper the edges too much. Overly thin areas will become papery.
2. Pick up the flattened shape and gently pull and stretch it with your fingers or let it hang and stretch itself, like a pizza dough.
3. Lay it flat onto the hot pan or stove top and do not move it. It will be stuck upon contact, and then quickly cook and become loose. When you see bubbles form and the skin of the dough become more matte than glossy, flip it over. Allow it to become slightly puffy and then flip it onto the cooling rack.
4. Repeat the process. These are great served hot off the pan, or let them cool and then seal them up for later use. Freezes well.

Notes

CAN I JUST USE REGULAR FLOUR?

Yes. These could totally be made with conventional all purpose flour or even bread flour. Start with the recommended amounts listed above and don’t be afraid to add a few more TBSP of flour as needed, as it will soak up less of the water than FMWW do. Use your intuition. I believe in you.