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Keeping homemade tortillas soft

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Homemade spinach tortillas recipe

This email came from Amy R.:

I love your recipes; thank you! I made the spinach tortillas, but they didn't look or feel (I'm assuming) like yours at all. Mine were more dry and crackery, and they didn't fold well... do you know what I might have done wrong?

Hi, Amy!

Some things that might cause the tortillas to be dry or hard would be:

-- Too much flour in the dough (my dough is soft and I roll it on a lightly floured surface)

-- Cooked too long

-- Cooked at too high a temperature

If those issues aren't the problem, then here is what I would suggest. :)

Dampen a clean dish towel and wring it as tightly as possible. The towel should be damp but not wet enough to make the tortillas soggy. As you cook the tortillas, wrap them in the damp towel on a plate. The towel will soften the crisp edges, and should make your tortillas soft and pliable.

Using a damp towel is especially helpful when you're making quite a few tortillas, or planning to save them for later (rather than eating them hot off the griddle!).

Our homemade pita pockets recipe uses this same technique, as the pockets come out of the oven slightly crisp and dry, but soften and flatten as they cool between damp towels. :)

Anyone else have any tips for making or storing homemade tortillas? I'm no expert!

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Comments

Submitted by Abutton on Mon, 2007-12-17 14:31.

Everytime my tortillas are

Everytime my tortillas are crackery (perfect description!), it's because I overcooked them. My tendancy is to keep cooking them until they have quite a bit of brown on both sides. However, if I "undercook" them, then they turn out perfectly!

Submitted by Tammy on Tue, 2007-12-18 00:04.
Tammy's picture

Over-cooked tortillas

It does seem like there is a fine line between tortillas being under-cooked and being over-cooked! :) And the thickness of the dough makes a difference, too... :)

Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 2007-12-17 15:45.

Soft Tortillas

I get soft tortillas by putting them in a gallon-sized plastic ziptop baggie as they are done cooking. One bag can easily hold 3 dozen tortillas at one time. The heat from the just-cooked torts causes condensation in the bag, and lightly steams them, so even if they are a little crisp, they will turn soft and flexible. You can also rinse the bag out afterward, let it dry, and use it again.

By the way, Tammy, I have gotten lots of great tips and recipes from your site. I am so glad to have something to share with you!

Laura

Submitted by Tammy on Tue, 2007-12-18 00:05.
Tammy's picture

Hi, Laura! Thanks for

Hi, Laura! Thanks for sharing!! I'll have to try the bag idea next time... no wet towel to wash afterwards. :)

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2007-12-18 16:53.

Thanks!!

Thanks ladies! I will definately try this recipe again with your tips included!

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2007-12-28 21:33.

Another Tortilla Question

Hi Tammy!
I loved this recipe and have tried it twice now, but was just curious about the 1 TBSP of water...is this in addition to the water you cook the spinach in? Or do you only cook the spinach in 1 TBSP of water? I couldn't quite figure that out from the recipe! I needed to add more water than 1 TBSP to get a good consistency. Thanks!
Jamie - http://familyfocusedfun.blogspot.com/

Submitted by Tammy on Sun, 2007-12-30 12:04.
Tammy's picture

Spinach tortillas question

Hi, Jamie!

The tablespoon of water is what I put in the pan before cooking the spinach. I use that water, plus all the water that comes out of the spinach as it is cooking (about 1/4 to 1/2 cup, I'd guess). Sorry for the confusion! :)

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 2007-12-30 12:16.

Thanks!

Thanks Tammy! I saw the comment on my blog and came back to say thanks for the info! I for some reason didn't seem to get all that water coming out of the spinach?! So I just added a little more water and I think it worked out more or less! :-) Thanks!

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 2008-01-13 16:17.

Spinach Tortilla Wraps

I make and cook tortillas 5 or 6 times during the week . I like to add spices and herbs to the flour mixture before cutting in the shortening. I have rolled tortillas very thin , although when I transfer them to the pan they tear . Perhaps if I were to roll them out on a piece of parhment paper using either plastic wrap or wax paper on the top ,then transfer to pan leaving parchment on until ready to turn .
I do not relish the idea of leaving wax paper on a tortilla while it is in a hot pan , do you ?
Any comments ? Success or failure related stories ?

Submitted by Tammy on Sun, 2008-01-13 22:42.
Tammy's picture

Thin tortillas

I can have successfully thin tortillas if I use enough flour on the counter when rolling them out... I think I usually put a tablespoon of flour on the counter for every two tortillas I roll... I haven't had them tear! :)

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 2008-01-13 16:40.

Thin large tortillas

I make tortillas 5 or 6 times a week. I add spices and herbs to the flour and liquid flavers to the water.
I am able to roll very thin tortillas ,when I transfer them to the pan they tear . I am thinking of using parchment paper on the bottom and wax paper or plastic wrap on top. then when I transfer I can leave the parchment on until ready to turn .
Any comments ? Success or falure stories ?

I will also try this recipe as I like spinach.

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