Flour Tortillas
Excellent just as much as corn tortillas, especially when freshly made. They can be used in most recipes in place of corn tortillas but require a little bit more effort than corn tortillas in that these need to be kneaded and rolled out with a rolling pin - a bit of practice is required to get those perfect circles!
Flour Tortillas
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons shortening
1 cup hot water
Thouroughly mix the dry ingredients, then cut in the lard with your fingers or with a fork. Add enough water to make a stiff dough, then turn out onto a floured surface and knead the dough for about 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
Divide into balls. Dust your surface with a bit of flour and, using a rolling pin, roll out into circles, making them as thin as possible. On an ungreased comal (cast iron smooth griddle) or heavy skillet over medium-high heat, cook the first side about 15 seconds, until you start getting bubbles on the surface, then turn and cook for 10 more seconds then turn one more time and check that the bubbles have colored. Remove from comal onto your awaiting cloth-lined tortilla basket and cover to keep warm.
Makes about 1 dozen.
