A warm tortilla fresh from the skillet can turn a simple meal into something special. Made with everyday ingredients, these homemade flour tortillas are soft, buttery, and ready to wrap around your favorite fillings. The process is simple: mix, rest, roll, and cook. Once the first tortilla starts bubbling in the pan, it’s tempting to enjoy it warm with a little butter before the rest are finished.

Recipe

Homemade Flour Tortillas

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Made with everyday ingredients, these homemade flour tortillas are soft, buttery, and ready to wrap around your favorite fillings. The process is simple: mix, rest, roll, and cook.

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Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tablespoon salt
6 tablespoons salted butter, grated or cut into small pieces
1 cup hot water
A little oil or nonstick spray, for the pan if needed

Instructions

Combine the dry ingredients.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Work in the butter.
Add the butter and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add the hot water.
Pour in the hot water and stir with a spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Once cool enough to handle, knead for about 2–3 minutes until soft and smooth.
Let the dough rest.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
Divide and shape.
Divide the dough into balls about 2 inches across. Keep them covered while you work so they don’t dry out.
Roll the tortillas.
On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a thin circle, turning the dough as you roll for an even shape.
Heat the skillet.
Heat a skillet over medium heat. A dry skillet usually works well, but lightly grease it if needed.
Cook.
Place a tortilla in the hot skillet and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until bubbles form and light golden brown spots appear underneath. Flip and cook the other side for another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Adjust the heat as needed to prevent burning.
Keep warm.
Stack the cooked tortillas inside a clean kitchen towel, keeping them covered while you cook the rest. The trapped steam helps keep them soft and flexible.

Connie’s notes

Measure the flour gently. Spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off to avoid adding too much.
Aim for a soft dough. If it feels dry, add water a teaspoon at a time. If very sticky, work in a light dusting of flour.
Give stubborn dough more rest. If it springs back when rolled, cover it and let it rest for another 10–15 minutes.
Use a rolling pin for thin tortillas. Flour tortilla dough can spring back in a tortilla press, so rolling usually gives better results.
Watch the heat. If the tortillas turn hard before developing brown spots, the pan may be too cool. If they scorch immediately, lower the heat.
Avoid overcooking. Remove them once cooked through with a few golden spots; cooking longer can make them crisp.
Adjust the salt if desired. This recipe uses salted butter, so you can reduce the added salt to suit your taste.
Store for later. Cool completely, then seal in an airtight bag. Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze with parchment between tortillas for up to 3 months. Rewarm briefly in a skillet or microwave under a lightly damp paper towel.