These homemade sourdough tortillas are one of those things that really take a meal to the next level. Not only are they better taste-wise, but they also present a healthier option. Combining the rich flavors of freshly-grilled tortillas with a slight sourdough tang, you won't eat the store-bought tortillas ever again. They are the perfect vessel for your favorite filling. You can make them light and refreshing (with chicken and veggies), hearty and comforting (with pulled pork and cole slaw?), or extra fancy (with lobster and avocado ceviche).
We are also making them with sourdough for a healthier alternative to regular homemade tortillas. That is because, during the fermentation process, wild yeast and bacteria in your starter help to break down phytic acid in the dough. This makes these tasty tortillas much easier on the stomach and increases the bioavailability of many nutrients.
Many sourdough tortilla recipes are sourdough discard recipes. This recipe calls for an active starter and a long fermentation, so make sure you remember to mix up the dough the day before you want to have these delicious tortillas on the table. Fermenting the dough before ensures we get all the sourdough benefits and is a great way to boost their nutrition a little bit. After experimenting with a lot of different recipes, my family declared those as the best sourdough tortillas. The best way to eat them is fresh out of the pan, but they store very well too!
See a recipe card below for a printable recipe! There is also a baker's schedule at the end of this recipe for easier planning when you need to start the process. It has you covered from the time to feed the starter to the finish!
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Why make sourdough tortillas?
Because they are easy, healthy, and convenient. You can make them ahead of time and fill them with whatever sounds good to you at the moment. The best thing about them is that if you have leftovers (it happens, but not very often), you can transform them into tortilla chips. Just season them with a little olive oil and your favorite spices and bake them in an oven for a tasty snack.
And you'll only need simple ingredients for this easy recipe. No tortilla press or food processor is required; you can easily mix them by hand and roll them out with a rolling pin. A large cast iron skillet works great for this recipe, but any other non-stick pan will work too.
💭Crucial Success Tips
- You can even make the dough up to two days in advance. Simply mix up the dough, let the dough rest at room temperature for 8 hours, and put it in the fridge. Make sure you cover it with something airtight (like plastic wrap or aluminum foil), and it will wait for you to find time to make the tortillas.
- If you are not using a fairly non-stick pan, coat it with the oil of your choice (olive oil, coconut oil, etc) to prevent tortillas from sticking to the pan. A cast-iron skillet doesn't need any oil, but you can add some if you'd like.
- Roll out the tortillas as thin as you can. They puff up a bit in the pan, so if you want thin tortillas that are easy to roll up, go extra thin!
How to Store Sourdough Tortillas
- Put tortillas in an airtight container and store them for up to one week in the fridge.
- This sourdough tortilla recipe is perfect for freezing! Just put any leftover tortillas in a plastic bag and freeze them. if you'd like to have an option to them out one by one, put a piece of parchment paper between them. Sheets of parchment paper will prevent them from sticking together during freezing.
FAQ
The reason I like to use grams and not just cups for sourdough recipes is that starters will have a very different weight depending on the hydration level. The more air bubbles it contains, the lighter it will be by a cup measurement (and less hydrated starters are usually more bubbly and have a nicer structure). Then there is a question of how much a cup of flour weighs, which depends on how you scoop it (do you press it in the cup or not?). For best results, grab a kitchen scale and weigh out the ingredients.
The fermentation process makes sourdough tortillas easier to digest, more nutritious, and less likely to spike your blood sugar. During the fermentation process, the starter breaks down phytic acid. Phytic acid is present in wheat and blocks the absorption of the nutrients found in the flour. As a consequence, nutrients in sourdough tortillas (especially B vitamins) are more available for your body to absorb. Fermentation also lowers the amount of gluten and therefore lowers the glycemic index of sourdough tortillas.
The act of kneading is done to help create gluten formation, which is what creates a nice crumb and airy texture. Since we are making tortillas and we want them thin and flat, kneading is not necessary. You just need to make sure the dough is sufficiently mixed together.
You don’t need to use filtered water if your tap water is fine to drink and doesn’t contain too much chloride. Chloride can indeed kill the beneficial yeasts and bacteria in your sourdough starter. But in my experience, the amounts in the tap water meant for drinking are not a problem. This is debatable in the sourdough community. But I find that even if my tap water even tastes of chloride a bit, my sourdough recipes turn out fine. I honestly do not notice a difference.
The dough will be fine in the fridge for up to 2 days in my personal experience. That means that if you are busy or something comes up, you can "pause" the process of making tortillas, throw the dough in the fridge, and let it wait for you.
Yes, you can make tortillas ahead of time! You can mix up the dough and let it rest in the fridge for up to 2 days, then make the tortillas. Or you can make the recipe from start to finish and store tortillas in the fridge for up to one week. When you are ready to eat the tortillas, you can heat them in a cast iron pan or the microwave. It is a flexible recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (about 240 grams) sourdough starter (want to learn how to easily make your own?)
- ¾ cup (about 180 grams) water
- 4 tablespoon (about 60 grams) olive oil
- 2 teaspoon (about 10 grams) salt
- 3 cups (about 375 grams) all-purpose flour
WATER: You can use tap water. You do not have to use filtered water if your tap water is fine to drink and does not contain a lot of chloride (see FAQ above). Just don't use hot water, because you could harm the yeasts and bacteria in the starter.
STARTER: Use an active sourdough starter. It does not have to be very mature. Since we are going to ferment this sourdough tortilla dough, we want to use an active starter. An active starter is a starter that is bubbly and has been fed in the last 4-12 hours.
OIL: I recommend olive oil, but you can use other types of oils. Just make sure it is not a very strong flavored oil.
SALT: Regular table salt is fine. Any salt is fine, as long as it's not too coarse.
FLOUR: this recipe calls for all purpose flour, so if you are making these tortillas for the first time (or you are a sourdough beginner), I suggest using all purpose flour. I have experimented with adding different whole wheat flour as well, and they work well in this recipe. Just make sure you are using at least ½ of all purpose flour or white flour, the other ½ can be a type of whole wheat flour. When I used more than ½ whole wheat flour, the dough became too stiff to roll out nicely and the tortillas ended up being a bit thick.
A quick tip: if you are making this recipe with a stand mixer dough hook, the dough should form a ball after 5 minutes of mixing or so. If the dough does not come together, add a bit more flour. This recipe makes a very soft dough that is pliable enough to form dough balls later for the tortillas.
Tools you'll need
- kitchen scale
- rolling pin
- non-stick pan (cast iron works best, and is very affordable when it's on sale!)
- stand mixer (optional)
How To Make Homemade Sourdough Tortillas
Time needed: 11 hours
INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOMEMADE SOURDOUGH TORTILLAS
- Mix the dough
Mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl or a bowl of a stand mixer (if you have one). Mix for 5 minutes, by hand or with a dough hook of a stand mixer. If you are mixing by hand, I recommend wetting them with warm water to prevent the dough from sticking too much. You'll get a soft dough that is quite elastic. Transfer it to a bowl.
- Proof the dough
Cover the dough with plastic foil or aluminum foil (to make it almost airtight). Let the dough ferment for 8 - 12 hours at room temperature. I usually ferment for 10 hours, but adjust the proofing time to your home's temperature. Go a little shorter in the summer and a little longer in the winter. You can also cover the dough with a damp tea towel. Just make sure it doesn't dry, otherwise, the dough will become drier as well!
- Shape into balls
When you are ready to cook the tortillas, take the dough out of the bowl and onto a floured surface. Divide it into 10 equal pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Put your pan on the stove and adjust it on medium-high heat to make it hot.
- Cook the tortillas
When you have your hot pan ready, roll the first ball of dough out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured work surface (you don't need much flour). Carefully transfer it into a hot pan and cook it for approximately 1:30 minutes on each side. While one tortilla is cooking, roll out the next one and prepare it to cook it. It is normal for the pan to get a bit hotter during the process, so turn it down to medium heat if needed.
- Finish and serve
Continue until all the tortillas are cooked. Place cooked tortillas on a plate and cover them with a dry tea towel. One of my favorite ways to eat the tortillas is when they are freshly cooked and still extra soft and rollable. Fill them with your favorite toppings and maybe add some salsa on the side!
Baking Schedule
13.00 pm the day before (midday): feed starter
10.00 pm the day before (or whenever the starter is ready): mix up the dough
OPTION 1: 8.00 am the next day: shape and cook the tortillas, so they are ready whenever you need them that day
OPTION 2: 8.00 am the next day: put the dough in the fridge (to "pause" it) and take it out before lunch to have freshly cooked tortillas for lunch!
HAPPY BAKING!
If you enjoyed this easy sourdough bread recipe, let me know in the comments below! We can also do some troubleshooting together if something went wrong. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated!
📖Printable Recipe
Easy Homemade Sourdough Tortillas Recipe (No Discard)
Combining the rich flavors of freshly-grilled tortillas with a slight sourdough tang, you won't eat the store-bought tortillas ever again. They are the perfect vessel for your favorite filling.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (about 240 grams) sourdough starter
- ¾ cup (about 180 grams) water
- 4 tablespoon (about 60 grams) olive oil
- 2 teaspoon (about. 10 grams) salt
- 3 cups (about 375 grams) all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl or a bowl of a stand mixer (if you have one). Mix for 5 minutes, by hand or with a dough hook of a stand mixer. If you are mixing by hand, I recommend wetting them with warm water to prevent the dough from sticking too much. You'll get a soft dough that is quite elastic. Transfer it to a bowl.
- Cover the dough with a plastic foil or an aluminum foil (to make it almost airtight) and let the dough ferment for 8 - 12 hours at room temperature. I usually ferment for 10 hours, but adjust the proofing time to your home's temperature. Go a little shorter in the summer and a little longer in the winter. You can also cover the dough with a damp tea towel, but make sure it doesn't dry, otherwise, the dough will become drier as well!
- When you are ready to cook the tortillas, take the dough out of the bowl and onto a floured surface. Divide it into 10 equal pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Put your pan on the stove and adjust it on medium-high heat to make it hot.
- When you have your hot pan ready, roll the first ball of dough out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured work surface (you don't need much flour). Carefully transfer it into a hot pan and cook it for approximately 1:30 minutes on each side. While one tortilla is cooking, roll out the next one and prepare it to cook it. It is normal for the pan to get a bit hotter during the process, so turn it down to medium heat if needed.
- Continue until all the tortillas are cooked. Place cooked tortillas on a plate and cover them with a dry tea towel. One of my favorite ways to eat the tortillas is when they are freshly cooked and still extra soft and roll-able (is that a word? If not, we need it).
Notes
- You can make the dough up to two days in advance. Simply mix up the dough, let the dough rest at room temperature for 8 hours, and put it in the fridge. Make sure you cover it with something airtight (like plastic wrap or aluminum foil), and it will wait for you to find time to make the tortillas.
- If you are not using a fairly non-stick pan, coat it with the oil of your choice (olive oil, coconut oil, etc) to prevent tortillas from sticking to the pan. A cast-iron skillet doesn't need any oil, but you can add some if you'd like.
- Roll out the tortillas as thin as you can. They puff up a bit in the pan, so if you want thin tortillas that are easy to roll up, go extra thin!
- if you are making this recipe with a stand mixer dough hook, the dough should form a ball after 5 minutes of mixing or so. If the dough does not come together, add a bit more flour. This recipe makes a very soft dough that is pliable enough to form dough balls later for the tortillas.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1 tortillaAmount Per Serving: Calories: 186Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 4g
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