Homemade Whole Wheat Tortillas

Who doesn't love tortillas?  And I'm referring to handmade ones.  I remember in college going to Don Pablo's just to eat their freshly made tortillas, salsa and queso.  Store bought tortillas in my opinion are not good.  At all.  They lack the flavor and texture I love from the ones hot off the pan. 

But honestly, I don't know if you can get much more unhealthy than a flattened ball of bleached flour and lard. On a whim I decided to try to make a healthier version.  I read a few recipes on traditional tortillas and a few on whole wheat ones.  Several of the "healthier" ones add different oils in place of the lard, from Crisco to avocado oil.  I often cook with coconut oil, which has a lard-like consistency, and I decided to try it out.  (Coconut oil, by the way, is a great and healthy oil to cook with.)

The recipe and ingredients are simple.  Making tortillas takes a little time and a bit of labor, but it is oh so worth it!

Combine flour, salt and oil in a food processor.  (If you don't have a food processor, I'm sure you could cut the dough with a pastry cutter or forks like you would a pie dough.)

Using the dough hook, pulse until the mixture resembles crumbly, wet sand.  If necessary, push the mixture off of the sides.

When the consistency is right, slowly pour in the hot water.  Allow to mix until the dough becomes a sticky ball. 

Remove the dough and place in a  large bowl.  Knead the dough about 30 times until it becomes smooth.  It will be very sticky at first. 

Allow the dough to rest for 45-60 minutes.  This gives you some time to clean up your mess and eat the left over dough, like the baby and I did.  :)  (Remember my love of dough?)

Once the dough has rested, divide it into little balls.  This batch made 16 hand-sized tortillas.  You can make them larger or smaller if you wish.

Using a rolling pin (or a tortilla press, if you have one), roll the ball into a thin tortilla.  Don't worry if it's not perfectly round.  They all taste the same.  :)

Now it's time to cook them up!  While you're rolling, heat up a skillet (I used a non-stick) over medium-high heat.  Place one tortilla in the skillet.  Cook for about 30 seconds per side.  Remove it from the pan and keep on cookin'! 

When you're done, resist from eating the entire plate.  I wrap mine in paper towels and then in foil.  I put them in the fridge until dinner time.  I have read that tortillas freeze easily, but I haven't tried it.

Tortillas can be used for almost anything, whether it's a breakfast burrito, sandwich wrap, or in our case tonight, steak fajitas.  :)

Whole Wheat Tortillas

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 tsp salt
1 cup hot water

Combine first three ingredients in food processor.  Pulse until mixture is the consistency of wet sand.  Add water and continue to mix until it becomes a ball of sticky dough.  Place dough in a large bowl and knead about 30 times until smooth.  Allow the dough to rest for about 45-60 minutes.  Divide the dough into 16 balls.  Roll each ball into a thin tortilla.  Heat a pan over medium high heat.  Cook the tortilla for 30 seconds per side.  Eat, refrigerate or freeze. 

Enjoy!