Soft Flour Burrito Tortilla

Why I stopped buying tortillas at the store

prep time: 20 min

cook time: 10 min

Stack of soft homemade flour burrito tortillas with golden brown spots - Hungry Mockingbird

Once you make homemade tortillas, it’s hard to go back. These soft flour burrito tortillas are tender, stretchy, and way more flavorful than anything in the bread aisle. I originally made them for my Spicy Caesar Salad Wraps (which I highly recommend trying) but they’re versatile enough for breakfast burritos, quesadillas, or whatever’s hanging out in your fridge. The key here is hot water and a good rest, don’t rush either and you’ll get that perfect fold-without-cracking texture every time.

Yields: 8 large (10–12”) tortillas | Prep: 20 minutes | Rest: 30–40 minutes | Cook: 10 minutes | Total: ~1 hour

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From the Kitchen

Why the Rest Matters: Don’t skip the rest time! Letting the dough rest after kneading gives the gluten time to relax, which makes the tortillas easier to roll out and helps prevent them from shrinking or springing back. Rested dough = soft, flexible, easy to handle tortillas.

The Role of Hot Water: Using scalding hot water helps hydrate the flour more quickly and encourages a bit of gelatinization in the starch, which leads to a softer, more tender tortilla that stays pliable even after cooking. This is especially important when you’re not using any dairy in the dough.

Why This Works:

Scalding hot water gelatinizes the starch for a tender, pliable tortilla, and a 30–40 minute rest relaxes the gluten so they roll thin without springing back

Stack of soft homemade flour burrito tortillas with golden brown spots - Hungry Mockingbird

Soft Flour Burrito Tortillas

Ingredients

3½ cups all purpose flour 475g
1 tsp baking powder
2½ tsp kosher salt
¼ cup lard, shortening, butter, or neutral oil 60g — like avocado or grapeseed
1¼ cup hot water 296ml — boil first, let cool 15-30 seconds, then measure to account for evaporation

Instructions

Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl (or stand mixer with dough hook), combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
Add fat: Add lard or oil and work it into the flour using your hands, a pastry cutter, or a fork until the texture becomes sandy and crumbly.
Add scalding hot water: Slowly pour in hot water while mixing. Stir until a shaggy dough forms.
Knead the dough: Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky (add flour as needed). If using a stand mixer, knead with a dough hook for about 6 minutes.
Rest: Cover the dough with a towel or plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30–40 minutes. This relaxes the gluten and is essential for soft, flexible tortillas.
Divide and roll: Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each into a ball. To roll out: lightly flour your surface. Roll up-down, up-down without pressing all the way to the edges. Turn dough 90°, repeat. Flip and repeat the roll, turn, flip pattern until you have a 10–12” round tortilla.
Cook: Heat a dry comal or skillet over medium high heat (optionally rub with a little butter for flavor). Cook tortillas one at a time for 30–45 seconds per side, until brown spots appear and they puff slightly. Don’t overcook, tortillas should stay soft and flexible.
Keep warm: Stack cooked tortillas in a clean kitchen towel. They’ll steam gently and stay warm and pliable for serving.