White whole wheat flour tortillas

This recipe could be a variation of a previous post,  “Whole wheat flour tortillas”,  but I think this version deserves a write-up of its own.  White whole wheat flour makes an excellent substitute for  regular whole wheat flour in tortillas.  Or maybe I should say whole wheat flour makes a good substitute for white whole wheat.  The tortillas have a lighter and slightly sweeter flavor.  I much more favor the white whole wheat flour variety now that I’ve tested it out.  The tortillas are very delicious and compliment Mexican food very well.  The flour is milled from hard white spring wheat rather than red wheat.  It has the same kind of  nutritional benefits but because it lacks the tannin and phenolic acid, it is less bitter in taste.  Because I also use all-purpose flour, my recipe may not be healthy enough for die-hard whole wheat flour users, but you can certainly try increasing the level of white whole wheat flour and substitute something suitable for the vegetable shortening.

 

This makes 10  5 to 6 inch diameter tortillas

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup white whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 scant teaspoon salt

1.7 oz vegetable shortening (about 1/4 cup)

about 3/4 cup warm water

 

Mix together the flours, baking powder, and salt in mixing bowl.  Rub in the vegetable shortening until it is well dispersed in the flour mixture. Add most of the water and bring together to a coarse ball.  Slowly add more water as you begin to knead, adding just enough so that it forms a soft dough after 5 minutes of kneading. From my  rounds of testing, the dough never became completely smooth like it would with  all-purpose flour.  The dough should be neither sticky nor dry, but perhaps feel like the sticky side of a post-it.  Trying out the process a couple of times will help you get the knack.  Divide the dough into 10 portions.  Shape them into rounds and cover with plastic.  Let them rest about 1 hour.  Heat your iron skillet or comal  over medium heat and begin rolling out to about 5 1/2 to 6 inches in diameter.  Be sure to take the time to roll them out thin.  Lay them on the hot skillet and cook each side about 30 to 45 seconds.  If big bubbles form pop them to insure the tortilla is evenly cooked.  I store tortillas in the refrigerator by wrapping them in a kitchen cloth and putting them in a plastic bag.

All-purpose, white whole wheat, and whole wheat flours

All-purpose

White whole wheat

Whole wheat

Getting into specifics about the differences between the flours is subject for another post.  For now, maybe your curiosity about white whole wheat flour tortillas has been sparked.