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.
Excellent! I need to make tortillas tonight and think I may try out this recipe. Question: is it possible to sub something like coconut oil for the shortening? I don’t have any shortening on hand. I know coconut oil works great in place of shortening in pie crusts and other baked goods, so perhaps it will work with these?
Hi, I’m not sure how coconut oil would work though it sounds like something good to try. I’ve used butter and lard with good results though lately I’ve taken lard out of my diet. I haven’t experimented very much with other kinds of oils but I know olive oil is often used. I think others like peanut, corn , or safflower would be good substitutes. If I’m not mistaken, coconut oil has a lower smoking point temperature than most other oils so I would be interested to know if that affects the cooking. Lately I’ve been using 2 oz. (a full 1/4 cup)for the shortening instead of 1.7 oz. I’d love to hear about your results!