Sourdough Tortillas: Easy and Nourishing

Sourdough tortillas require a little planning, but it is worthwhile to do for your next taco night. Choose from different fat options to create soft and nourishing tortillas for your family’s needs.

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When I first started my sourdough starter, his name is Tom, back in August 2000 I thought I would just be using it to make loaves of scrumptious, soft bread.

But one of the great things about having a sourdough started in your kitchen is that you can use it to make so many goodies that are more nutritious and easier to digest than anything you will find in the grocery store. And the food you make yourself just plain tastes better!

I have made baked goods like chocolate chip cookies. Pancakes are a weekend staple!

Lately, sourdough tortillas have been part of my routine, almost weekly, even if we are not having a taco night. Cheese quesadillas are a favorite lunch for my oldest kiddo.

What makes sourdough tortillas more nutritious?

As with making sourdough bread, the fermentation process of tortillas makes them more nutritious.

The beneficial bacteria in a starter multiplies and predigests the grain. When the grain is pre-digested it requires less work for your body to break it down into usable compounds.

Fermentation also breaks down phytic acid in the grains. This is important because within the body phytic acid binds with vitamins and minerals, like B vitamins, and carries them out of the body via the digestive system. Continually eating grains that have not been properly prepared will cause deficiencies.

Ingredients

• Flour – Organic unbleached all-purpose flour is best so that you avoid toxins.
• Salt – choose high-quality sea salt. I love Redmond’s Real salt.
• Water – Filtered water is the ideal choice.
• Fat – Bacon grease, butter and coconut oil all work beautifully when making sourdough tortillas! No matter which fat you go with, be sure it is at room temperature so it easily works into the dough.
• Starter – 100% hydration sourdough starter.
• Cassava Flour – Use cassava flour when rolling out the dough.

Tools needed

You do not need a lot of tools to make sourdough tortillas but a few key tools will make the job easier.

A glass bowl with a lid to mix and store your dough.

You will need a rolling pin to roll out the dough into round tortillas. Okay, okay, it takes practice to get them round so maybe your tortilla will not be completely round…but they will be close and they will still taste delicious! I have some tips for you below to help with this.

Cast iron skillet or grill pan. You can use a stainless steel pan but I really believe that you get better results with cast iron. Cast iron holds its heat so nicely and if cared for properly, it has a non-stick surface.

If you will be making these to eat later, pull out your favorite wire cooling rack.

Use parchment paper to separate each sourdough tortilla if you are going to freeze and wish to pull one or two out at a time.

How to make

1. Whisk together flour and salt in a medium bowl.
2. Add fat to flour and salt, cutting it into the mixture with the back of a fork until well combined.
3. Add water and sourdough starter and stir. You may need to use your hand to get all the flour worked into the dough.
4. Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead until it is no longer sticky and the surface of the dough ball is smooth.
5. Place back into the bowl, cover, and allow to ferment for 12-24 hours on the counter. You can extend the fermenting time by placing the dough in the frig at any time, I have gone as long as 72 hours after 2 hours of room temperature fermentation.
6. Once fermentation is complete, transfer the dough to a counter that is dusted with cassava flour.
7. Cut dough into 8 to 12 pieces, and shape it into balls.
8. Using a rolling pin, roll each dough ball out into thin tortillas. *If you put your dough in the frig to ferment, allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling out.*
9. Heat a cast-iron skillet or grill pan on medium-high heat. Place tortilla on the hot pan and cook until it puffs up and small brown spots form on the underside. Turn with tongs and cook until lightly brown. This should take about 30 seconds per side. Adjust heat as needed.
10. Enjoy immediately or cool on a wire rack and store for later use.

How to store sourdough tortillas

These will keep in the refrigerator for a week.

If tortillas are not needed for my meal plan, I will mix up a batch and just pop them in the freezer for later use.

Once cooked, place the sourdough tortilla on a wire rack until completely cool then transfer to a ziptop bag.

You can put a piece of parchment paper between each tortilla if you wish. This step would be handy if you plan just to pull out one shell at a time.

If you are using all the shells in one meal, you can totally skip the parchment. Once fully defrosted, the tortilla will separate easily.

Tips

Rolling tortillas does take practice but I have a couple of tricks for you to make the job easier:

• Turning the dough ball about 1/8 of a turn between each roll of the rolling pin will help you to achieve a rounder tortilla.
• Flip the tortilla from front to back a few times. This will not only help to get a round shape, but it will also help prevent the tortilla from sticking to the rolling pin.
• And remember, even if the tortilla isn’t perfectly round, it will still taste great!!

Pin this recipe so you have it available for your next taco night! You will not regret it.