Well guys, I succumbed to those tempting, homemade flour tortillas this
afternoon after all....just to see if I could still make them.
Here are some notes to add to my previous post before you give them a try:
l. Do not get the griddle or skillet "VERY HOT." After preheating mine, I
cooked the tortillas on Medium to Medium Low heat (#6 and #5 on my electric
stove settings). After every third one or so, I wiped the skillet with a
slightly-oiled paper towel.
2. When I cooked them for "1 1/2 min. per side, until they had black spots
on them", they were too crisp and broke in half when I tried to fold or
roll them. But when I cooked them for only 1 minute per side, leaving
"brown spots", they remained soft and chewy.
3. Keep the dough balls (which came out to be about the size of ping-pong
balls) covered with a tea towel while you roll out the others
one-by-one...that way they don't dry out.
4. I rolled the dough balls out between a sheet of parchment paper (on the
bottom) and a piece of wax paper on the top (so I could see-through while I
rolled out the circle). I had to use a new piece of the wax paper about
half way through because it became too wrinkled and the dough began
sticking to it.
5. When rolling, I first pressed the dough ball flat onto the parchment
paper with my fingers (about 3-4 inches), then began by using the rolling
pin, pushing from the center out, then from the center toward me, then
turned the paper to finish rolling the circle...just like you would do
making a pie crust. I had better luck just rolling with the "pin" itself,
not using the rolling-pin handles.
6. I stacked the cooked tortillas in a stack like pancakes (on a paper
towel) while the rest were being cooked. They dried and cooled off very
well without getting dry or sticky.
NOW HERE IS THE SAD PART.....THEY JUST DON'T TASTE VERY GOOD!!! Look good,
are easy to make, but they have a BITTER taste! Recon' it's the baking powder?
Hope some of you traditional Mexican bakers can figure this one
out...especially before Melissa goes to the trouble to buy that Tortilla
Press!! Going to need another recipe, I think.
Thanks,
Jeanette from South Texas........(but evidently not south ENOUGH!!! hehehe)