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Sourdough Discard Tortillas

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These Sourdough Discard Tortillas are one of the easiest things you will ever make. It takes 5 minutes to stir together, then roll out and cook! These homemade tortillas are great for breakfast tacos, burritos, or even on Taco night!

If you are a sourdough baker like me and love being able to cut down on ingredients in your homemade foods, then starting with tortillas is a great place. Have you seen the list of ingredients that most store-bought tortillas have, including aluminum?

Making this easy recipe from scratch allows you to use just a few simple ingredients and they are much better for you. The best part is that this is a great way to use up some sourdough discard.

There is just something about fresh tortillas that takes those burritos and tacos over the top. Your friends will be wowed also that you make your own tortillas.

How to Make the Best Homemade Sourdough Tortillas

There are two factors to ensure you make the absolute best tortillas out there. For starters, the tortillas need to be rolled as thinly as possible. If you make them a little thicker, then they become chalupa shells.

When rolling them out, roll them so thin, that you can see the countertop through the dough. This will ensure that when fried up, they are the perfect thickness.

Secondly, when you place them in the pan, make sure the pan is HOT. Medium-high heat is a good place to start. If the skillet isn't hot enough, then the tortillas will puff instead of fry. It only takes a few seconds per each side to get the tortillas cooked correctly.

There is no fancy mixing or technique that you need to use. For this recipe, just flour, water, salt, and sourdough discard. That's it!

If you are looking for other sourdough discard recipes, check out my Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls, Sourdough Discard Dinner Rolls, or Sourdough Discard Corn Dogs.

What is Sourdough Discard?

Once you start making your starter, every day you have to discard half of the starter so that you can feed it. Instead of throwing that discard out, you can use it to make all sorts of delicious sourdough discard recipes like sourdough bread, cinnamon rolls, and more.

I store my discard in a jar in the fridge and pull it out when I want to make a new recipe. It has a slight sourdough taste so you will notice it for sure in all of the recipes you choose to make.

Ingredient List:

  • 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour (you can also use whole wheat flour if you prefer)
    • 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
    • 1/4 cup of salted butter (you can also use unsalted butter as well)
    • 1/3 cup of water (add an extra tablespoon of water if needed)
    • 1/2 cup of sourdough discard (do not use active sourdough starter)

Whisk the flour and salt together in a medium bowl. These are the dry ingredients. Next, cut the butter into the flour and salt. I use a fork and my hands to get this part done.

Now, stir in the water and the sourdough discard. Mix it with a spatula until a shaggy dough forms. Once the dough comes together, use your hands to knead the dough in the bowl.

Turn the dough out onto your work surface. Knead for a couple of more minutes until the dough becomes a smooth ball. It will not stick to the work surface at this point also.

Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces if you want street taco-size tortillas. For burrito size, cut the dough into 6 pieces. Now, roll each piece into a ball.

Cover the dough balls with a kitchen tea towel or plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Remove the clean kitchen towel and then, on a lightly floured work surface, roll out each ball to about 6″ to 8″ for taco size and 10″ to 12″ for burrito size. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin until you can see the work surface through the dough. You can use a tortilla press for this if you prefer, but I feel like you can get them thinner by using a rolling pin.

Heat a 12″ cast iron skillet or a non-stick skillet to medium heat. Lay one tortilla in and let it cook on one side until it puffs a little and little brown spots appear.

Turn the tortilla over and cook the other side until lightly browned. It should take about a minute to cook the tortilla on both sides. Each side should have golden brown spots on them. Don't worry if the first few come out pale. Sometimes it takes about 4 or 5 before you get the color down pat.

Once they are finished cooking, store the cooked tortillas in one of these warming bags and serve with your favorite taco components.

Or, if you're making homemade flour tortillas to stock up, let them cool to room temperature and then store them in an airtight container or a plastic bag on the counter for up to 5 days. If you need to cool them down faster, just place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cool them in the fridge for 2-3 minutes.

You can also freeze the finished tortillas for up to 3 months. I just place them between sheets of parchment paper so they don't stick together.

Love Easy Sourdough Recipes? Check These Out!

Yield: 6 to 12

Sourdough Discard Flour Tortillas

Sourdough Discard Flour Tortillas

These homemade flour tortillas taste amazing and it's a great way to use up some of the sourdough discard you have accumulated.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons of kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup of softened butter
  • 1/3 cup of water (can add an extra tablespoon if needed)
  • 1/2 sourdough discard

Instructions

  1. Whisk the flour and salt together in a bowl. Cut in the butter using a fork and your hands.
  2. Now, stir in the water, and the sourdough discard until a shaggy dough forms. I like using a spatula for that.
  3. Use your hands to knead the dough until a soft dough forms.
  4. Pour the dough out onto a flour work surface and knead a couple of more minutes.
  5. The dough will form a smooth ball and not stick to the surface.
  6. Now, cut the dough into 12 pieces for taco-size tortillas or 6 pieces for burrito-size pieces. Roll each piece into a ball.
  7. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
  8. Roll out each ball to 6-8" for taco size and 10-12" for burrito size. The dough should be thin enough that you can see the work surface through it.
  9. Heat a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Cook each tortilla for about 30 seconds on one side and then flip and cook for 30 seconds on the other side. If you like a little darker spots on your tortillas, you can cook them for a few seconds long on each side..
  10. Remove from the skillet and place in a warming bag or let them cool to room temperature and store them in an airtight bag for 5 days or you can freeze them for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 98Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 178mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 2g

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