Einkorn Flour Tortillas

Hi. I want to talk to you today about a recipe that we get a lot of questions

about. It's one that we make almost weekly here at our house. It's

einkorn flour tortillas. They're so versatile. We use them for breakfast, breakfast wraps. We use... I like to melt butter, heat them up a little bit in the

in my cast iron griddle, spread butter on it, and just put some cinnamon and sugar

on it. It's so good. You know, of course, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, those kinds of

things. But, I mean, they're just so versatile. You can do all kinds of things with them. So, if you're not familiar with einkorn, we have a post, several posts, on

the Farmer's Lamp. But one in particular is what einkorn flour is. And then, if

you're... there is a learning curve with it. So, we have a post on there, our best

tips for baking with einkorn. So, you can find those on the Farmer's Lamp. But

let's get right to your questions. Why do I have to use baking powder in my flour

tortillas? Well, baking powder is a raising agent. I'm sure you know that. It

makes things light and fluffy. If you're not comfortable with using baking

powder, store commercial baking powder, then we have a recipe on the Farmer's

Lamp to make your own. So, you can control the ingredients. But, there is a non-GMO

variety of baking powder that we buy. When I don't make it, when I have to

have it real fast, I buy that. So, it's available. Next question. What can I

substitute for lard or shortening in flour tortillas? Now, I do not

use shortening. I do not use canola oils or corn oils or any of those unhealthy

oils. What I use in our house, we use grass-fed butter. We use lard from

grass-fed pigs and coconut oil. I use avocado oil for my mayonnaise, homemade

mayonnaise, which that recipe is also on the Farmer's Lamp. And, we use olive oil

And so, those are the ones we use. If you do not want to use butter, I would

recommend using lard. Oils give it a different texture and taste. I would not

use shortening at all because of all the unhealthy ingredients in it. I usually

use lard, but I do use butter sometimes. I think in this recipe, I say butter

because more people have access to good butter than they do lard. But, you can

interchange those. I want to say a word about coconut oil and einkorn. I have

done hours of research over the internet, and I cannot discover the answer to this

problem. But, coconut oil and einkorn flour, they just don't do well together

All of my recipes that I've tried with coconut oil, they turn out crumbly. They

crack. They just don't hold. There's some texture problem there. And, if anybody

knows the answer to my question, I wish you'd let me know because I've spent

hours looking for the answer to that because I use coconut oil for so many things. Why do my flour tortillas crack? Well, there's a few causes for that. That

could be the cause for that. The first reason is that when you combine your

ingredients, they're not sufficiently moist. Different flours have different humidity levels. Where we are, our elevation is higher than where my folks

are down in Mississippi. So, you know, you have to account for that different

elevations require different humidity levels. So, you have to adjust your water

just slightly, you know, more or less, until you get that texture that

you're looking for. Don't overwork einkorn flour. Einkorn flour, this was the biggest thing, the biggest adjustment I had to make when I

was switching to einkorn flour. And that is, it doesn't require the kneading that

modern flours do. Three minutes versus ten minutes. When we used to make our

flour tortillas from modern flour, I would knead it for ten minutes. Now, I

need it for three minutes and then I let it rest for ten minutes. So, it's totally

different. So, if you're looking for some tips on baking with einkorn flour, be

sure to check out that post on the Farmer's Lantern. I've got all of my best tips in there. The third reason might be that you didn't give it the ten minutes

to rest. That is such a crucial step, is allowing the roll, the dough to rest

before you roll out your tortillas. I've skipped it, or I've tried shortening it

and I've had problems. It's caused failure either way. So, just for

consistently soft and flexible tortillas, let your dough rest that ten minutes. And the fourth reason is that the water wasn't hot enough to

completely dissolve the fat, either the butter or the lard, whichever you're

using. And that didn't, because it wasn't hot enough to melt that fat, it didn't

allow it to mix properly with all the other ingredients. So, the water should be

very hot, not boiling, but very hot. Just so hot that when you put your fingers in

it to knead it, you say, that's hot water. You know, you don't want it to burn

yourself, but it needs to be pretty hot. And then finally, this was something that

I had to help my daughter with. You're rolling them too thin, or not thin enough

There's a perfect balance. And I find it difficult to roll them too thinly, but

obviously it can be done, but it can happen. But too thick is usually the

problem. So, you're leaving them a little too thick for them to cook properly. What

can I use if I don't have a tortilla press? I don't have a tortilla press. I

found that just using my rolling pin works great. Now, remember when you're

working with einkorn, you don't want to over flour them. You don't want to overwork them. So, your surface is only lightly floured, and then you just roll

and toss and roll and toss until you get it to the right thickness, thinness

however you want to look at that. Just be careful that you don't, you know

overwork it. What can I use if I don't have a tortilla press? I don't have a

tortilla press. I found that just using my rolling pin works great. Now, remember

when you're working with einkorn, you don't want to over flour them. You don't want to over... Why are my tortillas not puffing? Okay, well, there are three

possible reasons why your tortillas are not turning out right. You're not kneading

the dough long enough. That's gonna make it tough. That's gonna make your dough

tough. Now, einkorn needs a three full minutes, not two and a half, not two fifty

three, not three ten. It needs three minutes. Number two is, again, going back

to the not resting. You don't let it rest long enough before you roll them out. Again, I say that step is really crucial. And the third one is the dough is too

wet. Now, it will be difficult to, next to impossible, to roll them out if they're

too wet or to even cook them properly. So, I don't, I don't find that that happens

too often with people that I'm talking with when they're having problems making

the flour tortillas. But, it has happened. So, you know, just get that balance in

there. And, you know, allow yourself the grace to make mistakes and failures

We've eaten many crumbly tortillas while I was adjusting these recipes and

getting things. Fortunately, my family aren't very picky eaters. So, you know

that worked out okay. How thin should you roll your flour tortillas? You roll your

tortillas until they are thin enough that you can see light through them when

you hold them up. Now, you will be able to tell if they're thin enough without

holding them up as you gain experience. So, like I said, give yourself some, some

room. I know that einkorn flour is a little more expensive than modern

flours. So, you don't, you want to avoid the waste. So, that's why I have my tips

That's why I have these recipes that I've honed using einkorn flour. So, just

follow the recipes. And, if you run into anything like these people have, you, you

question me. Send me a comment on the post or send me an email and I'll help

you. Now, if you don't roll your tortillas thin enough, they're, they're not gonna be

soft and pliable. They'll be more like a pita bread, kind of. So, you want to avoid

that. Do homemade flour tortillas have to be refrigerated? No, they do not. I store

mine. Years ago, a lady gave me a cloth bag that she made for cooking potatoes

in the microwave. And, we don't use a microwave. And, I didn't tell her that

because she was a sweet old lady and she was trying to give me something that she had made. So, I was, I thanked her for it and I didn't know what I was gonna do

with it. And, then the next time I made tortillas, I was like, that bag is the perfect size. So, I put mine down inside that cloth bag that she made me and

then I put that bag down inside a plastic bag or a bowl. So, that's how I

store mine. They keep a little longer than a week in the fridge. They'll last a

week on your counter. In the fridge, they may last 10 to 12 days. When I say last, I

mean be the freshest. So, that's how I store my tortillas. You will figure out

what you prefer to do. Some people, now the thing about it is, before you store

your tortillas, be sure they're completely cool. Okay. You don't want to

put warm tortillas in a bag because then you're gonna have a moisture problem. Then, you're gonna have, they're gonna fall apart and all that stuff. So, we've

covered all of your questions, I think. Let me look right here and see if they've

got any other questions. I think I've covered them all. So, how to store

homemade tortillas. Now, like I said, I place mine in my bag in the food storage

You can wrap them in a kitchen towel or paper towels, whatever you want to use

Cover that with aluminum foil and then put them in a storage bag. Now, be sure, if

you are using aluminum foil, that it's not in contact with your tortillas

because it is aluminum. Okay. And, you never want your food in contact with

aluminum. I don't, anyway. Everybody has to make their own decision about that. But

that's, you know, how I feel about it. If you want to keep them longer than a week

to ten days, then I would say put them in the refrigerator. Now, that will keep

them, like I said, ten to twelve days. Can I freeze, can you freeze your tortillas

Absolutely. Allow your flour tortillas to cool fully before you freeze them. So

once they're cooked and you put them on your cooling rack or however you want to

cool your tortillas, you put them on there and you let them, I lay a dish

towel across my cooling rack and then when I cook them, I lay them over on that

and I throw that dish towel over the top of them. The heat can escape through that

dish towel, but it will also keep them moist and keep them from drying out in

the air. So, that's how I cool mine. So, they're completely cool and you're ready

to freeze them. Take a piece of, I use unbleached parchment paper, but you can

use butcher paper. You can use plastic wrap if you use that. You can even use

paper towel if you want to do that. I find paper towels don't work as well

because it can stick to the tortilla as it freezes. So, I would say butcher paper

parchment paper, or plastic wrap. And in between each tortilla, you're gonna place

a piece of that, whatever you decide to use, and you're gonna put a tortilla, then

put another piece of that. And that way, it keeps them from sticking together. That way, you can just reach in the freezer, grab three or four and have them, you

know, ready to go. You don't have to thaw out the whole bag to peel off what you

might want and you'll lose some, too, if they stick together. So, then you wrap

that stack in freezer paper or foil paper, however you, whatever you want to

do, and then put it in a freezer bag and put it in the freezer. They will keep two

months in your freezer. And again, I say keep. That's at their freshest. They won't

have any, shouldn't have any freezer burn. After that point, you're gonna risk

freezer burn, loss of nutrition, and those kinds of things. So, now we've got them

stored. We've made them. How are you gonna warm them up? Now, this is, um, there's

just so many ways to do this. These are just the top ways that we do it, okay, or

the ways my friends have done it. So, if you have a better way, that's great. Be

sure to share it with me. Because, whether fresh or frozen, they're so

versatile. Reheating your tortillas, it's, it's a good thing to know how to do. I

usually preheat my cast-iron griddle, same one I cooked them on, and just put

them on there just for a few seconds. You know, just heat them up. Now, remember

they may be more fragile now because they've been frozen. So, if your skillet

isn't, don't get your skillet hot, hot. You just want it warm. You want it over a

medium heat and cook it for 20 or 30 seconds on each side. Before I would do

them that way, before I, I don't freeze mine because they don't last that long here. In the past, I have, on occasion, when the kids were coming in and I needed

them, allow them to get to room temperature for five to ten minutes

before you cook them. And they're not gonna be completely thawed, but that's

enough where it won't shock them when they hit the hot skillet. You can warm

them in the oven. You can take them out of the freezer or out of your bag, on

your counter or refrigerator, however many you want. Preheat your oven to 350

degrees. Wrap them in parchment paper or a damp dishcloth and put them in the

oven for 10 to 15 minutes, just until they're warm. This is a good method for

reheating the whole batch. So, you can have tacos or fajitas or make enchiladas

or something. That's a really good way to get them ready to roll. You can use

steam. Now, I have done this and I was, I was okay with it. It was, it's not my

favorite way to do it, but it has been done. So, to reheat your tortillas using

steam, you can wrap them in parchment paper and then wrap that in

aluminum foil. And I use my Instant, I use my Instant Pot for just everything. I use

it every day. But, especially for this, it works pretty good. You put some, two

inches of water in there. Put your trivet in there. Then, you've got your tortillas

that are wrapped in parchment paper and then that's wrapped in aluminum foil. And you set it down in there and you put it on steam for five to ten minutes. Or, you

can use any kind of steamer you want, but five to ten minutes, depending on how

many you're heating. Of course, the fewer that you're reheating, you know, you go

closer to the five-minute side. Be careful when taking them out because the

foil is going to be hot. Okay. And I just, just told you that I do that in the

Instant Pot. So, I wanted to share with you how I do that. Now, a way that my

husband discovered, actually, is to reheat them on the barbecue grill. And, actually

I really like that. You've got your grill going, you know, you're cooking your meat

or your steak or whatever it is that you're, your veggies, whatever you're grilling. And then, you place the flour tortillas on the grill and you just keep

flipping them. You don't want them close to the coals, you know. You want them as

far away from the coals as you can or on the highest grill rack. But, anyway, you just

flip it until they're warm. Just, you know, don't lay them on there. Let them rest

Unless you like them charred. My mother loves everything charred. So, she would be

fine with a charred tortilla. Now, I want to give you some tips about making

homemade and corn flour tortillas. And this, remember, any and corn flour tortilla

recipe can be made using regular all-purpose flour, your favorite all-purpose flour. I do have an all-purpose flour tortilla recipe on the

Farmer's Lamp because that's what I started out, you know, years and years ago when I started the Farmer's Lamp, I was using that organic flour. So, anyway, tips

When you're measuring your flour, make sure to sift it or stir it first. When

your flour is sitting in your canister, you know, it's kind of compact. So, take a spoon, stir it up. I sift my flour. I have just a regular flour sifter, you know

the kind you turn with the handle to crank it through. I do, I sift it and then

I measure it. It just avoids an incorrect measurement. The flour to

liquid ratio in this recipe is balanced. So, you only alter it if you have a

different elevation, if you live in an area that's, you know, real humid, that you

don't need as much moisture. You work with it a little bit yourself, but I mean it's just a fraction either way that you need to go. If you alter the moisture in

this recipe the way I've got it, then you may get a different outcome. So, you know

be sure that you consider that when you're making your alterations. I don't

recommend using whole wheat flour in this recipe because the tortillas will

have a cardboard texture and they won't heat up well. That's whole wheat

ankorn flour. I've never made them with whole wheat, you know, modern flour, so I

don't know about that, but I can speak to ankorn whole wheat flour. They don't heat

up well. If you are going to consume them fresh, like you're gonna make them

and then make tacos, then that it might work decently for you. I would

stress again, kneading. They only need three minutes of kneading and then they

need ten minutes of resting. Both of those for ankorn flour tortillas are

crucial, okay, and your tortillas should turn out perfectly. You can divide

the dough into as big or as little as you want the tortillas. So, let's say you

want to make taco tortillas. Your dough balls need to be smaller when you divide them up, so you may get out of this recipe 10 to 12 taco

shells. We like the bigger size because we use them a lot for breakfast burritos

and then I make enchiladas with them. So, we like the bigger size, so I normally get

eight. Sometimes, if I want really big, if we're gonna, you know, eat them right then

I'll do six, but usually I get eight in a nice size and they're not gonna be round

Mine are round-ish, so don't expect a perfect, like you're gonna get in the

grocery store shaped tortilla unless you use a press, and I do have some friends

who use their tortilla press and they love it. I borrowed it to try it and I

was happier, probably because that's what I was accustomed to, but I was happier

just rolling it out, you know, and having my round-ish shaped tortillas, but again

the kneading and the resting time, they're key. When you're rolling out your

flour tortillas, avoid over-flouring the surface. Remember, this can cause them to

be dry and they can crack, so you only want enough flour on there, on your

surface, to keep it from sticking. If you're, if you're, when you're rolling

your flour tortillas, if they keep springing back while you're rolling them

and if you haven't had this problem, great. If you have or we do run into it

here's what, here's what you need to do. If you're rolling out your tortillas and you get it rolled out and then it just shrinks right back to the size that it

was, or it rolls back up, just let it rest for five more minutes and then try

again, and if it does it again, then let it rest one minute, I mean five minutes

and then try again, and just do it in five minute increments until they stop

resting. It may be the humidity in your house, maybe the temperature in your house, but just, just try one, you know, don't roll them all out and then decide

just try one, and if it keeps springing back, then it needs to rest a little bit

longer. So, there you have it. You know how to make homemade einkorn flour

tortillas, the recipes on the Farmer's Lamp. I think I've answered everybody's

questions. If I missed yours, shoot me an email, go to the post and make a comment

and enjoy them however you want them. Making your own einkorn flour tortillas

at home is a great way to get the whole family involved. Our granddaughter loves

to make tortillas, so gather everybody around, make something delicious. Until next time, safe and happy journey