Whole Wheat Tortillas

Name: Whole Wheat Tortillas
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 4 min
Total time: 9 min
Ingredients: 170 g whole wheat flour; 70 g plain flour; 0.5 tsp Baking powder; 1 pinch Sea salt; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 150 ml warm water ((boiled and allowed to cool))

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Diet: Low Fat / Vegan

These delicious, soft and chewy whole wheat tortillas are so easy to make and will save you a fortune on store bought ones. Delicious for homemade wraps and tacos, you can make the exact amount you need, so there is no food waste. These are so much better than store bought ones and so easy to make too.

Tortilla wraps on a striped towel next to a rolling pin.

These are really simple to make - all done in one bowl and one pan and something we make every week for lunches and to go with dinner. If you haven't tried homemade whole wheat tortillas before, then you are missing out. The taste and texture is far superior to store bought ones, and they are far easier to make than you think.

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What you will need
Step by step
Why should you try it?
Health benefits
How to use them
FAQs
Extra tips
More bread recipes
Recipe
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What you will need

Flour - We have used both whole wheat flour and plain flour in these tortillas. Although these are whole wheat tortillas, we don't love the texture when they are made with just whole wheat flour. Adding some plain flour lightens them up a little and makes them a bit more fluffy.
Baking powder - This helps them to puff up in the pan and give them the nice charred bubbles.
Salt - A pinch of sea salt adds lots of flavour.
Oil and water - This will help to loosen up the dough and make it nice and smooth.

All the ingredients needed for this recipe with text overlay labels.

Step by step

One: Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

Two shot collage of flour and baking powder in a bowl, before and after mixing.

Two: Pour in the olive oil and using your hands, mix until you get a crumbly mixture.

Two shot collage of oil added to the flour and then mixed to a crumbly consistency.

Three: Add the water a little at a time. continue mixing until a smooth dough is formed.

Three shot collage of water added to the flour, then mixed into dough, then rolled into a ball of dough.

Four: Divide into 5 equal pieces. On a floured surface, roll each piece of dough into a circle around 22cm/9 inch in diameter.

Two shot collage of the dough ball cut into five pieces, then a piece rolled into a circle.

Five: Heat a frying pan (no oil) until hot - this will take 4-5 minutes. Cook each tortilla for 2 minutes each side.

Three shot collage of a tortilla cooking in a pan, first flat, then with bubbles, then with charred bits.

Why should you try it?

Cheap - These are super budget friendly and cost just pennies to make yourself. You probably have most of the ingredients in the cupboard already, so no need to buy anything fancy.
No waste - I don't know about you, but I usually end up throwing away a couple of store bought ones from the pack. We never eat them in time, so they go hard. With this recipe, you can make exactly how many you need, so there is no waste.
Minimal ingredients - You only have to look at the ingredients list on store bought ones to know they have lots of added ingredients. Just 6 ingredients go in to these, so no hidden additives.
Easy - These are so easy to make, they are a great recipe for kids to help get involved with. They will love getting their hands messy mixing everything up, and then they can help roll out the tortillas too.

Health benefits

Homemade tortillas are always going to be healthier than store bought ones, as they are freshly made with no hidden nasties to help store them. Just a few store cupboard staples and you have homemade tortillas that are a little bit chewier than store bought ones, but still easy to fold for a range of uses.

Whole wheat tortillas have more fibre in them than white flour or corn, and this will help you to feel fuller for longer. The calories are fairly similar to other store bought wraps though.

Two tortillas with charred bits on them.

How to use them

The great thing about these whole wheat tortillas is that there are so many different ways to use them. Anything you would use a store bought wrap for, you can use these. If you are using them for Mexican recipes, we would recommend sticking to tacos, rather than burritos, as these homemade whole wheat tortillas aren't quite as bendable.

Why not keep it simple by filling them with your favourite sandwich ingredients like Roast Chicken, Hummus or Falafel.

If you want to try one of Mexican recipes that include wraps, then we suggest Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos. Shredded Beef Tacos, Easy Halloumi Fajitas, Cajun Steak Tacos or Easy Fish Tacos.

A pile of tortilla wraps with a rolling pin in the foreground.

FAQs

How to store whole wheat tortillas

Yes, these are great for batch cooking as they store really well. You can keep them in an air tight container and they will store for 5 days.

Can whole wheat tortillas be frozen?

Yes, these freeze really well. Just make sure to put a layer of baking paper in between each tortilla otherwise they will stick together. You can then put them in a freezer bag.

How to reheat whole wheat tortillas

After these have been cooked and stored, you will need to reheat them a little to make them easier to fold. You can either do this in a pan or just put them in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Can you make these gluten free?

We haven't tried a gluten free version of this. But you could try swapping the flour for your favourite gluten free brand. Do let us know in the comments if you try this.

Extra tips

You need to use a really heavy based pan for this recipe.
The pan needs to be very very hot for these to cook. Heat your pan for a good 4 minutes before you add a tortilla to it. This will help it to puff up and give it those bubbles.
If you have a gas stove and want to give it a proper charred look, then hold each side of the tortilla over a flame for 30 seconds.

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