Sourdough Flour Tortillas (made with discard or not)
This sourdough flour tortilla dough takes 5 minutes to stir together, and after a brief rest, it's ready to be rolled and cooked. Homemade tortillas are so, so delicious, and so nice to have on hand for enchiladas and tacos of all kinds. Read on to learn two tips for homemade tortilla success!š®š®š®š®
Notes:
This recipe is adapted from this flour tortilla recipe, which is made with baking powder (as opposed to a sourdough starter). Regardless of which recipe you are using, there are two keys to success here:
Roll the dough as thinly as possible.
Get your skillet piping hot.
I love using my Le Creuset crepe pan for cooking tortillas.Ā
Recipe by Alexandra Stafford on October 3, 2020
Prep time: PT30M
Cook time: PT15M
Total time: PT45M
Rating
5 stars ( reviews)
Keywords
sourdough, tortillas, discard, flour, simple
Ingredients
210 g (1.5 heaping cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
7 g (1 1/4 teaspoons) kosher salt
56 g (1/4 cup) softened butter
100 g water (1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon)
100 g (1/2 cup) sourdough starter
Categories
Tortilla
Cuisine
Mexican
Steps
Whisk flour and salt together in a medium bowl. Using the back of a fork, cut the butter into the flour, mixing and smushing it until it is well incorporated into the flour. You can use your hands if necessary to further incorporate the butter into the flour.Ā
Stir in the water and sourdough starter and mix with a spatula until a shaggy dough forms. Use your hands to gently knead the dough in the bowl, if necessary, to get the mixture to form a rough ball.Ā
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for another 1 to 2 minutes or until it is smooth and not sticking to the work surface.
Cut the dough into 12 pieces for taco- or enchilada-sized tortillas or 6 pieces for burrito-sized tortillas. Shape each piece into a ball. (Video guidance here.)
Cover with a very light kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Be careful that your room isnāt too hot. Let the dough rest 30 minutes and up to two hours (at room temperature or 24 hours in the fridge. If you need to store the in the fridge, transfer balls to an airtight container.)
Roll out each ball to about 6 to 8 inches (taco size) or 10 to 12 inches (burrito size) in diameter, or till you can see the counter start to come through ā in other words, roll them as thinly as possible.
Heat a 12 inch non-stick or cast-iron pan (do not add any oil) on medium-high. Lay the tortilla in the pan and cook until it puffs and little brown spots on the underside appear. Turn with tongs or your fingers and cook again till lightly brown. Each tortilla takes about 60 seconds total to cook. If you like a bit of char, keep the tortilla in the skillet until it is charred on both sides. Note: Your first 3 to 4 tortillas may be on the pale side. This is just likely because your skillet isn’t up to temperature. Once you make a few, you’ll find your rhythm and adjust the heat as necessary depending on if you want more or less char.Ā
Once the tortillas cool, store them in an airtight bag or container at room temperature for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Reviews
Katie Ski on 2026-05-18 (5 stars): Just so good. Ā So soft. Ā Canāt eat other tortillas after making this. Ā Yes - It is more work than store bought. Ā But they are 1000 times better!
Lizzie on 2026-05-21 (5 stars): The taste is so good and it was super easy! They just came out kinda crunchy? I rolled them thin and they never puffed up while cooking. Any tips?Ā
Lizzie on 2026-05-24 (5 stars): I used king Arthurās unbleached all purpose flour and yes I used a food scale. I think I was rolling them too thin. Towards the end, I wasnāt rolling as much and they were softer but not super puffy. Trial and error! lolĀ
Lisett on 2026-05-24 (5 stars): I have struggeled with making tortillas before with the dough I tried being sticky and hard to roll thin. But this dough is lovely, so easy to work with, I can easily roll a tortilla while the other is on the pan so it is a quick process as well. Not buying store bought any more, thanks so much!
Nickie on 2026-06-06 (5 stars): The easiest, quick recipe with delicious results. Tortillas have a lovely soft texture.
Tracey on 2026-06-15 (5 stars): Love, love, love these! I have made these so many times, itās my go to tortillas! I use them for everything including Brekky wraps, steak wraps & even dipping for curries :-)
I hate wasting discard, so this recipe is perfect šĀ
I also love your bread & ciabatta recipes⦠thanks Ali x
Amy E on 2026-06-25 (5 stars): Just made them. Wow they were wonderful. And the video with the background questions and noises = delightfulĀ
Brookelynne Houston on 2026-06-28 (5 stars): Never left a review on a recipe before but these were amazing! Swapped out the all-purpose flour for 100% whole wheat flour and they came out perfectly! Going to try swapping the butter for a lighter oil next time. Great way to avoid wasting discard!Ā
Diana on 2026-07-01 (5 stars): Iāve made this recipe several times, for my family and for friends. Ā I tried making it with lard instead of butter, but the butter is so much tastier, in my opinion. Ā Iāve used my tortilla press successfully on a very well rested dough and I roll them a little more with a rolling pin to get them thin. Ā Excellent recipe and instructionsā¦and great tips. Ā Thank you!
Lina Bedard on 2026-07-01 (5 stars): I made these multiple time now and they are great. I weigh the balls and they are roughly 38-40 grams each. I usually double the recipe so weighing them makes it much easier.
Rachel on 2026-07-23 (5 stars): I never leave comments but I had to for this recipe which I have made over and over again. It never misses and is so easy. The tortillas are soooooo much better than store bought. My only issue is stopping everyone in the house (including myself) from eating them all hot out of the skillet before I can use them for dinner.
Nina on 2026-07-26 (5 stars): Thanks for this great tortilla recipe! Ā So easy, uses up discard and they are very delicious! I have made many times and shared recipe with friends. Ā I like to sub ghee for the butter. Ā
Pam P on 2026-07-31 (5 stars): So easy & delicious! I made a triple batch for a gathering & so my family could also taste test them-thank you!
Mikayla on 2026-08-03 (5 stars): Absolutely delicious!!Ā
Lidia on 2026-08-09 (5 stars): Iāve been making these for a few years at this point so figured it was time to leave a review š absolutely everyone that eats these at my house raves about them.. and eats them just plain sometimes. They are just delicious, thank you for another amazing recipe š
Lisa W. on 2026-08-12 (5 stars): My tortillas never puffed up in the skillet. Do you have advice on what I may have done wrong?
Sarah on 2026-09-02 (5 stars): Best tortillas I've ever eaten! These have become a staple in our home! We quadruple the recipe and it keeps so well in the fridge. We even tear off a hunk, roll it out and make a quick, crispy thin crust pizza in a pinch. I pulse the flour and butter in the food processor to make it even easier. Thank you for sharing all of your beautiful recipes(:
Denice Garrou on 2026-09-09 (5 stars): I have been making them. This is a great recipe! I did have to substitute half the butter for avocado oil and they were fine! Thank you!
Cory Penttila on 2026-09-10 (5 stars): I do love this recipe! I have made it many times. I don't use a skillet though, I use a griddle. Flip one and put another on so there are always 2 on the griddle. Works wonderfully. I am making some right now with my refrigerated discard. Works fine for me.
Adriana on 2026-09-26 (5 stars): These are SO good!!! First time making them with butter. Will double next time. THANKS
Mignon on 2026-09-28 (5 stars): These are so good, fluffy, easy and quick to make and easy to roll out. So glad I found this recipe :)