Flour Tortilla/Flat Bread

The first year of college was definitely a time of experimentation with cooking for me. I had learned the basics of cooking from my parents while I was growing up, but until I moved out and started cooking for myself, I didn't really get the chance to learn how to cook what I actually would eat on a daily basis, instead of cookies and the like. Since I like Mexican food, I looked up a recipe for flour tortillas that I could make easily and found this one: http://www.texasrollingpins.com/tortillarecipe.html. Until now, I have had to return to this website every time I want to make this recipe because I have lost the cards I've written it down on a thousand times! I have never been able to make these tortillas well enough so that they look like true tortillas, but I have been very successful in making a light flat bread that is perfect for any sort of dish or meal where you eat with your hands (like Indian food!).

Ingredients
3 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
4-6 Tbsp. vegetable shortening
about 1 1/4 cups warm water

Procedure

1. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add vegetable shortening, using a fork or a pastry cutter to cut in the shortening or just do it the old fashioned way and use your hands.

2. Next add warm water a little at a time until your dough is soft and not sticky. You do not need very hot water.

3. Knead the dough for a few minutes.

4. Now you will pull off pieces of dough to form about 12 small dough balls. Let them rest for at least 10 minutes, longer if you like.

5. This is a good time to heat up the frying pan. You will want to set it at medium heat. If it is too hot the flatbreads will cook too fast.

6. Now you can roll out the dough with your rolling pin or your hands. It is a good idea to dust each ball with a little flour just before you roll them out. Roll them out fairly thin, but not too thin. Thinner makes more of a cracker; thicker makes more of a flatbread.

7. Spray the pan with cooking spray each time you make a flatbread. Lay your flatbread on the hot pan. It takes just a few minutes to cook. Flip to the other side. When they are done it should have lots of nice brown speckles. Place them in a towel. If you would like you can use a tortilla warmer to keep them warm longer.

They are ready to be served!