Tortillas flour and sun in Paris!

The spring has arrived in France with 15 days in advance! And it is true that this year we have not really had winter. Last year at the same time, it was snowing in Paris and it was so cold.

With this temperature change we want other dishes than soups or comfort foods.

While I have a list of winter meals to offer, I opted for a recipe for wheat tortillas flour.

They are perfect for a simple and light meal, « an almost summer dish! »

Tortillas flour are most often found in “Tex Mex” restaurants.

The Tex Mex food is an American invention that is dated at the time of the gold rush when the Cowboys had colonized northern Mexico. This kitchen is an adaptation born of the Southern United States ingredients to Mexican kitchen.

This fusion remains deeply in some Southern states of the USA, like Texas.

Those who expect to find Tex Mex dishes in Mexico can be disappointed.

But as the rich heiress of the Aztec culture, Mexican kitchen is so delicious and subtle,it quickly dissipates those disappointments.

If the standard tortilla in Latin America remains the * nixtamalised corn flour tortilla, there is a multitude of recipes for wheat flour tortillas in the World and even in countries where it originated! 
Some do it with lard and butter, others only use lard. Some add baking powder in the paste and some do not.

I chose a simple recipe that requires few ingredients and gives light and flexible tortillas.

Here's what you’ll need for these wheat tortillas.

Note: * The nixtamalization

Ingredients: (for about 8 tortillas 7/8 inch diameter)

• 275 gr or 1 cup and 3/4 cup  wheat flour or all-purpose flour
• 6 grams or 1 tsp baking powder
• 3 grams or 1/2 tsp  salt
• 240 ml or a cup warm water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or regular oil

Method:

 If you knead by hand in a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt.

Add two tablespoons of olive oil.

Pour the water gradually while kneading (the water you need depends on the type of your flour).

Knead the dough for at least 7 minutes. It should be soft and smooth.

Oil the bowl and the top of the dough.

Cover the bowl and let stand for 1 hour in a dry place.

If you use your food processor as I did, add in the flour, baking powder and salt.

Then add the oil and half of the warm water.

Start kneading and pour the remaining water step by step to have a smooth and soft dough.

Knead for at least 7 minutes.

Lightly oil a bowl and the top of the dough and let it rest in a dry place for 1 hour.

One hour later, knead the dough by hand for 5 minutes.

Cut the dough into about eight equal parts and form into balls the size of a ping pong ball. 
Oil the bowl and the dough again, cover and let stand for 40 minutes.

Heat a frying pan or a Comal (about 25/30cm diameter ) over high heat.

Dust lightly your kitchen worktop and your rolling pin with flour.

Roll each ball of dough thinly without pressing too much.

Cook for about 40 seconds on each side.

Store each tortilla cooked in a clean cloth and in a dry place.

To enjoy tortillas several possibilities:

Spread cream cheese over your tortilla ( Philadelphia for example) in the center add pieces of roasted or fried chicken, lettuce and tomatoes, sprinkle with grated cheese and roll the tortilla gently.

Or Spread cream cheese over your tortilla, in the center add two tablespoon of chili con carne, grated cheese and roll it.

Tortilla can also be eaten with ham, cream cheese and thin slices of zucchini or cucumber sprinkled with fresh herbs (parsley, salad) and salt .

The possibilities are endless...

Tips:

To save time and have nice round tortillas, you can use a tortilla press.

You can make a lot of tortillas and freeze them.

What about you? How do you do your tortillas?
Thank you for reading and for your comments,
Take good care of you.