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These Sourdough Flour Tortillas are super soft, perfectly bendable, and made with just five simple ingredients. They will elevate your taco night and favorite Mexican dishes and you will love how easy they are to make!
After learning how easy homemade sourdough flour tortillas are, you’ll never want to go back to store-bought tortillas again! And once you’ve mastered those, it’s just as simple to whip up other flatbreads like sourdough naan bread and sourdough pita bread—perfect for anything from weeknight dinners to scooping up your favorite dips.
Table of Contents
- Why you will love this recipe
- Important Ingredients and Substitutions
- Instructions to make Sourdough Flour Tortillas
- Recipe Tips
- How to long ferment Sourdough Flour Tortillas
- What to serve with Sourdough Flour Tortillas
- Storage instructions
- Recipe FAQ
- More sourdough Bread Recipes
- Sourdough Flour Tortillas Recipe
Why you will love this recipe
- You only need 5 ingredients that you likely already have on hand to make homemade sourdough flour tortillas.
- This recipe is quick and easy! It comes together in minutes with no rise time required, so you can have fresh tortillas ready to go in no time!
- The tortillas are soft, pliable, and go perfect with any of your favorite Mexican dishes such as tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, and more! And for dessert that night, be sure to make this Sourdough Tres Leches Cake!
Important Ingredients and Substitutions
- Flour – All-purpose flour helps make the tortillas soft. You can use whole wheat flour but the tortillas aren’t quite as soft.
- Butter – The butter gives the tortillas flavor and a soft texture. You can substitute lard if preferred, or you can use another oil, such as avocado oil or coconut oil, for a plant-based option.
- Sourdough discard or starter – Either sourdough discard or active sourdough starter will work for this recipe.
- Warm water – Use water that is 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Using warm water helps with the texture of the dough and helps relax the gluten, so the tortillas are easier to roll out.
See all the ingredients and amounts in the recipe card below.
Instructions to make Sourdough Flour Tortillas
Step 1: Mix flour and salt in a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Step 2: Chop the softened butter and add it to the flour mixture. Crumble between your fingers to create a sand-like texture.
Step 3: Heat the water and then mix with the sourdough discard. Pour water and starter mixture into the flour mixture and combine.
Step 4: Knead in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment on low for 5 minutes until a soft, smooth ball is formed. Alternatively you can mix the dough by hand.
Step 5: Let the sourdough tortilla dough rest for 10-20 minutes. Or you can place it in the fridge to ferment.
Step 6: Divide into 16 equal pieces or 12 if you prefer a larger tortilla, and shape into balls. Cover dough balls with a tea towel.
Step 7: Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Remove a dough ball and using a rolling pin, roll out on a lightly floured work surface. The dough needs to be extremely thin. Once translucent, place onto the hot skillet.
Step 8: Cook for about 30 seconds on the first side until it starts to bubble, and then flip it over.
Step 9: Cook on the other side for 10-15 seconds. Remove from the heat and wrap in a kitchen towel until ready to serve.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overcook them. Overcooking will make your tortillas hard and crispy instead of soft and pliable—40 seconds is about all they need.
- Use a preheated cast iron pan over medium heat. Cast iron holds heat well, which helps the tortillas cook evenly. Make sure it’s fully preheated before you start, and resist the urge to crank up the heat—high heat will burn the tortillas before they’re done.
- Roll them thin—almost translucent. You should be able to see light through the tortilla after it is rolled out. If you get a small hole, just pinch it closed.
- Don’t stress about perfect circles. Your tortillas will taste just as delicious no matter what shape they are. But if you’re aiming for round, this tortilla rolling tutorial can help.
How to long ferment Sourdough Flour Tortillas
To long ferment the dough for the sourdough flour tortillas, all you need to do is let the dough sit for a period of time before shaping. You can let the dough sit on the counter for a couple of hours or keep it in the fridge for 24-48 hours. The fermentation process is beneficial because it helps break down the gluten, which can make the tortillas easier to digest. Plus, this process will give the tortillas more of a sour or tangy flavor.
If you’re looking for more long fermented sourdough recipes be sure to try my overnight sourdough bread recipe, sourdough pizza dough, and sourdough hamburger buns.
What to serve with Sourdough Flour Tortillas
The ways to serve these sourdough tortillas are truly endless! Here are some ideas:
- Use them to make your favorite tacos, burritos, enchiladas, quesadillas, or wraps.
- For an easy sweet treat, make Cinnamon Sugar Tortillas or Baked Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips.
- Make an easy snack or side dish with Baked Flour Tortilla Chips served with Homemade Guacamole.
Storage instructions
To store cooked tortillas, add them to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. You can also store raw dough by wrapping the dough in plastic wrap and keeping it in the fridge for up to 48 hours.
To freeze these homemade sourdough tortillas, let them cool completely, then layer them with parchment paper in a freezer-safe bag or container to prevent sticking. They’ll stay fresh in the freezer for about 2 months.
Recipe FAQ
You do not need a tortilla press to make this homemade tortilla recipe! All you need is a rolling pin to get the dough very thin before cooking.
Yes, you can make your tortillas bigger if you desire. Dividing the dough into 16 pieces will give you approximately 8-inch tortillas, so you can divide it into fewer balls for bigger tortillas. Just be sure you have a pan or skillet large enough to fit the tortilla to cook it.
If you don’t have a cast iron pan, a regular skillet will still get the job done. That said, I prefer using cast iron because once it’s hot, it stays hot—making the whole process quicker and more efficient. Its heavy surface also ensures the tortillas cook evenly and develop the right texture.
Yes you can use sourdough discard or active sourdough starter in this recipe.
Most likely your tortilla is either not rolled out thin enough or the pan was not hot enough.
More sourdough Bread Recipes
Same Day Sourdough Recipes
Buttery Garlic Sourdough Naan Bread
Same Day Sourdough Recipes
Sourdough Pita Bread
Sourdough Bread Recipes
The Best Sourdough Sandwich Bread
Soft Sourdough Bread Recipes
Same Day Sourdough Dinner Rolls
Tried this Sourdough Flour Tortillas or another recipe from the site? I’d love to hear about it! Drop a star rating and share your thoughts in the comments—can’t wait to see what you’re baking!
Sourdough Flour Tortillas
Ingredients
- 420 grams all purpose flour, 3 cups
- 10 grams salt, 2 teaspoons
- 70 grams butter, softened, 5 Tablespoons
- 180 grams water (120℉), ¾ cup
- 180 grams sourdough discard or active starter, ¾ cup
Instructions
- Mix flour and salt in a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer.420 grams all purpose flour, 10 grams salt
- Chop the softened butter and add it to the flour mixture. Crumble between your fingers to create a sand-like texture.70 grams butter, softened
- Heat the water and then mix with the sourdough starter or discard. Pour it into the flour mixture and combine until a shaggy dough is formed. 180 grams water (120℉), 180 grams sourdough discard or active starter
- Knead in a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment on low for 5 minutes until a soft, smooth ball is formed. Alternatively mix the dough by hand for 5-7 minutes on a lightly floured surface.
- Let the sourdough tortilla dough rest covered for 10-20 minutes. Or you can place it in the fridge to ferment for up to 48 hours.
- Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces (about 50 grams each) and shape into balls. Cover dough balls with a tea towel.
- Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Remove a dough ball and using a rolling pin, roll out on a lightly floured work surface. Aim for an 8" circle. The dough needs to be extremely thin. Once translucent, place onto the hot skillet.
- Cook for about 30 seconds on the first side until it starts to bubble, and then flip it over and cook for another 10-15 seconds.
- Remove from the heat and wrap in a kitchen towel until ready to serve.
Notes
- Don’t overcook the tortillas. Cooking them too long will make them hard and crispy instead of soft and bendable.
- Make sure the pan is fully preheated before starting and resist the urge to crank up the heat—high heat will burn the tortillas before they’re done.
- Roll the tortillas as thin as you can without tearing them. If one gets a small hole simply pinch it closed and keep going.
- If the tortillas don’t bubble during cooking it is likely either the pan was not hot enough yet or the tortillas were not rolled thin enough.
- Don’t worry about making perfect circles. Your tortillas will be delicious even if they aren’t circles.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thank you for the Tortilla recipe. My first time making was a success! So quick and easy. That circle is actually harder than you think 😅.
Taste so good, nobody cared. 😋
Made them with discard.
Haha right there with you on the circles. They are overrated. Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
You’re going to love these quick and easy flour tortillas. With just 5 ingredients and a few minutes to mix the dough you’ll be enjoying homemade tortillas in no time!