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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!
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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.
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 perfectly 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.
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: Divide into 16 equal pieces (about 50 grams each) or 12 if you prefer larger tortillas, and shape into balls.
Cover dough balls with a damp tea towel or place on a lined sheet pan with a lid. Let them rest for at least 20 minutes or longer. As they sit they will relax making it easier to roll them out.
Step 6: Preheat a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
Remove one dough ball and, on a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll it into a roughly 10-inch circle. The dough should be rolled very thin, almost translucent. For easier rolling and more even round shapes, you can use a round silicone mat.
If the tortillas are springing back, let them rest a little bit longer before rolling.
Step 7: Cook for about 20-40 seconds on the first side until bubbles start to form and then flip it over.
If your tortillas are not bubbling, they are too thick or the pan is not warm enough.
Step 8: 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. Keep the coloring a light brown.
- Use a preheated non-stick pan over medium heat, making sure it’s fully heated before you begin. Avoid turning the heat too high, as this can cause the tortillas to burn before they’re cooked through. I don’t recommend using a cast-iron pan, since it retains too much heat and can make the tortillas less soft. A flat skillet works best, as it makes it easier to lay the tortilla down without hitting the edges, but it’s not necessary.
- 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.
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 or bag and store them on the counter for 2-3 days or 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 don’t need a tortilla press to make homemade tortillas! I’ve actually tested it myself and found that a tortilla press doesn’t get the dough quite thin enough for the best results.
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.
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
Same Day 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.
- Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces (about 50 grams each) and shape into balls. Cover dough balls with a damp tea towel or place on a lined sheet pan with a lid.
- Let the dough balls rest for at least 20 minutes or longer. This will make it easier to roll out the dough balls. Alternatively, place the dough balls in the fridge for up to 48 hours.
- Preheat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Remove a dough ball and, using a rolling pin, roll it out on a lightly floured work surface. Aim for a 10" circle. The dough needs to be extremely thin, almost translucent, and place on the hot skillet.
- Cook for about 20-40 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 while 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. I do find using a round silicone mat can be helpful.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
So good! How would I store unused tortillas?
To store cooked tortillas, add them to an airtight container or bag and store them on the counter for 2-3 days or 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.
So easy and so delicious! Have you tried rolling them out and freezing them? Or keeping them in fridge to cook at a later time?
Yes I have refrigerated them for up to 48 hours before cooking and it works great. You could probably push it another day or two.
I also have frozen them after cooking but I haven’t tested it pre-baking, although I think it would work.
LOVED this recipe and I will definitely be coming back to it. Having grown up in Central Texas, breakfast tacos were a big staple in my house, so it’s awesome to be able to make my own tortillas. The way mine turned out felt somewhat comparable to H.E.B. tortillas, which is a major plus. I made slightly smaller balls to make 20 instead of 16, and that felt like a great size to me. Thank you for blessing the internet with this recipe, Emily!
thanks so much, Natalie!
How would you store any unused tortillas?
How do you chop softened butter to a sand like texture?
I chopped the butter into small cubes, and then used my hands (per the instructions) to mix it with the flour/salt into a sand-like texture. That worked well for me!
SOOOO good! This recipe was very easy to follow and not complicated. The tortillas turned out great.
Thanks so much Sophia!
Thank you for the super easy and delicious recipe. I eat a breakfast taco nearly every morning so being able to make them from my sourdough stater is so great. Do you have any suggestions on how I could make them a little more carb friendly?
So glad you like them! I don’t have any good suggestions on lowering the carbs other than maybe making them smaller like a street taco size.