In lieu of a more in-depth update from this self isolation here are things I’ve learned about making faux tortillas and flat breads:
- The thinner the better
- Hot pan is good. Dry pan even better
- If needs be, oil the uncooked tortilla instead of the pan
- Many many many recipes call for baking soda — I have no clue why. Almost none of those same recipes call for any acid. Without an acid to activate and/or neutralize the baking soda the tinny, acrid taste hangs around. No bueno. To counter act this I’ve tried adding a wee bit of lemon juice, but best I’ve found is to completely forego the ingredient altogether
- I’ve been kneading mine by hand for 4 minutes, dividing into golf ball sized parcels, allowing to rest for a few minutes, and then rolling flat with a big old (like 100+ years old) rolling pin
The rolling pin I use is supposedly one of the only things my great grandmother’s family brought with them from Europe when they fled to America.