Homemade Flour Tortillas

Method

1. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to a large mixing bowl and mix together.
2. Add the lard to the dry ingredients. Work it into the flour with your hands until the fat is thoroughly incorporated.
3. Begin adding the warm water a little at a time, mixing by hand as you go. Do not dump all of the water in at once.
4. Continue adding water only until the dough begins pulling together into a ball. Approximately 1 1/2 cups total, but the exact amount can vary with the flour and humidity.
5. Once the dough has come together, scrape the bowl clean and continue working the dough until all of the loose flour is incorporated.
6. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. The dough should bend and stretch rather than crack apart.
7. Form the dough into a ball, return it to the bowl, and cover with a towel or plastic wrap.
8. Let the dough rest for approximately 15–20 minutes.
9. Lightly flour the work surface. Divide the rested dough into individual portions and shape them into smooth balls. Make larger portions for burrito-sized tortillas and smaller portions for regular tortillas.
10. Keep the dough balls covered while working so they do not dry out.
11. Preheat a comal or flat griddle over medium heat. In the reel, the burner is set around 4–4½.
12. Flatten one dough ball and roll it into a thin tortilla. Rotate the dough about 90 degrees as you roll to help maintain a round shape. Dust lightly with flour if it begins sticking.
13. Lay the tortilla onto the hot comal.
14. Cook for about 15 seconds, until bubbles and blisters begin forming.
15. Flip and cook for approximately another 15 seconds, until lightly browned in spots and cooked through.
16. 1. Transfer the finished tortilla to a towel-lined bowl or basket and keep covered while cooking the remaining tortillas. This helps keep them soft.