If you’re looking for easy homemade sourdough tortillas made from sourdough discard, this recipe is for you. You can choose to long-ferment this recipe for the gut-health benefits or choose a quick 30-minute option. Both are delicious and perfect for enchiladas, burritos or taco night.
One thing I love about from-scratch cooking is that I can whip up convenience foods with very little effort or time. These sourdough discard tortillas are no exception.
While I love these sweet potato tortillas and this Indian fry bread, there’s something about the flavor that sourdough starter adds to recipes.
Don’t get me wrong – I’ve purchased store-bought tortillas plenty of times in the past, but when I compare the ingredients list with that of my homemade options, it’s just a no-brainer to make them from scratch.
Tips for the Best Tortillas
This sourdough tortilla recipe is great as is, but there are a few tips you’ll want to follow to get those big puffy air pockets that brown up so beautifully and the soft, pliable consistency that won’t tear when folded.
- Let the Dough Rest – I know it’s tempting to rush the process, but honestly, you’ll end up fighting with the dough, and it won’t be an enjoyable experience. Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes (and 5-8 hours for digestive benefits). This helps the gluten relax, and the dough will roll out much easier.
- Add Fat – This recipe calls for “optional” oil, but I’ve found that if fat is used, the leftovers are a bit softer and more pliable. While you can make them without it (it does cut down on cost), I recommend trying the recipe with a fat source once to decide your favorite variation. I prefer olive oil, lard/tallow, coconut oil or butter).
- Roll them out thin—I’m talking thin, thin! You should almost be able to see the surface through the tortilla. This helps them not puff up as much when cooking.
- Heat Skillet – Obviously, we’re cooking these on a hot skillet. But if your first few tortillas don’t turn out as beautifully as the last, it’s probably because you didn’t wait until your pan was hot enough. Don’t be tempted to start cooking before your skillet is hot!
Why Add Sourdough?
While you can make delicious homemade tortillas without sourdough starter, anyone who bakes with sourdough knows there’s always plenty of sourdough discard to be used up in creative ways. This is just one more recipe to add to your sourdough arsenal!
Beyond that, if you’re allowing your dough to rest for 5-8 hours, you’re actually benefitting from the magic of sourdough that pre-digests the flour and makes these tortillas more digestible.
Best Pan For Cooking Tortillas
You all know I love my cast iron! The thing I love most about using it is that I don’t need to add any oil to keep the tortillas from sticking.
While you might be able to dry cook your tortillas in any pan, they may stick on something like a stainless steel surface. It will greatly depend on the fat used in the recipe.
I’ve also heard from readers that using a crepe pan works wonderfully! So, if you don’t have cast iron but have a crepe pan, then give that a try.
Remember, the key is a hot pan. So put on your patient cap and wait until the pan is fully heated before adding your tortilla.
How to Make Sourdough Tortillas
Supplies Needed
The beauty of making sourdough flour tortillas is there are very few supplies and ingredients needed!
- Large Mixing Bowl – I used an 8-cup glass measuring bowl, and it works perfectly for a single batch of sourdough tortillas. If doubling the recipe, you may need something larger.
- Dough Whisk – This Danish dough whisk is a MUST for sourdough baking!
- Rolling Pin – Nothing fancy needed here! Just a basic rolling pin will do. No tortilla press required.
- Skillet – See my notes above on choosing the best skillet for cooking sourdough tortillas.
- Measuring Cups or Food Scale – You’ll need measuring cups and spoons or a food scale (if measuring in grams).
Ingredients Needed
- Flour – All-purpose flour works best for this recipe
- Baking Powder – This can be omitted if you’d rather, but it does help the tortillas puff up slightly.
- Sourdough Starter – Sourdough discard works great for this recipe, no need to use up your active sourdough starter here!
- Water – More or less, depending on the consistency of your dough.
- Fat – Adding optional fat improves the texture and pliability of the tortillas. Though they can be made without fat (for a lower-fat option), adding the fat is recommended. This could be olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, lard, tallow or softened butter.
Step-by-Step Directions
- Measure out dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.
- Add the sourdough starter (it does not need to be in an active state), oil and water.
- Mix using the dough whisk, but don’t overmix; stir just until it’s combined. Depending on the thickness of your sourdough starter (its level of hydration), you may need to add a few more tablespoons of water or flour to get the dough to come together.
- You can knead the dough on the counter a few times to get all the ingredients incorporated.
- Place the dough ball back into the bowl and cover with a towel.
- Let the dough sit at room temperature and rest for 30 minutes. Resting it for 5-8 hours will let the sourdough break down more of the phytic acid in the flour. The longer it sits, the more sour flavor your tortillas will have. For a less sour flavor, rest for five hours.
- Divide the dough into six equal balls of dough (or four equal portions for burrito or wrap-sized tortillas).
- On a lightly floured work surface, flatten the dough ball with the palm of your hand, then roll it with a rolling pin to create a rustic circle. Turn the tortilla 1/4 turn after each pass with the rolling pin to help form a more uniform circle and to ensure the dough isn’t sticking to the counter.
- Cook in a preheated cast iron skillet until golden brown on one side. How long this takes will be determined by how hot your skillet is – use a spatula to check for doneness after you see a few bubbles forming on the top of the tortilla.
- Flip and cook on the other side until golden brown.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a plate. Cover with a towel until ready to serve.
- Best when served slightly warm.
How to Store Sourdough Tortillas
Want to make a large batch of sourdough tortillas for the whole week (or month)? These tortillas keep perfectly in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.
To store: Cook and cool tortillas completely. Place a piece of parchment paper between each tortilla, then transfer to a zip-top bag or leave on a plate and wrap tightly. Remove as much air as possible and store in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to three months.
When ready to eat, defrost on the counter for a few hours and reheat quickly in a skillet until warmed through.
Want to Learn More?
Now, if you have my book Home and Hand Made, I walk you through making a sourdough starter and share quite a few of my sourdough discard recipes.
If you want to dive deeper into sourdough and master baking bread and other sourdough goodies, check out my masterclass, Sourdough Mastery for the Home Baker. In this masterclass, I walk you through making more than 18 delicious breads, desserts, and baked goods (including gluten-free, fresh ground flour, ancient grain Einkorn and all-purpose) that your whole family will love.
More Sourdough Recipes You’ll Love
- Best Beginner Sourdough Sandwich Bread No Yeast
- Chocolate Sourdough Bread From Scratch
- How to Make a Sourdough Starter (+ Troubleshooting Tips)
- How to Revive a Sourdough Starter
- Rehydrating Sourdough Starter
- Sourdough Baking Tips & Tricks for Success
Easy Sourdough Tortillas (Quick Discard or Long Ferment)
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Dough Whisk
- Measuring Cups/Spoons or a food scale
- Rolling Pin
- Skillet I prefer cast iron
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour 265 grams
- 2 heaping teaspoons baking powder 9 grams
- 2/3 cup sourdough starter 182 grams
- 1/4 cup water 60 grams, or more as needed
- 1/4 cup olive oil (optional) 32.5 grams, or avocado oil, coconut oil, lard, butter, etc.
Instructions
- Measure out dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.
- Add the sourdough starter (it does not need to be in an active state), oil if using, and water.
- Mix using the dough whisk, but don’t overmix; stir just until it’s combined. Depending on the thickness of your sourdough starter (its level of hydration), you may need to add a few more tablespoons of water or flour to get the dough to come together.
- You can knead the dough on the counter a few times to get all ingredients incorporated.
- Place the dough ball back into the bowl and cover with a towel.
- Let the dough sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Resting it for 5-8 hours will let the sourdough break down more of the phytic acid in the flour. The longer it sits, the more sour flavor your tortillas will have. For a less sour flavor, rest for five hours.
- After the dough has rested, divide it into six equal balls of dough (or four equal portions for burrito or wrap-sized tortillas).
- On a lightly floured surface, flatten the dough ball with the palm of your hand, then roll with a rolling pin to create a rustic circle. Turn the tortilla 1/4 turn after each pass with the rolling pin to help form a more uniform circle and to ensure the dough isn’t sticking to the counter.
- Cook in a preheated cast iron skillet until golden brown on one side. How long this takes will be determined by how hot your skillet is – use a spatula to check for doneness after you see a few bubbles forming on the top of the tortilla.
- Flip and cook on the other side until golden brown.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a plate. Cover with a towel until ready to serve.
- Best when served slightly warm.
Notes
Tips for the Best Tortillas
This sourdough tortilla recipe is great as is, but there are a few tips you’ll want to follow to get those big puffy air pockets that brown up so beautifully and the soft, pliable consistency that won’t tear when folded.-
- Let the Dough Rest – I know it’s tempting to rush the process, but honestly, you’ll end up fighting with the dough, and it won’t be an enjoyable experience. Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes (and 5-8 hours for digestive benefits). This helps the gluten relax, and the dough will roll out much easier.
-
- Add Fat – This recipe calls for “optional” oil, but I’ve found that if fat is used, the leftovers are a bit softer and more pliable. While you can make them without it, I recommend using some kind of fat source (oil, lard/tallow, coconut oil or butter).
-
- Roll them out thin – I’m talking thin, thin! When rolling them out, you should almost be able to see the surface through the tortilla. This helps them puff up when cooking.
-
- Heat Skillet – Obviously, we’re cooking these on a hot skillet. But if your first few tortillas don’t turn out as beautifully as the last, it’s probably because you didn’t wait until your pan was hot enough. Don’t be tempted to start cooking before your skillet is hot!
Such an easy recipe to make and they’re so soft and foldable. Be sure to add in the optional fat… SO GOOD!