Sonoran Tortillas de Harina (Authentic Family Recipe)

I grew up in Sonora, Mexico. There, Tortillas de Harina aren’t just a food, they’re the backbone of society. Alright, maybe that’s a tad over the top. But growing up, my tortillas came hot off the comel. They were slightly chewy and blissfully buttery. I would eat them fresh with butter or bone marrow and salt.

Fast forward to today, and guess what? Not much has changed. This family recipe is still my ultimate comfort food and they always tastes like home.

Prepare the Dough

The Dough Consistency: Combine the flour and salt, then work the lard in with your hands until the mixture looks like wet sand. Add hot water a little at a time while kneading until you have a rough dough.

Prep Your Hands: Wear gloves or rub a little lard on your hands before you start. The dough is soft and either one keeps it from clinging to your hands while you knead and shape the bolitas.

Knead Until Soft: Knead for about five minutes, until it turns smooth. Go by feel more than the clock. You want it soft, not sticky. If it sticks, dust in a little flour and keep going.

Make the Bolitas Even: Pull off some of the dough and roll it into a ball. Repeat, making sure each bolita is the same size.

Roll Them Thin: Roll each ball out thin with a rolling pin, turning it a quarter as you go so it stays round. You can also use a tortilla press if you have one.

Cooking the Tortillas

Heat the Comal: Get the comal hot on medium-high, then bring it down to medium right before the first tortilla goes on. If it runs too hot, the spots darken before the inside cooks. If it runs too cool, the tortilla sits there pale and dries out, and that is what turns it hard.

Let the First One Tell You: The first tortilla is your tester. On a properly heated comal it starts to bubble a few seconds after it hits the surface and takes about thirty seconds a side. Read that one and adjust the heat before you cook the rest.

Cook Each Side: Cook until golden spots come up and the tortilla puffs. Flip and do the same on the other side.

Keep Them Soft: As each one comes off, add it to a stack and keep the stack under a kitchen towel. The steam trapped between them keeps them soft as they cool.

Make-Ahead & Storage

Make the Dough Ahead: The dough keeps in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Wrap it tightly so it doesn’t dry out, and let it come back to room temperature before you roll, or it fights you and springs back.

Slightly Undercook to Store: If you know you’re saving them, pull them off the comal a touch early. They finish cooking when you reheat, so this keeps them from going hard the second time around.

Store Cooked Tortillas: Keep them wrapped at room temperature for a day or two. For longer, refrigerate up to 3 days, though the fridge can dry them out, so make sure they’re covered really well. A quick reheat will usually make them soft again.

Reheat: Warm them on the comal a few seconds a side, until soft and pliable again.