Flour Tortillas

Mix your dry ingredients Make a “hole” in the middle of your “mountain” of flour. Add melted crisco oil and water and start mixing . When the dough is firm enough to handle, knead it a bit on a flat surface. “break” pieces off the dough (about the size of a golf ball) by squeezing it with your thumb and index finger (like you’re choking it). Make several round balls (called “testales”), and place them on a floured surface (cookie sheet works great). Let the testales rest for about 30 minutes to 1 hour covered with a damp towel. Place a testal on a floured surface. Flour your rolling pin and roll. Whatever technique you use for rolling… just spread them enough so they are bout 6 inches in diameter. Cook your tortillas on a “comal”, flat griddle or skillet at medium heat. You don’t need to oil the skillet (there’s enough oil in there). Just like with pancakes, the 1st one is never good, but the rest are delicious. You can pile up the uncooked tortillas, they won’t stick. (but not more than 5, and keep them far from the hot stove, otherwise they DO stick together) My process is usually: flatten, place in comal, flatten another one, turn the one in the comal, flatten another one, remove the one from the comal and repeat! It takes about 1 minute to cook on the 1st side (you will see some bubbles appear on the surface, this is normal), then you turn and press with it down with a flat turner to make a bubble again it takes about 30 seconds on the second side. Do not overcook or they will turn hard like cookies. delicious cookies, but not good for burritos. Allow to cool completely before storing. Store in a zip lock bag with a moistened paper towel in the bottom, then store in frig. When ready to use microwave bag (with the paper towel in it) for a short time to soften.