Usually, I use pre-written recipes merely as a guide, altering and adjusting for my personal tastes. Seriously, I have a hard time leaving those ingredients and directions alone. But once in a while I find a simple gem … one that I just know I shouldn’t mess with … at least not right away. I actually made this Spelt Tortilla recipe for the first time last year, and have made it twice since. They’re that good! Once you start making your own tortillas, you’ll never go back to storebought!
The first time I used them for sandwich roll-ups with some homemade slaw, the second time we used them for fajitas, and the third time I used them for making roll-up snacks, sweet and savory. These spelt tortillas worked wonders for all of these and have such a hearty flavor.
True, I will be fooling around with this wholesome tortilla recipe in the future, it just seems to have so much potential. But, it is also awesome as is, so I really wanted to share it with you here. Plus, I love, love, love that they use so few ingredients (no additives!), are totally whole grain, and budget friendly. Oh yes, and they are tasty too … husband approved.
Rolling out the spelt tortilla dough is more of an art than I expected, and does take some practice. If you happen to have a tortilla press, this recipe will be insanely fast. If not, allow a little extra time for rolling and cooking … you will speed up with practice. Also, I like my tortillas burrito-sized, so I just make 6. Eight makes them a generous taco-size in my opinion.
Special Diet Notes: Spelt Tortillas
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, soy-free, nut-free, peanut-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian.
- 2 cups spelt flour (whole grain)
- ½ to 1 teaspoon salt (I like to use half the amount, but your call)
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¾ cup hot water
- In a bowl, mix all ingredients well. Cover and let sit in a warm place for 20 minutes.
- Divide into 8 equal parts [6 for larger tortillas] and let sit, covered, another 20 minutes.
- Roll each ball out to a 6- or 7-inch circle shape. I’ve found it helps to flatten each ball with your hand. Then take the rolling pin and roll from the center outwards, back and forth a few times as you go around the circle. When it starts to get thinner, take your left hand (if you’re right handed) and turn the tortilla a couple inches. Use your right hand to use the rolling pin (holding in the middle) and roll from the center outwards. Keep turning and rolling until it is paper thin.
- Preheat a skillet on medium high heat. Place a tortilla into the skillet and watch until bubbles form. This won’t take long [about 30 to 60 seconds].
- After bubbles form, and the bottom is lightly brown (or there are darker spots), flip over, press down once or twice [I prefer not to press down, this is an option], and cook for about 30-45 seconds, or if smoke appears.
- Cook remaining tortillas, watching carefully, and place in a plastic bag, with wet paper towels in between them (or at least on top and bottom of stack) to keep them soft and moist.
- These are best if used fresh, but you can refrigerate them if needed [careful as they can dry out], or remove the paper towels and freeze.
