Gluten Free Tortilla Recipe

When our family first went gluten-free one of the things we missed other than a good loaf of bread, were Tortillas. I have been experimenting and trying to make a recipe for about 6 months now. I have tried many different flour mixes including Four Flour Bean and Featherlight mix by Bette Hagman. I also tried the brown Rice mix by Annalise G. Roberts and the Sorghum flour mix by Carol Fenster. All worked OK but not great. So the recipe below is the one that I have finally worked out. One of the problems I still have is the first Tortilla usually turns out good, but as my table top griddle cools down, the tortilla doesn’t rise as the first one does. Next time I am going to cook one at a time in my cast iron pan, I might even buy a Comal and see if I get better results. But I don’t think I will be making them every week because of the work and time involved.

In regards to the lard I used, I have tried substituting shortening and/or oil, both don’t work as well. I figure if I was going to be eating them everyday, then I might worry, but once a month should be OK for my cholesterol.

Here is a great YouTube video on making tortillas;
Jason Hill makes it seem so easy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9Yx-auWEdM
here is his website too: http://www.cookingsessions.com/


My Gluten Free Tortilla Recipe
1 cup tapioca starch
1 cup brown rice flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup warm water plus up to 4 Tablespoons
2 Tablespoon lard

Sift and mix well the rice flour, tapioca starch, xanthan gum and baking powder.

Add lard. Use a fork or a pastry cutter to cut in the shortening or just do it the old fashioned way and use your hands.

Dissolve the salt in 1/2 cup warm water, and then add to your flour mixture a little at a time until your dough is soft and not sticky. Start with the 1/2 cup of water, then add 1 tablespoon at a time. Knead for 1 minute, adding tapioca starch or small amounts of lukewarm water if needed. The dough should not be too wet or dry.

Place dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap for 20 minutes.After the dough has rested, break off eight sections, roll them into balls in your hands, and coat your hands with a bit of lard or shortening. Flatten and cover balls with plastic wrap and let rest for 20-30 minutes.

To prepare the tortillas, preheat a griddle over medium heat. Remove a flattened ball and roll it into a circle. Turn the dough around after each stroke with the rolling pin. Roll as thin as possible. I have tried a tortilla press, but I can never get the tortillas thin enough.
For rolling out my tortillas I like to put the dough between the plastic sheets that I got at the dollar store. It makes picking them up easier.

Cook your tortillas turning every 15 to 20 seconds until they start to get brown spots. Hopefully too, they should start to puff up as you are cooking them.Right after the tortillas are cooked I put them in the Tortilla Warmer, which keeps them warm, soft and moist.

Keep cooked tortillas in the Tortilla Warmer until ready to eat.

Makes eight tortillas.

Sandra D. Halpenny © 2009 - 2010 All rights reserved