Homemade Fermented / Soaked Tortillas

Hi Kelly~

I absolutely love your website – I check it every day for new things and still haven’t discovered everything!

I just wanted to say that instead of trying to soak everything we have been sprouting our wheat (or spelt, etc.) and then drying it out in the oven and then we can grind the grains just like before. We have made tortillas for years and it is on my list of things to try with the sprouted grain. Everything else we have made has worked out great, so I’ll be surprised if this doesn’t – but I’ll keep you posted. I would like to try this recipe as well – just as an alternative in case the sprouted grain doesn’t work as well. (staying on top of soaking/sprouting/drying isn’t always in the plan!!)
Thanks!

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I was going to try these, as Elaine mentioned, with sprouted wheat since I did actually sprout and dry some a few months back. This seems easier and less energy intensive until I can rig up a solar dehydrator.

My question for you: do you find the texture of these to be as flexible & strong as you do “regular” tortillas? I ask because I made tortillas with sourdough a couple years ago and they were, well, very tender. So much so, they just fell apart.

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I have a very similar recipe that I use for soaked tortillas, except I use cultured buttermilk since I don’t usually have extra whey to use at this point. I never have time to make a big batch of tortillas to freeze for later since they take a while to roll out so what I do is triple the batch when making the dough. After I have let it soak and cut the dough into balls I put most of them in the freezer. Then, when I need them for dinner, I just take out as many as I need and let them thaw on the counter for 30 min to 1 hr and then roll out and cook them. BTW, Brittany, I use butter in my recipe and it works well.

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This looks like a great recipe!
Do you think it’d work as well with gluten free flours (including corn flour)?
Thanks .

Alchemille’s last blog post..Gluten Free Meal Planning

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I’ve been fiddling with homemade tortillas this winter, and have had some bombs (throwing things across the room) and finally GREAT success! The key is the type of flour, in m opinion. The “white whole wheat” that King Arthur sells has made amazing, 100% whole wheat tortillas for us. I use unrefined coconut oil as the fat, (with no weird taste coming through) but have had luck with butter and lard as well. The regular whole wheat half-and-half with white flour and corn flour in various combos tended to make hard to work with dough and tortillas that broke. My latest batch acts like store tortillas (or better!) and are so tasty. I don’t have the photo up on my site yet, but the recipe is there under the “recipes” tab if anyone is interested!

Just a thought on the soaking in your recipe: sodium inhibits the soaking process, so it’s best to add that at the end before you fry up the tortillas. If you’re going to soak, you might as well get everything out of it that you want!

Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship’s last blog post..Try this Cauliflower Trick Instead of Mashed Potatoes

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I’m curious about the salt too. In Sue Gregg’s cookbooks, the salt is always added after the soaking with the leavening, but she tells you to use it for soaking nuts.

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Beth,

I found the salt info at The Nourishing Gourmet here (http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2008/03/soaking-grains-part-two-2.html), quoted from NT:
“Traditional methods for preparing grains and legumes supply those factors that nature uses for neutralizing phytic acid in seeds so that they an then sprout and grow: warmth, moisture, time and slightly acidity. Soaking whole grains and flour overnight in a medium like cultured milk or warm acidulated water activates the enzyme phytase, which then neutralizes phytic acid. Studies show that salt added to the soaking medium inhibits this process, so the time to add salt to porridges and batters is just before cooking, not during the soaking period. ” Nourishing Traditions

You’re right that the nuts call for a saltwater brine, but I think it’s just a different process for nuts vs. grains. I know I read something in NT about why it is a saltwater brine…

Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship’s last blog post..Recipe Connection: Green Smoothies with Kale

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Kelly,

Thank you so much for this recipe! I have been looking to make my own tortillas so I’m super psyched to try this out!

Thanks again,
diana

Diana’s last blog post..Spring Garden Update – Companion Planting

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How important is the whey? I don’t know where I would look for that. Would i find it in my grocery store or do i need to look at a health food store? My husband loves it when we make tortillas. He eats them as snacks. I enjoy using them for wraps too.

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