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The Best Soft Sourdough Tortillas Recipe (With Discard)

With this easy sourdough tortilla recipe, you can learn to make your own homemade sourdough tortillas, and never go back to store-bought! These soft, pliable, delicious tortillas are dangerously addicting, and are perfect for wraps, tacos, and breakfast burritos. 

Two stacks of fresh sourdough tortillas on a wooden cutting board

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Why You Will Love This Sourdough Tortilla Recipe

A Healthy Alternative to Store-Bought Tortillas: You will be hard pressed to find tortillas at the grocery store without any refined oils. Many of them not only have vegetable oils but they also typically have preservatives and other unnecessary ingredients. This recipe only has five simple ingredients, so you can feel good about feeding them to your family! 

Easy To Freeze – These tortillas freeze really well, making them great to pull out for a quick snack. Freezing them also maintains that fresh tortilla texture and taste when you are ready to use them.  

A Classic Tortilla, But Make It Sourdough – The natural fermentation of sourdough not only makes these tortillas gut-healthy, but it also gives them that classic sourdough tangy flavor.  

The Problem With Store-Bought Tortillas

Take a look at the ingredients of this popular brand of flour tortillas:

Enriched Bleached Flour (Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, Vegetable Shortening (Interesterified And Hydrogenated Soybean Oils), Contains 2% Or Less Of: Salt, Sugar, Baking Soda, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Distilled Monoglycerides, Enzymes, Fumaric Acid, And Calcium Propionate And Sorbic Acid (To Maintain Freshness). Contains: Wheat

Hydrogenated soybean oils have been linked to several health concerns like inflammation, heart disease, cognitive decline and asthma (among other things). Besides this concerning ingredient, there are multiple preservatives and ingredients that the average person has no idea what they are. These homemade tortillas have five ingredients: flour, salt, butter, sourdough starter, and water. Plus, they taste so much better than the store-bought alternative! 

Several homemade sourdough tortillas spread out on a wooden cutting board

So Why Sourdough Tortillas?

Ok fine, I’ll tell you about why I love sourdough so much. Sourdough tortillas are a delicious and healthier alternative to traditional tortillas. Using sourdough starter in your recipe brings a host of benefits. Here are a few of my favorites.

  1. Improved Digestibility: The fermentation process in sourdough breaks down gluten and other complex carbohydrates, making the tortillas easier to digest.
  2. Enhanced Flavor: Sourdough adds a subtle tangy flavor that elevates the taste of tortillas without being too overpowering.
  3. Nutrient Absorption: Fermentation increases the bioavailability of nutrients, meaning your body can absorb more of the essential vitamins and minerals found in the grains.
  4. No Commercial Yeast Needed: Sourdough relies on natural fermentation, so you can skip the commercial yeast and enjoy a more traditional, wholesome baking method. This doesn’t really apply to tortillas but it’s still a really cool feature of sourdough!
  5. Versatile and Customizable: Sourdough tortillas can be made as soft or crispy as you like, making them perfect for tacos, wraps, or even as a flatbread base.

If you want to learn more, check out this post about the health benefits of sourdough bread

Ingredients In This Sourdough Tortilla Recipe

These tortillas are incredibly simple to make, you only need a few ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen! You will need:

  • 3 Cups All-purpose Flour – If you are looking for an even more nutrient dense recipe, try my whole wheat flour sourdough tortilla recipe.
  • 1 Tsp Salt – My favorite salt is redmonds real salt, or fine sea salt would be good also
  • 12 Tbs cold grass-fed butter
  • 1/2 cup sourdough starter (can be active sourdough starter or sourdough discard) 
  • 1 cup HOT water

Other Tools You Will Need

Here’s a few tools that will help you have success when making sourdough tortillas:

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Pastry cutter – not necessary but helpful when cutting in the butter. You can also use two forks or even a cheese grater.
  • Rolling pin – You can also use a tortilla press, but I’ve found that rolling pin works better to get the dough really thin. In my experience a tortilla press makes thicker wraps that are almost like pitas.
  • Cast iron skillet or non-stick skillet
  • Spatula to flip tortillas
  • Metal cooling rack

How To Make Sourdough Tortillas

This easy recipe requires a little bit of planning ahead, so that the dough has time to ferment overnight. 

The Night Before:

  1. Mix the dry ingredients together (flour and salt)
  2. Cut the butter into chunks and add it to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or forks, cut in the butter until it is in really small chunks and can mix into the flour. Stir to combine.
  3. Add the sourdough starter, and mix until just combined.
  4. Add your hot water slowly, and mix until fully combined. If the dough is too dry and won’t mix together, add a little more water. I like to use my hands to make sure everything is fully incorporated. 
  5. Cover the tortilla dough with plastic wrap, and leave to ferment overnight (about 8-12 hours is fine). 
Bowl of sourdough tortilla dough

The Next Day

1. The next morning, prepare your frying pan and your work surface to make tortillas. Heat a cast iron skillet to medium low, and sprinkle your countertop with flour. You will also want extra flour for your rolling pin, and to sprinkle on the tortillas if they are sticky. 

2. Depending on how big you want your tortillas to be, start with a small ball of dough. A golf ball size dough ball will give you a medium sized tortilla. 

hand holding a ball of sourdough tortilla dough

3. Press the dough ball into a small circle with your hands, and then gently roll it from the center outwards. Rotate and flip as you go to make the most even shaped circle. Keep adding flour as you go to prevent sticking. I like to make my tortillas as thin as I can, but you can experiment with the thickness that you prefer.

Sourdough tortilla rolled out on wooden cutting board

4. Once your cast iron pan is hot, add the tortilla to the pan. 

5. Cook it for about 30 second – 1 minute on the first side, until it starts to bubble up. Flip and repeat on the second side. You want the tortilla to have nice golden brown bubbles and be cooked through. Tortillas do cook fast, so keep an eye on it and feel free to adjust your stove temperature.

Sourdough tortilla cooking in a cast iron skillet

6. Repeat with the remaining dough until all of the tortillas are cooked. 

Cooling & Storage

Cool the cooked tortillas completely on a metal wire rack, and then store in an airtight container. Tortillas are best enjoyed fresh. If you keep them at room temperature, they will stay fresh for 3-5 days. My preference for leftover tortillas is to freeze them for several months in a ziplock bag. Just make sure they are completely cool before you store them in the freezer so they don’t stick together. They are easy to thaw by pulling a few out and reheating them in a cast iron skillet, or on the counter. 

Stack of soft sourdough tortillas on a black and white towel

Recipe Notes & Tips for Success

  • If you want to implement a long fermentation for even better digestibility, After the first overnight ferment you can put your dough in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just make sure to bring the dough back to room temperature before you start rolling tortillas, otherwise the butter will be hard and rolling the tortillas will be a challenge. I learned the hard way on this one! 
  • For best results, make sure you use enough flour when rolling, otherwise the dough will be really sticky and hard to work with.
  • You might think that a tortilla press would save you time, but in my experience it doesn’t. Maybe I am doing something wrong, but my tortillas don’t get very thin and they stick to the tortilla press. 

If you are looking for more sourdough recipes, here are some of my favorites! 

The Best Soft Sourdough Tortillas Recipe (With Discard)

Learn to make your own homemade sourdough tortillas, and never go back to store-bought! These soft, pliable, delicious tortillas are dangerously addicting, and are perfect for wraps, tacos, and breakfast burritos. 
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 hours
Rolling & Cooking Time 30 minutes
Total Time 12 hours 40 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 20 medium tortillas

Equipment

  • 1 Large Mixing Bowl
  • 1 Pastry Cutter optional
  • 1 Rolling Pin
  • 1 cast iron skillet or non-stick skillet
  • 1 spatula
  • 1 metal cooling rack

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 12 tbsp grass-fed butter cold, cubed
  • 1/2 cup sourdough starter active or discard
  • 1 cup hot water make sure it's hot!

Instructions
 

The Night Before

  • Mix the dry ingredients together (flour and salt)
  • Cut the butter into chunks and add it to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter or forks, cut in the butter until it is in really small chunks and can mix into the flour. Stir to combine.
  • Add the sourdough starter, and mix until just combined.
  • Add your hot water slowly, and mix until fully combined. If the dough is too dry and won’t mix together, add a little more water. I like to use my hands to make sure everything is fully incorporated. 
  • Cover the tortilla dough with plastic wrap, and leave to ferment overnight (about 8-12 hours is fine). 

The Next Day

  • The next morning, prepare your frying pan and your work surface to make tortillas. Heat a cast iron skillet to medium low, and sprinkle your countertop with flour. You will also want extra flour for your rolling pin, and to sprinkle on the tortillas if they are sticky. 
  • Depending on how big you want your tortillas to be, start with a small ball of dough. A golf ball size dough ball will give you a medium sized tortilla. 
  • Press the dough ball into a small circle with your hands, and then gently roll it from the center outwards. Rotate and flip as you go to make the most even shaped circle. Keep adding flour as you go to prevent sticking. I like to make my tortillas as thin as I can, but you can experiment with the thickness that you prefer.
  • Once your cast iron pan is hot, add the tortilla to the pan.
  • Cook it for about 30 second – 1 minute on the first side, until it starts to bubble up. Flip and repeat on the second side. You want the tortilla to have nice golden brown bubbles and be cooked through. Tortillas do cook fast, so keep an eye on it and feel free to adjust your stove temperature.
  • Repeat with the remaining dough until all of the tortillas are cooked. 

Cooling & Storage

  • Cool the cooked tortillas completely on a metal wire rack, and then store in an airtight container. Tortillas are best enjoyed fresh. If you keep them at room temperature, they will stay fresh for 3-5 days. My preference for leftover tortillas is to freeze them for several months in a ziplock bag. Just make sure they are completely cool before you store them in the freezer so they don’t stick together. They are easy to thaw by pulling a few out and reheating them in a cast iron skillet, or on the counter. 

Notes

  • If you want to implement a long fermentation for even better digestibility, After the first overnight ferment you can put your dough in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just make sure to bring the dough back to room temperature before you start rolling tortillas, otherwise the butter will be hard and rolling the tortillas will be a challenge. I learned the hard way on this one! 
  • For best results, make sure you use enough flour when rolling, otherwise the dough will be really sticky and hard to work with.
  • You might think that a tortilla press would save you time, but in my experience it doesn’t. Maybe I am doing something wrong, but my tortillas don’t get very thin and they stick to the tortilla press. 
Keyword sourdough discard recipes, tortillas
image of sourdough tortillas spread out on a towel with text "incredibly soft sourdough tortillas"

Conclusion

Easy peasy! These tasty tortillas are so easy to make and I hope they will become a staple in your home like they are in ours. You can’t beat taco night with homemade tortillas! If you enjoyed this sourdough tortilla recipe, I would so appreciate it if you would leave me a review and five stars. 

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