This recipe for flour tortillas came to The Times in 2005 from Traci Des Jardins, a San Francisco chef whose heritage is Cajun on one side and Mexican on the other, via her maternal grandmother, Angela Salazar. You’ll see “bacon drippings” in the ingredients. These make for really delicious tortillas.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons bacon drippings, lard or vegetable shortening
  • Nutritional Information
    • Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

      134 calories; 2 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 24 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 2 milligrams cholesterol; 368 milligrams sodium

    • Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.

12 8-inch tortillas

Preparation

  1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add bacon drippings and mix by hand or with a pastry cutter until mixture is crumbly. Slowly mix in 1 cup cold water. Add just enough additional water (about 1/3 cup) to make a smooth, slightly sticky dough.
  2. Divide dough into 12 balls of equal size. Place on a board or baking sheet and cover with a kitchen towel; allow to rest for at least 20 minutes or up to an hour.
  3. On a lightly floured surface, roll tortillas into 8-inch rounds. Place between sheets of waxed paper. At this point dough may be covered and refrigerated until cooking time, or used immediately.
  4. Heat a griddle over medium heat. Remove tortillas from waxed paper and cook one at a time until puffy and slightly brown, about 30 seconds a side. Wrap in a clean kitchen towel to keep warm until serving.

Dining and Cooking