These soft, slightly tangy tortillas are the perfect base for everything from tacos and quesadillas to enchiladas. Not only are they a fantastic way to use up your leftover starter, but they also pack an extra flavor punch, taking your favorite Mexican dishes to the next level. The Best Sourdough Tortillas (Easy Discard Recipe) will show you just how easy and satisfying it is to transform sourdough discard into homemade tortillas that the whole family will love.
The best sourdough tortilla recipe is fool proof, you’ll be making your own tortillas from here on out!
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Why Make Tortillas?
Homemade sourdough discard tortillas use simple ingredients that you can feel good about feeding to your family. No preservatives or questionable ingredients. Store-bought tortillas often contain bleached flours and vegetable or seed oils - yuck! Homemade sourdough tortillas are so delicious and incredibly easy to make as well!
Why Sourdough?
Sourdough certainly seems to be growing in popularity due to the nutritional benefits. Using basic ingredients, sourdough makes one of the healthiest breads. Sourdough bread has a lower glycemic index than whole wheat bread or white bread, and the baked goods typically contain less gluten than regular yeast breads.
Sourdough is a fermented bread. Fermented bread is great for an anti-inflammatory diet, can improve gut health, and contains higher levels of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Sourdough starter discard recipes typically take no more time or effort than other similar recipes (recipes that do not contain the sourdough discard ingredient). We all know that most store-bought processed sweets contain preservatives and have almost a rubbery sort of texture, so definitely not the good stuff containing natural ingredients.
Maintaining a Sourdough Starter
I had dabbled in the world of sourdough over the years, but never fully jumped in until a client of mine had gifted me a sourdough starter. It is easiest to get started with sourdough by using an already established starter, however, it is possible to create a starter from scratch as well.
A sourdough starter takes a little bit of maintenance - feeding and discarding daily. Typically, it is a 1:1:1 ratio of an established starter, all purpose flour (unbleached) and distilled water. The consistency should be that of pancake batter, so sometimes less water is appropriate.
For a sourdough beginner, I highly recommend starting with sourdough discard recipes, such as this one. Baking with leftover sourdough discard is a great way to keep any of the extra sourdough starter from going to waste. In my opinion, the sourdough starter discard recipes are much easier to follow than recipes calling for active starter.
Recipes calling for active sourdough starter typically require multiple steps to ensure sufficient rising and proofing, which complicates the process and can be overwhelming for a beginner.
Most discard recipes, on the other hand, do not. Also, to utilize active starter you have to catch the starter when it is in fact active. This can be intimidating to someone new to sourdough or in the beginning, so getting the hang of daily feeding and utilizing the discard in recipes can be a great place to get started.
For more detailed info on maintaining a sourdough starter, check out this very detailed post here written by Farmhouse on Boone.
Additional Easy Discard Recipes
Other delicious sourdough recipes can be found on the blog, perfect for using sourdough discard, such as my sourdough discard pumpkin muffin recipe — check it out here! Or, for a delicious sourdough discard banana bread, find the recipe here! Lastly, my easy sourdough discard pancake recipe is another breakfast family favorite, find it here.
Ingredients
Only 5 simple ingredients are necessary to make sourdough tortillas!
- All Purpose Flour (unbleached)
- Sourdough Discard (or active starter)
- Salt
- Butter (melted)
- Water (room temperature)
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
First, melt the butter. Next, combine all ingredients and mix well until shaggy dough. I prefer to use a dough hook and my kitchen aid mixer.
Next, on a lightly floured work surface, form a smooth dough ball.
Divide the dough ball into 10 to 16 equal pieces. Form each portion of dough into a small dough ball.
Arrange the dough balls onto a cookie sheet and cover with a damp clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Heat a cast iron skillet on medium heat or medium-low heat. Roll out each dough ball on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin until paper thin.
Add each tortilla to the cast-iron skillet (or any hot skillet) for 1-2 minutes.
When the tortilla starts to bubble on the first side, it is time to flip the tortilla over to cook the other side. You will notice brown spots on the tortillas where the bubbles form and the rest of the tortilla will turn a nice golden brown.
Pro Tip: Make a double batch and enjoy on taco night as well as have extra tortillas to use for prepping breakfast burritos for the freezer!
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Cookie Sheet
- Cast Iron Pan or Skillet
Storage
Cooked tortillas can be stored in an airtight container or ziplock bag at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to a week. Freeze for up to 3 months in a freezer safe container. To freeze, flash freeze first or separate each tortilla with parchment paper prior to stacking. Reheat tortillas on a skillet until thawed, soft and warm.
FAQ
Yes, active starter can be used instead of discard.
Yes, these tortillas freeze well! Follow instructions above to freeze.
Yes! Simple real ingredients are used to make these tortillas, which make them a healthier option than store bought.
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The Best Sourdough Tortillas (Easy Discard Recipe)
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Cookie Sheet
- Cast Iron Pan or Skillet
Ingredients
- 3 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 Cup Sourdough Discard or active starter
- 2 Teaspoons Salt
- ½ Cup Butter Melted
- ⅔ Cup Water room temperature
Instructions
- First, melt the butter. Next, combine all ingredients and mix well until shaggy dough. I prefer to use a dough hook and my kitchen aide mixer.
- Next, on a lightly floured work surface, form a smooth dough ball.
- Divide the dough ball into 10 to 16 equal pieces. Form each portion of dough into a small dough ball.
- Arrange the dough balls onto a cookie sheet and cover with a damp clean kitchen towel. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- Heat a cast iron skillet on medium heat or medium-low heat. Roll out each dough ball with a rolling pin until paper thin.
- Add each tortilla to the cast-iron skillet (or any hot skillet) for 1-2 minutes. When the tortilla starts to bubble on the first side, it is time to flip the tortilla over to cook the other side. You will notice brown spots on the tortillas where the bubbles form and the rest of the tortilla will turn a nice golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
Related
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