Tortillas de Harina Sonorenses

Ingredients

• 500 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 90 g pork lard, at room temperature
• 10 g fine salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 320 ml hot water, about 60C

Before you cook

• Weigh the flour into a large bowl and stir in the salt and baking powder.
• Cut the lard into small pieces so it will rub in easily.
• Heat the water until it is hot to the finger but not boiling.

Steps

1. Rub the lard into the flour with your fingertips for 3 minutes, until the mixture looks like damp sand and no lumps remain.
2. Pour in three quarters of the hot water and stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms.
3. Add the rest of the water a splash at a time until the dough is soft and slightly tacky but not sticky.
4. Knead the dough on an unfloured surface for 8 minutes, until it is smooth and springs back when pressed.
5. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, about 75 g each.
6. Roll each piece into a tight ball and set them on a tray.
7. Cover the balls with a damp cloth and rest them for 30 minutes at room temperature.
8. Heat a large comal or heavy frying pan over medium-high heat until a drop of water skitters across it.
9. Press one ball flat with your palm on a lightly floured surface.
10. Roll it out to a 25 cm circle, turning it a quarter turn between each pass.
11. Lift the disc and stretch it gently over the backs of your hands, working around the rim until it is thin enough to see light through.
12. Lay the tortilla on the hot comal and cook it for 30 seconds, until pale blisters rise.
13. Flip the tortilla and cook it for 30 seconds more, until the blisters brown in patches.
14. Stack the cooked tortilla inside a clean tea towel to keep it soft.
15. Repeat with the remaining dough balls, adjusting the heat if the tortillas colour before they puff.
16. Serve the tortillas warm, folded into quarters.