Welcome back to Crispy on the Outside, where even our soft foods have standards. Today we’re tackling the flour tortilla: that humble disc of dough that holds tacos, dreams, and sometimes your entire sense of purpose. We’re doing it the old-fashioned way—with lard and a serious attitude about griddle temperature.

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour (you know, the white powder you pretend isn’t half your diet)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ cup lard, room temp (because flavor matters)
• 1 cup warm water (as in not cold, not boiling, but somewhere in the “shower you regret” zone)

Instructions

1. Pretend You Know What You’re Doing

• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. Feel confident. Flour can’t judge you.
• Add the lard. Use your hands to rub it in until the mix feels like breadcrumbs that got a raise.
• Pour in the warm water and mix until a dough forms. Knead for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic—like you after one yoga class.

2. The Waiting Game

• Divide into 12 equal balls (or 10 if you’re feeling bold).
• Cover them with a damp towel and let them rest for 30 minutes. They need a nap. So do you.

3. Roll Like You Mean It

• On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball into a thin circle. Don’t stress over perfect geometry. This is food, not a math exam.

4. The Griddle of Truth

• Heat a cast-iron skillet or griddle until it’s seriously hot—like, “question your choices” hot.
• Toss on a tortilla. It should puff, sizzle, and brown in spots within about 30–45 seconds.
• Flip and do the other side. If it’s pale and sad, your griddle isn’t hot enough. If it turns into jerky, you left it too long. Find the middle ground. Become the tortilla whisperer.

5. Stack and Wrap

• Keep finished tortillas wrapped in a clean kitchen towel to stay warm and pliable. Or just eat them immediately and lie about the yield.

Texture Report

Soft and pliable, yet just browned enough to know heat was involved. Not dry, not chewy, and definitely not translucent. If they crack when you fold them, they’re mad at you.

Pairings

• Tacos, obviously
• Butter and salt at midnight
• A direct line to your abuela’s approval

Next time you buy a bag of store tortillas that smell like packaging and broken dreams, remember: you could have made these instead.

Coming soon: How to roll tortillas without flipping them into your cat’s water bowl.