The Border Table · Source Edition
Flour Tortillas with Shortening
Ten soft, thin tortillas from a five-ingredient shortening dough.
The owner’s 2021 version alongside the newer butter-based Homemade Flour Tortillas.
Cook it
The owner’s 2021 version alongside the newer butter-based Homemade Flour Tortillas.
- Combine. Stir the flour, salt and baking powder together with a fork. Cut the heaping tablespoons of shortening into the dry mixture until no large pieces remain.
- Make and rest the dough. Add the hot water and finish mixing by hand. Form one large ball and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes, as the original card directs.
- Roll. Divide the dough into 10 pieces, round them into balls and lightly flour the surface if sticky. Roll each into a thin circle with a naturally irregular handmade edge.
- Griddle. Cook each tortilla on a medium-hot griddle for about 1 minute on the first side, then about 30 seconds after turning. Look for a few scattered brown spots while the surface stays pale and supple. Do not overcook; the card warns that they harden.
Serve it
Stack the cooked tortillas close together under a clean cloth so they stay pliable. Use them for tacos, breakfast burritos or fajitas while still warm.
Understand it
What makes this version work
Shortening is the fat in this version, while baking powder gives the dough a small lift. The water amount is the one written in the original card; if your flour absorbs differently, mix until the dough comes together rather than treating the water as a visual guarantee. A brief rest makes rolling easier. Keep the disks thin and flat, with only light browning, so they fold around a filling without breaking.
Know it
The recorded recipe and its place at the table
Wheat tortillas have a long history in northern Mexican and border cooking, though this specific five-ingredient ratio is simply the owner’s 2021 card. The Smithsonian documents both the older handmade tortilla tradition and the growth of packaged flour tortillas in American supermarkets after 1950. This home recipe is distinct from The Border Table’s butter-based Homemade Flour Tortillas; the fat and dough proportions differ. Neither page is presented as the single definitive tortilla for every region or family.
Sources and method
About this version
The ingredient proportions and core method come from the owner’s 2021 Authentic Tex-Mex Recipes card. The Border Table has clarified the instructions for readers without claiming an undocumented inventor or origin for the exact formula. The external source gives broader culinary context; it does not authenticate the owner’s private recipe.
- Smithsonian National Museum of American History, Tortillas at the Supermarket.
- FoodSafety.gov, Four Steps to Food Safety — refrigeration and safe handling guidance where relevant.
See our corrections policy to suggest an update.
