I sometimes make sandwich wraps using water, flour, salt and oil.
I mix salt, wheat flour and a tiny bit of olive oil and add hot water until I get a homogeneous sticky dough and let it rest for about 45 minutes. After that I roll it out down to about 1 mm. I heat up neutral oil in a pan and bake the flat round dough until bubbles show up, then turn it over.
But they always get so solid in their centers they can't be wrapped without braking them. They are more like flat, toasted noodles. This happens no matter what frying pan I use or temperature I use to bake them.
What am I doing wrong?
Best Answer
If you are using a "tiny bit of olive oil," I'm sure you are using too little. I have only made tortillas using shortening and lard and when doing so, my fat weighed-in at nearly a quarter the weight of my flour. I don't know how you measure-out your ingredients, but that would be roughly 1/3 cup lard or shortening for 2 cups of flour (with a little over 1/2 cup water and maybe a teaspoon or so of salt). Also, I always used water that was cool to warm - never hot.
The fact that you are getting bubbles is a good sign. If you increase the fat percentage in your dough and still have problems, try rolling-out your tortillas thinner.
To be clear - I have never made tortillas using oil, I have only made them with shortening or lard. But having said that, the fat is certainly an important textural component of this unleavened bread.