Easy Sourdough Tortillas Recipe (Made Two Ways!)
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All you need are 5 simple ingredients to make this Easy Sourdough Tortillas recipe. Homemade flour tortillas are soft and tender and can be made quickly with sourdough discard, or with all the gut-healthy benefits from an active starter and a long fermentation. Sourdough Tortillas are a must for your next Taco Tuesday.
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Recently, I shared my recipe for sourdough cornbread. Not only was I floored by how simple this recipe was to make, but also by how flavorful it was. It made me wonder why I had been buying boxed cornbread all of these years. Well, no more!
The wonder continued. What other store-bought items have I been unnecessarily buying?
Since then, I’ve replaced store-bought bread with these delicious, from-scratch recipes like soft sourdough sandwich bread, pull-apart dinner rolls, and sourdough flatbread.
Then came taco night. Just as I was about the pull out the bagged tortillas, I thought to myself, I can make this from scratch.
After that first bite of my taco, again I wondered, “Why have I been buying tortillas from the store?”
Fried in a cast iron pan until covered with golden brown blisters, sourdough tortillas are soft, tender, and so flavorful! Perfect for all of your favorite south-of-the-border recipes. Tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and quesadillas never have tasted quite as good, until now.
Sourdough Tortillas can be made in two different ways – either with an active sourdough starter or with sourdough discard.
Fermenting the sourdough tortilla dough overnight will give you the gut-healthy benefits of sourdough, plus the classic tang flavor. Making sourdough tortillas with discard will give you fresh and tasty tortillas quickly.
Both are delicious and are sure to elevate the flavor for your next taco Tuesday.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
Better than store-bought:
Store-bought tortillas pale in comparison to homemade sourdough tortillas, both in flavor and texture. Once I made this recipe, I kept wondering why it took me so long to make them from scratch.
Customizable:
One perk about making homemade sourdough tortillas is you can make them whatever size you need. This recipe makes 16 taco-sized sourdough tortillas and 8 burrito-sized sourdough tortillas.
Quick and easy:
Sourdough tortillas cook for about 30 seconds on each side in a hot cast iron pan. The longest part of this recipe is just waiting for the dough to rest. To make the cooking process even faster, heat up multiple hot pans and cook a couple of tortillas at the same time.
Healthy:
Not only are these sourdough tortillas tasty, but they are healthy for your gut, as well! Choosing a long fermentation process allows the wild yeast in an active sourdough starter to break down the phytic acid. This fermentation makes these tasty tortillas easier for you to digest than store-bought.
Ingredients
Flour – All-purpose flour makes soft and tender sourdough tortillas, but you could easily experiment with whole wheat or einkorn flour. You may need to add additional water.
Water – Be sure the water isn’t too hot or boiling. This can kill the sourdough starter.
Salt – To elevate the flavor of the tortillas.
Unsalted Butter – Butter adds flavor and keeps the tortillas soft and chewy. Olive oil or coconut oil are excellent substitutions.
Sourdough Starter: You can use either an active sourdough starter or an unfed sourdough starter for this recipe.
Supplies
Stand Mixer (optional)
Mixing Bowl
Rolling Pin
How to Make Sourdough Tortillas
Make the dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, warm water, melted butter, salt, and sourdough starter or sourdough discard.
Mix on low with a dough hook attachment for 5 minutes.
Rest
If you are making the long-fermented version:
Place the tortilla dough in a greased bowl, cover and leave at room temperature to double in size.
If you are making the quick version:
Leave the dough in the bowl and allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes. This relaxes the gluten so that we can roll them into tortillas.
Shape
After resting, remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured work surface.
Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut the dough into 16 equal pieces for taco-sized tortillas or 8 burrito-sized tortillas.
Rolls the triangle pieces into round dough balls. They don’t need to be perfectly uniform.
Heat one or multiple frying pans to medium-high heat. You want the pan to be piping hot before cooking your sourdough tortillas.
Dust the countertop with a little bit of flour and roll out the dough until is it thin, almost translucent. It doesn’t have to be a perfectly round tortilla, it will still be just as tasty!
If you have a tortilla press, feel free to use it, but I don’t find it necessary to make this sourdough tortilla recipe.
A quick tip: If the soft dough is retracting when you are rolling it out, the gluten needs to rest for additional time.
Once the pan is hot, fry the first side of the tortilla for about 30 seconds to a minute. The dough will start to bubble and rise.
Flip to the other side and cook for an additional 30 seconds to a minute or until golden brown.
Remove the tortilla and place it on a tea towel to keep it warm.
Continue to stack the cooked tortillas as the steam helps to keep the tortillas soft and chewy.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
How to Serve
Homemade tortillas will surely elevate your next taco night! They are chewy, tender, and full of flavor. Tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and quesadillas will be brought to another level with these sourdough tortillas.
Other favorite ways of enjoying sourdough discard tortillas are slathering it with peanut butter and a sprinkle of cinnamon for a quick snack or topping them with slice meat, cheese, and lettuce for an easy lunch.
Sourdough tortillas are also excellent individual pizza crusts! After a busy day, simply plop out these tortillas, top them with your favorite sauce, plenty of cheese, and favorite toppings, and you have yourself a quick and delicious meal.
How to Store
Room Temperature:
Sourdough tortillas kept at room temperature will say fresh for 2-3 days. Place them in a plastic bag on the countertop. Or store them in the fridge in an airtight container for a week.
Freeze:
These tortillas also freeze well! Place a piece of parchment paper in between each tortilla so they don’t stick together. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw on the countertop until back to room temperature.
FAQs:
What kind of starter do you use to make sourdough tortillas?
Sourdough tortillas can be made with an active sourdough starter or sourdough discard. Ferment the dough overnight for all the gut-healthy benefits, or make with discard for a quick and delicious sourdough tortilla recipe.
How to make sourdough tortillas with a tortilla press?
I don’t find it necessary to have a tortilla press in order to make sourdough tortillas. Sprinkle a little bit of flour on your work surface and roll out the dough until thin.
Why do my homemade tortillas come out hard?
If your sourdough tortilla is more crunchy than chewy, you are cooking them for too long. These tortillas cook up quickly. Fry the tortillas for 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side.
Happy frying!
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Sourdough Tortillas Recipe
All you need are 5 simple ingredients to make this Easy Sourdough Tortillas recipe. Homemade flour tortillas are soft and tender and can be made quickly with sourdough discard, or with all the gut-healthy benefits from an active starter and a long fermentation. Sourdough Tortillas are a must for your next Taco Tuesday.
Enter your email below, and we’ll send it straight to your inbox! Plus, you’ll get my newest sourdough recipes and best tips every week!
Ingredients
- 400 grams (2 3/4 cups + 1 Tablespoon) all-purpose flour
- 180 grams (3/4 cup) warm water
- 84 grams (6 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
- 9 grams (1 1/2 teaspoons) salt
- 140 grams (1/2 cup) active sourdough starter, see notes to make with sourdough discard
Instructions
Make the Dough
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, warm water, butter, salt, and sourdough starter.
400g (2 3/4 c + 1 T) all-purpose flour, 180g (3/4 c) warm water, no hotter than 110 degrees F, 84g (6 T) unsalted butter, melted, 9g (1 1/2 tsp) salt, 140g (1/2 c) active sourdough starter
You can use sourdough discard in substitute for active starter. Be sure to use the same amount in grams.
2. Mix on low with a dough hook attachment for 5 minutes.
Rest
If you are making the long-fermented version:
3. Place the tortilla dough in a greased bowl, cover and leave to double in size at room temperature.
If you prefer to shape and cook the tortillas the following day after its bulk fermentation, place the dough in the fridge overnight, covered.
If you are making the quick version:
4. Leave the dough in the bowl to rest for at least 30 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap. This relaxes the gluten so that we can roll them into tortillas easily.
Shape
5. After resting, remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured work surface.
6. Using a bench scraper or sharp knife, cut the dough into 16 equal pieces for taco-sized tortillas or 8 burrito-sized tortillas.
7. Roll the triangle pieces into round dough balls. They do not need to be perfectly uniform.
8. Heat one or multiple cast iron pans to medium-high heat.
9. Dust the countertop with flour and roll out the dough until thin, almost translucent. It doesn't have to be a perfectly round tortilla. It will still be just as tasty!
If you have a tortilla press, feel free to use it, but I don't find it necessary to make this sourdough tortilla recipe.
A quick tip: If the soft dough is retracting when you're rolling it out, the gluten needs to rest for additional time.
10. Once the pan is hot, fry the first side of the tortilla for about 30 seconds to a minute. The dough will start to bubble and rise.
11. Flip to the other side and cook for an additional 30 seconds to a minute or until golden brown.
12. Remove the tortilla and place it on a tea towel to keep it warm.
13.Continue to stack the cooked tortillas as the steam helps to keep the tortillas soft and chewy. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- You can use an active sourdough starter or unfed sourdough starter (sourdough discard) for this sourdough tortilla recipe.
- If you do not have a stand mixer, knead the dough by hand for 5 minutes.
- You do not need to grease the cast iron before cooking the sourdough tortillas.
- If your sourdough tortilla is more crunchy than chewy, you are cooking them for too long. Fry the tortillas for 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side.
Delicious and easy!
Love the option for a quick version or a long rest version. I have yet to try the long rest (I haven’t planned that far in advance… a “me” problem) but I’m sure it’s even tastier. Nothing compares to the first tortilla flip and seeing the gorgeously browned dough! It’s like magic!
Will these freeze well?
Yes! They freeze up great!
Do you put parchment paper between them like the sandwich bread?
Great question, I do! This prevents the tortillas from sticking to one another.
Have you tried an extended cold ferment on these?
I usually do a long-ferment at room temperature, but a cold ferment should work just fine.
My boyfriend commented that these fresh tortillas were much better than store bought. They were delicious! I didn’t let the dough rest long enough, a lot of retracting. I reread the blog and realized there were such great helpful hints in there I missed the first time. It’s great to see this post to help me on my sourdough journey
So glad you both enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for sharing!
You can get to the point you roll the triangles into balls and store them in a container in the fridge for a few days even! They tasted as good if not better…I cooked some fresh(after the long rise). And then, the 6 I had left, I cooked 3 nights later and they were delicious. I’m going to try and freeze then at this point next time to see how it works!
Amazing! Thank you so much for sharing!
I love sourdough tortillas! I’m trying your recipe for the first time and looks beautiful so far. I’m doing a long ferment with my discard because I had so much of it. I did 6 hours of bulk ferment on the counter (my kitchen is very warm at 78-79 degrees in the summer. I just put it in the fridge to finish as a cold ferment until I cook them up tomorrow for tacos! Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
Us too! It’s a joy to share.
Well I screwed up not reading far enough ahead
I used active starter rather then discard and cooked them after a counter rest of about an hour
But they are amazing – next time I will BF or do the quick cook with discard
Thank you for the great recipe
You are so welcome, Dawn!
How long will these stay good for in the fridge after making them?
Great question! These tortillas will stay fresh in the fridge for about 5–7 days. Just store them in an airtight container or zip-top bag. You can also freeze them for longer storage—just separate them with parchment paper so they don’t stick together. Hope that helps!
My go to, easy way to use up sourdough discard. I make a batch and leave half in the fridge, freeze the other half. I’ve used them for wraps, quesadilla, soft tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, and Mexican lasagnas. Can’t eat the store bought kind now. Thanks for a great way to manage discard!
I absolutely love hearing this!! What an amazing way to make the most of your discard — and I’m so impressed by all the creative ways you’re using them! I totally agree, once you’ve had homemade, the store-bought ones just don’t compare. Thanks so much for sharing — this made my day!
Can the dough be frozen? Or the cooked tortillas?
Yes, you can freeze either the dough or the cooked tortillas!
Would you shape the dough first or keep it as a whole?
Also does the type of flour change anything?
If you’re storing the dough in the fridge for a few days, I recommend keeping it as one whole dough ball and then dividing/shaping into individual pieces right before rolling and cooking. It helps prevent the dough from drying out.
And yes — flour type can change things a bit. All-purpose flour works best, but using whole wheat or bread flour may make the tortillas slightly denser and you may need to adjust the water slightly since different flours absorb moisture differently. Hope that helps!
What would be the best way to reheat the tortillas after they’re frozen? Thinking of making some ahead before vacay – we are doing taco night one night!
Love that idea—taco night on vacation sounds perfect! After freezing, the best way to reheat the tortillas is to let them thaw at room temperature, then warm them in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 30 seconds per side. This helps bring back their soft, flexible texture.
You can also reheat a stack in the microwave (wrapped in a damp paper towel) for 20–30 seconds, but the skillet gives the best results. Have the best time on your trip!
This recipe was so simple and delicious! I will definitely be making these again!!
So thrilled to hear that you loved this recipe as well. Thank you for sharing!
I had zero confidence in myself to make these. These were the BEST wraps/ tortillas I have ever had! Recipe was easy to follow and I’m so excited at how good they are. Thanks!!
I’m so glad you gave them a try and loved them! Nothing beats homemade tortillas, and I love that the recipe boosted your confidence in the kitchen. Thank you for sharing!
Hi,
I want to do the overnight cold ferment on these before they’re shaped. When I take the dough out of the fridge the next day, do I let it come to room temp before shaping?
Great question! Yes, you can cold ferment the dough overnight before shaping. When you take it out of the fridge, let the dough rest at room temperature for about 30–60 minutes so it can relax and warm up slightly. This makes shaping much easier and helps prevent the tortillas from springing back as you roll them out.
Can you use bread flour for these?
You can! Bread flour will give the tortillas a slightly chewier texture, while using all-purpose flour keeps them a bit softer. Either will work — it just depends on your preference!
So soft and delicious!! My family loved them!!
I usually make regular flour tortillas with organic flour. Decided to finally try making them adding sourdough starter. I knew I could come to your site Miss McKenna and that I would find exactly what I wanted. A great easy to follow recipe. I did tweak it a bit with using Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Shortening instead of butter, which is what I usually use to make regular flour tortillas. Did not take away from the recipe and left my flour tortillas just like my regular ones, soft and pliable! In case you were wondering I made 11 tortillas dividing them into 75-76 grams for a regular sized to a bit over a regular sized tortilla. Will be making these again very soon!
This absolutely made my day — thank you so much for trusting my recipe and for such a thoughtful review! Your weight measurements are super helpful too — thank you for sharing those details! I’m honored this recipe will be one you come back to again. Happy tortilla making!
How will it rise with sourdough discard? Am I missing something?
Great question! Tortillas don’t really “rise” the way bread does. Even when using sourdough discard, the discard is mainly there for flavor and tenderness, not to make them puff up like a loaf.
If you use active starter and long ferment, you’ll get a bit more sourdough flavor, but the tortillas will still stay mostly flat. Hope this helps and that you love this recipe!