Flour Tortilla Recipe with Butter

My flour tortilla recipe with butter are soft, buttery, and so much better than store-bought tortillas! They’re made with just four simple ingredients and cook in only a couple of minutes.

Once you taste a warm homemade tortilla fresh from the skillet, it’s hard to go back to the packaged kind. They’re tender, flexible, and perfect for tacos, quesadillas, breakfast burritos, or simply eating warm with a little butter.

This recipe makes 12-16 thin flour tortillas and uses a stand mixer to make preparing the dough incredibly easy.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Made with only four basic ingredients
• Soft, flexible, and easy to fold
• No baking powder or shortening needed
• The stand mixer does most of the kneading
• Perfect for tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and more
• Freezer-friendly

Ingredients Needed

You only need four simple ingredients to make these homemade flour tortillas:

All-purpose flour

Regular all-purpose flour gives the tortillas a soft texture while still making them sturdy enough to hold your favorite fillings.

Salt

Salt adds flavor to the tortilla dough. I use ½ teaspoon, even when making the recipe with salted butter.

Butter

Butter gives the tortillas a rich, delicious flavor. I used salted butter, but unsalted butter will also work.

Water

The water should be hot so it can melt the butter and help create a soft, smooth dough. It does not need to be boiling.

How to Make Homemade Flour Tortillas with Butter

Add the butter and water to a microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl. Heat them together until the butter has melted and the water is hot.

Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix briefly to combine.

With the mixer running on medium speed, slowly pour the hot butter and water mixture into the flour.

Continue mixing for about 8 minutes, or until a smooth dough forms. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl but may still feel slightly sticky.

If the dough is very sticky and will not pull away from the bowl, add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time. Avoid adding too much flour, which can make the tortillas dry or tough.

Shape the dough into a ball, cover the bowl, and let it rest for 30 minutes. Resting allows the gluten to relax, making the tortillas much easier to roll out.

Divide the rested dough into 12 to 16 equal portions and shape each portion into a smooth ball. Keep the dough balls covered while you work so they do not dry out.

Lightly dust your work surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll each dough ball into a large, thin circle. As you can see below I like my tortillas super thin like almost see through thin. Don’t worry if your tortillas aren’t perfectly round, homemade tortillas are supposed to look homemade!

Heat a large, dry skillet or comal over medium heat. Once the skillet is hot, add one tortilla.

Cook for about 1 minute, or until bubbles begin to form and the bottom develops golden-brown spots. Flip and cook the other side for approximately 1 minute. The tortilla should inflate.

Transfer the cooked tortilla to a clean kitchen towel and wrap it up to keep it warm and soft. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Serve the tortillas warm with your favorite fillings.

Tips for the Best Flour Tortillas with Butter

Let the dough rest

Don’t skip the 30-minute resting period. Resting the dough makes it softer, more relaxed, and much easier to roll into thin circles.

Don’t add too much flour

The dough may feel slightly sticky, and that is completely fine. Only add more flour if it is extremely sticky and will not pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl.

Adding too much flour can result in dry, stiff tortillas.

Roll the tortillas thin

The tortillas will puff slightly while cooking, so roll them thinner than you think they need to be. Thin tortillas will be softer and easier to fold around taco or burrito fillings.

Make sure the skillet is hot

Allow the skillet to preheat before adding the first tortilla. If the skillet is not hot enough, the tortillas may take too long to cook and become dry.

If the tortillas are burning before bubbles can form, reduce the heat slightly.

Keep the dough covered

Cover the dough balls with a clean towel while rolling and cooking the tortillas. This prevents the surface of the dough from drying out.

Wrap the cooked tortillas

Place each cooked tortilla inside a folded kitchen towel. The trapped steam helps keep the tortillas warm, soft, and flexible.

Why Are My Flour Tortillas Hard?

Flour tortillas can become hard if they are overcooked, rolled too thick, or made with too much flour.

Cook each tortilla just until bubbles and golden spots appear. Depending on the temperature of your skillet, they may need slightly less than 1 minute per side.

Keeping the finished tortillas wrapped in a kitchen towel will also help prevent them from drying out.

Do I Need a Stand Mixer?

A stand mixer makes kneading the dough easier, but you can make these tortillas by hand.

Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. Slowly stir in the hot butter and water mixture until a shaggy dough forms. Once the dough is cool enough to handle safely, knead it on a lightly floured surface for approximately 8–10 minutes, or until smooth.

Cover the dough and continue with the recipe as written.

What Can I Make With Flour Tortillas?

These tortillas can be used for:

• Soft tacos
• Burritos
• Breakfast burritos
• Quesadillas
• Fajitas
• Wraps
• Enchiladas
• Homemade tortilla chips

They’re also delicious served warm with butter, cinnamon sugar, honey, or your favorite jam.

How to Store Homemade Flour Tortillas

Allow the tortillas to cool completely before storing them. Place them in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag and keep them at room temperature for up to 2 days.

For longer storage, refrigerate them for up to 1 week.

Place a paper towel inside the container to help absorb excess moisture, especially if the tortillas are still slightly warm when stored.

How to Reheat Flour Tortillas

Reheat the tortillas individually in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for about 15–20 seconds per side.

You can also wrap several tortillas in a slightly damp paper towel and microwave them for approximately 20–30 seconds, or until warm and flexible.

Can You Freeze Homemade Flour Tortillas?

Yes! These homemade tortillas freeze very well.

Allow them to cool completely, then place pieces of parchment or wax paper between the tortillas to prevent them from sticking together. Transfer them to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

Let them thaw at room temperature or reheat them directly from frozen in a skillet or microwave.

Homemade Flour Tortillas Recipe

This homemade flour tortilla recipe with butter is made with just four simple ingredients. They’re easy to prepare in a stand mixer and are perfect for tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and more.