Homemade tortillas are so superior to anything you can find in the grocery store, and the addition of a little sourdough starter makes it even easier to get soft, stretchy tortillas that make taco night extra special!
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Whipping up a batch of homemade sourdough discard tortillas is one of the more rewarding dinner endeavors. With just a little bit of prep, they come together so quickly and easily. When you start to see the signature golden brown spots forming on the surface of the pale tortillas, it’s just so cool!
With many tortilla recipes I’ve tried, it can be difficult to keep them soft and rollable. However, adding sourdough discard really helps keep the shells from drying out and becoming crisp—or cracking when you try to roll them up. So while I really appreciate all the gut-friendly benefits of this recipe, I always consider it a double win when it’s also just a great recipe!
I love that I can adjust the size to fit the meal. Usually, I end up making the tortillas a little on the large side. This way they can be tucked to hold plenty of filling without spilling out the bottom. These make the best tortillas for wraps, burritos, or taco night.
What is Sourdough Discard?
I like to think of sourdough discard as a kind of leftover—or the extra sourdough starter that you have on hand. Discard does not have to be an active starter like you would use when baking bread. It can be starter that’s been sitting in the fridge for a couple of days or on the counter until it’s started to fall and flatten out.
Sourdough tortillas do not need to rise a lot like a big, beautiful loaf of bread would. Because of this, we don’t need the starter to be active and bubbly to make awesome sourdough discard tortillas. The starter I used for this recipe this week had actually been sitting in the fridge without being fed for five days and it worked great!
Ingredients
The ingredient list for sourdough discard tortillas is short simple:
All-Purpose Flour:
I like to use an unbleached flour, and King Arthur brand flour is great for tortillas. Their all-purpose flour is a little bit higher in gluten which helps the tortillas hold together nicely. However, your favorite flour or whatever you have on hand will do very nicely 🙂
Feel free to substitute whole wheat flour. I think a 50/50 blend is really nice, especially if you’re looking to make wheat flour tortillas.
Salt
So important! A fine sea salt is best for this recipe.
Olive Oil
A little fat helps to keep the tortillas soft and flexible and also gives them a nice flavor. Avocado oil would also work well. You could definitely use coconut oil or melted butter if it’s what you have on hand, but butter can result in a slightly dryer tortilla.
Sourdough Discard
As long as your discard isn’t too sour, it will be great in this recipe. For most sourdough discard recipes, I prefer to use starter that’s been fed within the last week and kept in the fridge or has been sitting on the counter for less than 24 hours. If you notice that your starter has a sharp smell or is starting to form a dark liquid on top, it may be too acidic.
Mixing the Dough
The dough for these tortillas comes together so easily. Start by throwing your flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and giving them a quick whisk to mix in the salt. (A dough whisk is great for this step!) In a glass measuring cup, combine your warm water, oil, and starter. Use a fork to break up the starter and incorporate it into the rest of the liquids.
Next, I make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and dump in the wet ingredients. Stir until the flour is hydrated and a shaggy dough forms. Continue mixing until the dough starts to form a ball around the whisk.
Dump the mixture onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead the dough for about a minute. Avoid adding too much flour or the dough will end up dense. A bench scraper is really helpful here to keep things tidy.
Alternatively, use the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook to mix and knead your dough. Just add the ingredients, mix, and let it knead for about a minute.
Bulk Rise
You’ll want to cover your sourdough tortilla dough and let it ferment at room temperature for 4–6 hours. During this fermentation process, it will puff slightly but won’t double. At this point, you can divide and roll out the tortillas, but I prefer to place the dough in the fridge for at least 4 hours or up to 2–3 days. Cold dough is much easier to work with and allows for long fermentation, which improves digestibility and flavor due to the breakdown of phytic acid.
Placing the dough in an airtight container in the fridge gives you flexibility—you can prep early in the week and have it ready for a quick taco night.
Rolling Out Sourdough Discard Tortillas
Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. (If the dough has been chilled, there’s no need to let it come to room temperature.) Roll each into a dough ball, then let the dough rest for 15 minutes. Use a rolling pin on a lightly floured work surface to roll each ball into a thin circle, about 8–10 inches wide. Rotate as you roll to keep it from sticking.
I recently invested in this tortilla press, and I’ve really enjoyed using it for taco night. We make tacos a lot around here, and I’ve found that a tortilla press makes making homemade flour tortillas so much easier. Just make sure to use squares of parchment paper on both sides and allow the dough balls to rest the full 15–20 minutes before pressing.
Cooking Sourdough Discard Tortillas
Place a cast iron skillet or cast iron pan over medium heat and allow it to get hot. Gently transfer the tortilla and cook for about a minute. Look for bubbling on the surface and golden brown brown spots underneath before flipping. Cook the first side for 1–2 minutes, then flip and cook the other side.
Watch the heat—if they blacken, lower it slightly. If they’re slow to brown, raise it. Remove the cooked tortillas to a plate and cover with a tea towel or clean kitchen towel to keep them soft and pliable.
Prepping Ahead
Sourdough discard tortillas can be made ahead and kept in a plastic bag or ziplock bag, separated with parchment paper. Freeze them for longer storage. To rewarm, let them come to room temperature and heat in a dry skillet, low oven, or microwave.
These tortillas are also great for breakfast wraps, flat bread, or even breakfast burritos. Making your own tortillas from scratch is a fantastic way to replace store-bought tortillas with something fresher and more nutritious.
Final Thoughts
This sourdough discard tortilla recipe is such a great way to bring more from-scratch goodness to your kitchen. With just a few simple ingredients, it becomes one of the best things to keep in the fridge for quick dinners.
Let us know how your tortillas turn out—and happy baking!
Sourdough Discard Tortillas
Ingredients
- 400 grams All-purpose flour 3 1/4 cup
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup sourdough discard
Instructions
Mixing the Dough
- Add your flour and salt into a large mixing them and giving them a quick whisk to mix in the salt. In a glass measuring cup, combine your water, oil and starter. Use a fork to break up the starter and incorporate it into the rest of the liquids.
- Next, I make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and dump in the wet ingredients. Using a Danish whisk or a fork, stir until the flour is hydrated and is starting to form a ball around the whisk.
- Dump the mixture onto a well-floured work surface and gently knead the dough for about a minute.
- Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook to mix and knead your dough. Simply add the ingredients to the mixer bowl, mix the dough, then allow it to knead for about a minute.
Bulk Rise
- Let the dough ferment at room temperature for 4-6 hours. During this time, it will puff up nicely but will not quite double.
- At this point, you can go ahead and divide and roll out the tortillas, or place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to 3 days.
- Rolling Out Sourdough Discard Tortillas
- Divide the tortilla dough into 12 even pieces. (If your dough has been in the fridge you can use it right away. There’s no need to let it come to room temperature.) With your hand cupped, gently roll the dough on the counter to form a ball.
- Let the dough rest for about 15 minutes and then start rolling out your tortillas. Dust the work surface with flour and use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a flat circle about 8-10 inches wide. Turn the tortillas periodically as you roll them out to keep them from sticking to the counter.
Cooking Sourdough Discard Tortillas
- Place a cast iron skillet or two over medium high heat on your stovetop and allow the pan to get hot. Gently transfer the tortilla to the pan so that it lays flat. Let the tortilla cook for about a minute. At this point you should see bubbles forming on the surface of the tortilla. I like to lift the tortilla with a metal spatula and make sure that there are several golden brown spots forming before I flip it. Continue cooking the tortilla on the second side for another minute.
- Monitor your heat throughout the cooking process. If the tortillas start to blacken, turn the heat down a little. If it seems like it’s taking too long to brown, adjust the heat up slightly.
- Remove the cooked tortillas to a plate and immediately cover with a cloth napkin or tea towel. Covering the tortillas will trap steam as they cool and keep them soft and easy to roll up.
- Continue until all the tortillas are cooked, then throw them on the table and fill 'em up!
