I made White Sonora tortillas last night! I used to make tortillas all the time, and have recently started again. I have tried all bread flour, all white heirloom soft wheat, and a mix (half and half was the best compromise of nutrition and texture). Last night I tried 100% White Sonora in my tortillas, and they were amazing! They were soft (and are still soft this morning). They bubbled and spotted (something that my WW ones haven’t done very well), and they had an excellent flavor. The stretchiness was remarkable - the dough broke apart at first, but became very elastic within a few minutes of kneading. I will be buying more WS berries for my tortillas!
The recipe I use is all over the internet, but has served me well for the last 5 years.
3 c flour (I used 390 g of whole White Sonora berries ground in my mockmill - I ran them through twice but did not sift)
1.25 t salt
1 t baking powder
1/3 c oil (I use olive oil)
1 c warm water
Combine dry ingredients. Add water and oil and combine. Knead until stretchy (5-7 minutes with the White Sonora wheat). Cut into 12 portions, roll into balls. Cover and let rest for at least 15 minutes.
Preheat cast iron skillet over medium heat while rolling. Roll tortillas out on a floured counter. Do not make too thin or you will end up with crackers! Cook until you see bubbles and there is some brown coloring or spotting on the underside - flip and cook until the color looks good underneath. Do not overcook! Remove to a plate, and then cover with another plate to keep them soft.
Thank you for sharing this! I never really looked at White Sonora and now, reading some including here in the Breadtopia store … a soft white that “is good for tortillas”! I bet it might be good for biscuits also ala White Lily. I’m going to order some!
If I understand your instructions, you did not sift: is that correct?
I did not sift - I did run it through twice at the finest setting (and will modify my post to reflect that). My mom shared some White Sonora that she received with her Mockmill, and I’m so glad that I tried it! I will have to try biscuits, too.
It really doesn’t have a whole wheat-y flavor at all, which I prefer for tortillas.
Cool - thanks for sharing! I’ve been working on a tortilla recipe that is corn and wheat, and I had been using AP for the wheat side, but you’ve inspired me to see how white sonora and corn hold up…well, you and my full fridge of leftover pulled chicken and taco fixings
Here’s a white sonora recipe you might try now that you’re a fan. You can do a beef or vegetarian filling if you prefer.
Thank you! I will try this recipe as soon as I get more White Sonora! And I would love to hear more about your tortillas - I’ve never thought of combining corn and wheat!
Thank you for the additional information! I have ordered White Sonora. I make a similar recipe to yours but usually add some discard starter, backing off equivalent amount of flour and water. I also add some masa harina which I like both flavor and texture wise but I’m hoping the WS makes them a bit more pliable while still corn-y for enchilada. Anyway, I can’t wait to give it a try. The masa is a different approach than @Fermentada Corn/Wheat which I want to try as well.
Liz: regarding biscuits, in a post from two years ago about a White Sonora Loaf, Stuart (@titanpilot2004) mentioned that the first thing he made with the WS berries were biscuits, apparently very tasty. So go for it.
Thanks, Susan! @Fermentada buttery sourdough biscuits are on my list and I’ll try some White Sonora with that recipe.
@cwhitton I made the tortillas - YUM! I did have a first round failure of thinking the dough was too wet, adding more flour, letting the dough sit in the frig overnight and it ended up too dry for tortillas but made some tasty apple galettes … I made 1/2 recipe. 2nd round I did not add additional flour, let the dough sit for just an hour and success.
The tortilla in the photo is my 3rd round with flour/masa harina mix which I like for making rolled enchiladas - more pliable than a corn tortilla but with the corn taste:
150 g Masa Harina
200 g Flour ( I used sifted (40) White Sonora)
248 g starter (my white flour 100% hydration starter)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup oil/lard/bacon fat
3/4 cup water (extra water for the masa and white Sonora)
Always excited to see white Sonoran wheat mentioned in a post. It’s making a comeback here in the Sonoran desert (Tucson, AZ.) thanks to growers like BKW Farms of Marana, AZ. (http://www.bkwazgrown.com) And bakers like Don Guerra at Barrio bread (http://barriobread.com/index.html)
The Tohono O"odham people have been making tortillas and breads from this grain for hundreds of years.
I just make corn tortillas from masa harina. I never tried wheat tortillas, mostly because the recipies call for solid shortening, which I don’t like to use. Olive oil sounds good.
