whole wheat tortillas?

[Jeanie]

I looked at the HEB the other day for whole wheat torts - found them and found some "spinach" and "tomatoe" ones too but when I read the ingredients they listed: partially hydrogenated soybean oil and maybe some other oil like "less than 2% canola or soybean oil" Something like that can't quite remember the actual wording.

Anyway, is it possible to find "legal" whole wheat tortillas? I don't know how to make them. Thanks.

[noodle]

Jeanie,

I'm in the same boat as you. The only whole wheat tortillas I can find are loaded with fat. YUCK.

For me and my family, I've been buying Mission 98% fat free white flour tortillas. Yes, it's white flour, but the fat content is the lowest of any tortilla I've seen.

I'd like to find one that isn't white flour, but have had no success so far.

[Jeanie]

Maybe we could find a decent recipe for them and just make them ourselves.... but really, it's nice to just reach in the fridge and grab a couple when you need them --

[fiddler3]

A recurrent concern, I see...

In one of the McDougall DVD's there is a mention of a brand of fat free ww tortillas you can order, but I can't recall the brand or the dvd I have hunted online and havent found them either, nor at Wild Oats. I take that as sign that I ought to decrease my wheat and bread intake...

fiddler3

[DK]

I've given up on finding fat-free whole wheat tortillas, and just substitute other things. Sometimes corn tortillas, sometimes pita bread, sometimes very low fat white tortillas. The closest is lavash bread, which is very large flat unleavened bread and generally just contains whole wheat & flour. It's big enough to double up the layers for burritos, which is good because it's too thin to really hold together as a burrito.

[Mrs. Doodlepunk]

My husband makes the best whole wheat tortillas. He has evolved this recipe over the past few years, since we started McDougalling he's had trouble with them sticking in the press but this latest formula works really well. Right now we have a boy with braces so he uses some white flour so they are a bit softer, usually they are all whole grain. We have a VillaWare press with non stick coating that I got a few years ago from King Arthur. This recipe has yeast in it, not traditional but it is really good, and helps the tortillas spread out and not be too thick and heavy. The oat flour keeps the dough from sticking - we think that is what the oil in most recipes does.

Whole Wheat tortillas

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup oat flour (use rolled oats and put in blender)
1 cup white flour
2 teaspoons yeast
1 1/3 to 1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Put all dry ingredients in food processor. Warm water in microwave until just warm, not hot enough to kill the yeast. Dissolve the yeast in the water and let it set a few minutes, you can add a teaspoon of sugar if you like to the yeast. With processor running, dump in the water through the feed tube and mix until dough comes together. If too sticky, add a tablespoon more flour, if too dry add a tiny bit more water. Let dough rest about 10 minutes, then divide into 12 to 18 balls and put on a plate. Cover with plastic wrap and either let raise for one hour or refrigerate overnight. Bake as directed by your tortilla press instructions. Ours say to flatten the ball slightly and place on the hot plate and close and press quickly and firmly.

We usually make a batch of these and keep them in the refrigerator for quick meals or snacks. They smell heavenly while baking!

[Jeanie]

I'll try it tomorrow

[prairiedream]

Wow, those homemade tortillas sound good! They really work in a tortilla press? I tried making ww tortillas one time and didn't notice that it said to roll them out. It was a huge disaster in the press! But if this recipe can be pressed I might try it again.

One question -- do they stay relatively soft for a few days, or do they tend to harden like regular yeast bread does?

[Mrs. Doodlepunk]

I need to clarify - our press presses out and cooks in one operation. We have an electric thing similar to a waffle iron, except that it is flat and has a smooth non-stick cooking surface, and sort of a press like lever. We flatten the dough, place it in the middle and quickly close the lid and press down hard and very firmly. This is repeated a few times while opening and turning the disc a couple times. You have to work fast because the thing is hot and cooking the dough quite fast, if you don't get it pressed all the way out it stays thick.

Yes, these do stiffen up, we keep them in the refrigerator in a ziplock bag. I heat them in the microwave, my husband likes to pull out the press to heat them up, and they really get soft when reheated.

We have the old fashioned kind of press too, but only use it when making corn tortillas from scratch and feeling masochistic. Besides, at a dollar for a big package of them, our local place makes really good corn tortillas.

[Mrs. Doodlepunk]

One question -- do they stay relatively soft for a few days, or do they tend to harden like regular yeast bread does?

When using all whole wheat flour they can get quite stiff if overcooked. Using some white flour makes them a bit softer, and reheating them in the microwave or on a skillet or in the press (my husband's favorite way of reheating) they do soften up.

I have only made them myself a couple of times, my husband is the real expert. He just said it takes practice, you get a feel for how quickly and how hard you press them down, and you have to work fast in the beginning. He has worked for a long time at making them with no oil and so they don't stick when cooking in this press. We tried rolling them out and it is just so tedious and the results were not as good as this press.

[emilybelle]

I have been buying some I found at my local grocery store (Meijer) from La Tortilla Factory. They say Fat Free and Vegan Friendly on them, although they are not whole wheat. Here is the list of ingredients:

Ingredients: Enriched Flour (niacin, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, folate), water, oat fiber; contains 2% or less of each of the following: baking powder: ( sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, corn starch, monocalcium phosphate), salt, yeast, xanthan gum, guar gum, citric acid, sorbic acid, calcium proionate (to maintain freshness)


Although I am not quite sure what xanthan gum and guar gum are!

Rhonda