Flour tortilla calculator
Traditional flour tortillas with lard and warm water — no baking powder, per-piece dough weights.
12 × 53 g · 46% hydration
Type how much flour you have — the portion weight recalculates.
Flour tortillas the traditional way — Rick Bayless’s formula: flour, lard, salt and very warm water, nothing else. No baking powder in the classic article; a well-rested dough and a hot, dry griddle do everything.
How it works
Fat first
Rub 17% lard (butter is his stated substitute) into the flour until sandy, then add 1.2% salt dissolved in 46% very warm water. Warm water hydrates faster and keeps the fat soft — the dough should come together supple, not sticky.
The rest is the recipe
Knead briefly until smooth, divide into ~53 g balls (a dozen from the source batch), and rest them covered at least 30 minutes. The rest relaxes the gluten completely — skip it and the tortillas snap back and roll unevenly.
Roll and griddle
Roll each ball paper-thin to about 15 cm and cook on an ungreased griddle or cast iron at medium-high (~200 °C), 30–45 seconds per side — until puffed in spots and freckled brown. Stack under a towel; the steam finishes them soft.
FAQ
Don’t tortillas need baking powder?
The traditional lard-and-hot-water style uses none — that is Bayless’s forty-year formula. King Arthur’s popular version does add a teaspoon (with much hotter, wetter dough), and Sonoran-style recipes vary. Both schools exist; this calculator follows the classic.
Can I use oil or butter instead of lard?
Butter is the source’s own alternative; oil works but gives a flatter flavor and slightly less tender bite. Lard remains the reference for both texture and taste.
Why did mine turn out stiff?
Rolled too thick, cooked too long, or the rest skipped. A tortilla finishes in ninety seconds total — past that it is on its way to being a cracker.