Whole Wheat Sourdough Tortillas: A Recipe from the Farm

Last Updated on January 31, 2024 by TheFarmChicken

I have a white sourdough tortilla recipe already up on TheFarmChicken but I wanted to have a whole wheat option too. I was very happy with how these turned out. With a ratio of almost half whole wheat to white flour these wheat tortillas are flavorful, filling and delicious! I love how whole wheat almost brings a sweet and nutty note to tortillas. Let’s learn all about these Whole Wheat Sourdough Tortillas: A Recipe from the Farm.

We are going to look at the ingredients, how to roll them nice and thin and also serving suggestions. They work perfect for Egg Hash breakfast burritos or taco night. How would you eat them?

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Ingredients for Whole Wheat Sourdough Tortillas

Buttermilk

The buttermilk adds softness and a fuller flavor to tortillas. It really is the “secret” ingredient to my tortillas. If you don’t have buttermilk you can make it using this quick recipe:

Buttermilk

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 T vinegar or lemon juice
  • Mix until well combined and then let sit for 5 minutes before using.

Sourdough Starter

This is a great recipe for sourdough discard but if you have active sourdough starter you can use that too. Either works great!

If you don’t have a sourdough starter you can learn with Agnes!

All Purpose Flour

Though these are whole wheat flour tortillas I do put some all-purpose flour in them too. A lot of whole wheat flour recipe are this way because if you use straight whole wheat then it can be too much and make your tortillas crumbly.

Whole Wheat Flour

I always appreciate working with whole wheat flour. The extra nutrients are wonderful and it also brings a flavor to food that is wholesome and nutty. Whole wheat flour can be more of a challenge to work with as it can make things crumblier and denser. In this recipe however it really is very manageable because of the right ratios of flour to moisture.

Another reason I love working with whole wheat flour is because we grind our own wheat that we grow right here on the farm. Such a fun thing! If you don’t grow it though you can find whole wheat flour in most grocery stores.

Cooking Oil – Your Choice

The fat in this recipe comes partly from the buttermilk and from oil. I use canola oil when I make these but you can use your favorite cooking oil.

Sea Salt

I like using sea salt, but kosher salt would work also. The salt brings flavor to these yummy tortillas.

Mixing up the Tortillas

This is probably the easiest part of making tortillas. Simply weigh out the liquid ingredients and stir together then add the dry ingredients and knead it by hand until all the dry ingredients have been combined. Then let them rest for 30 minutes covered with a tea towel before dividing them up and shaping them!

Dividing them and rolling them into dough balls:

When you are ready to divide the tortillas, you will take and weigh them. You can just eyeball it but for equal pieces I would recommend weighing them out. Here is a look at the different weights and sizes of tortillas so you can make the size you would like.

Weight = Size

• 75g dough ball = roughly a 10-inch tortilla
• 65g dough ball = roughly an 8-inch tortilla

Once you have the tortilla dough weighed out take them in your hand and roll them into a ball. This is a similar process to rolling a bread bun. It is helpful to use the counter to build a little tension on the dough ball. Cup the dough and using a circular motion shape the tortilla balls.

After you have rolled them all out, set them on a parchment paper lined pan that has a lid or airtight container and place them in the fridge. Place them in the fridge, for at least an hour or 1-6 days until you are ready to roll them out. I have found that 2 days is about perfect but any time in that stretch, 1-6 days, works just fine! This is also a bonus as it counts as a long fermentation.

Rolling Homemade Sourdough Tortillas out:

This part can be a little tricky but once you do a few you’ll get the hang of it. It will go pretty quickly after that. You want a lightly floured surface (not too much flour) to roll out your tortillas and a rolling pin. A tortilla press isn’t necessary and is more for use with corn tortillas.

My tips:

• Have patience and push down firmly as you roll out the tortillas.
• If they seem like they won’t flatten let them rest for 5 minutes and then try again.
• Roll them out most of the way and then pick them up and gently stretch them to get them to a bigger size. This also helps you make them circular.
• Flip them throughout the rolling process this helps keep them circular.

You can roll them out two different ways. I like to roll them and cook as I go but you can also roll them all out and then cook. NOTE: If you choose to roll them all out and then cook you should make sure to put parchment paper sheets in-between each uncooked tortilla, so they don’t stick together!

Cooking the tortillas:

Now that you have the tortillas mixed up, divided, and rolled out the next and final step to making tortillas is to cook them. I have found the best way to do this is on a medium-high heat cast iron pan.

1. Preheat your cast iron.
2. Lay a tortilla on the pan.
3. Flip after 2-3 minutes and when there is light browning.
4. Cook on the opposite side for 2-3 minutes.
5. Stack in a towel to keep warm.

NOTE: I have used just a regular griddle pan/Teflon and they do not cook as nicely. I’m thinking it has to do with how quickly the heat transfers but either way try to use cast iron if you have it or lower heat on your regular pan.

Storing Whole Wheat Tortillas:

Use immediately or you can freeze them. If I don’t use them immediately, I like to freeze them, so they are the freshest possible when I do need them. You could try just storing them in the fridge, but I haven’t liked doing that as much.

How to freeze tortillas:

1. Layer each tortilla with a square of parchment paper.
2. Place in a freezer zip top bag.
3. Continue alternating with the parchment and tortillas.
4. Place in freezer.

How to thaw tortillas:

1. You can either do this with the defrost setting on the microwave, in the fridge, or you can rewarm them on the cast iron pan at a low heat.

I have a YouTube video all about how to make sourdough tortillas. Check it out!

Ways to use homemade tortillas:

• Breakfast Burritos
• Quesadillas
• Tacos
• Enchiladas
• Buttered as a snack
• Fajitas
• Fajita Quesadillas

Pin for Later:

Whole Wheat Sourdough Tortillas: A Recipe from the Farm

• 120g water, distilled or filtered, NOT tap
• 120g buttermilk
• 160g sourdough starter, active or discard
• 50g canola oil, you can use your favorite cooking oil
• 200g whole wheat flour
• 250g all-purpose flour
• 10g sea salt

• In a medium bowl with your gram scale, measure out the first 4 ingredients. The water, buttermilk, active starter, or sourdough discard, and oil. Mix together by hand or with a spoon or Danish dough hook, until mixed well.
• Then add/ weigh out the flour and sea salt and mix/knead by hand until there are no more dry pieces left in the bowl.
• Cover with a tea towel and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
• Next take and weigh out your tortillas; dividing them into equal pieces.
• 75 g each for a large tortilla
• or
• 60 g for a medium to small tortilla
• Take each one and roll it on the counter to create dough balls. You want to create tension on the surface of the dough.
• Place on a parchment lined baking sheet or any parchment paper lined airtight container and place in fridge covered with lid or plastic wrap for 1 hour or up to 6 days.
• I usually put mine in the fridge and cook them the next day.

Rolling and Cooking the Tortillas

• When you are ready to cook the tortillas, take them out of the fridge and working one at a time roll the tortillas with a rolling pin, on a floured surface, as thin as you can get them. (see tips in text above)
• As you are rolling the tortillas out preheat a large cast iron skillet / griddle to medium heat. You can do this two different ways.
• Either roll and cook the tortillas as you go
• ~or~
• Roll them all out stacking parchment paper in between the tortillas so they don’t stick together and cook them once they are all rolled and ready.
• When cooking the tortillas place them on the preheated hot pan for about 1 minute; 2-3 minutes total. You want the side to be golden brown in spots. Then flip the tortilla over. If they balloon up that is actually a good thing and helps the tortilla cook more evenly.
• Continue with all the tortillas and stack the cooked tortillas in a tea towel as you go.
• When they are all cooked you can either use them immediately or stack the finished tortillas with sheets of parchment paper in between and freeze in a freezer zip top plastic bag.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe! I’m excited to share it with you and am so happy with how they turned out. Let me know below if you have any questions! Thanks for stopping by!

Mariah N. | TheFarmChicken

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• Gram Scale/Kitchen Scale – More cost effective than you would think!
• Rolling Pin
• My Favorite Cast Iron Griddle

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.
Proverbs 25:11

More Sourdough Recipes to Try:

Homemade Sourdough Tortillas: A Recipe from the Farm

Egg Hash for Breakfast Burritos: A Recipe from the Farm

Sourdough Apple Cider Donuts (Baked): A Recipe from the Farm

TheFarmChicken Sourdough Bread Recipe: Step by Step