Tortillas de harina sobaqueras
Sonora's giant, paper-thin flour tortillas
In Sonora, wheat is the grain, and the pride of Hermosillo kitchens is the sobaquera: a flour tortilla stretched over the backs of the hands and arms until it is almost see-through and as wide as a serving tray (the name comes from sobaco, armpit, because it reaches that far). It cooks in seconds on a big comal and is folded around beans, cheese or machaca, or torn and eaten with caldo de queso. Sonoran cooks use lard; vegetable shortening works the same. A 30–35 cm tortilla is a realistic home size. Chef's tip: the long rest is what makes the dough stretch; do not cut it short.
- Total time
- 80 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb plain flour and 1 ½ tsp salt in a bowl, then rub in 3 ½ oz vegetable shortening with your fingertips until it disappears and the flour feels like damp sand.
Step 2: Add 1 ¼ cups warm water gradually and knead for 8–10 minutes until the dough is very smooth and soft, and springs back slowly when pressed.
10 minStep 3: Divide into 8 balls, coat each with a little 2 tbsp vegetable oil, cover tightly and rest for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours. Common mistake: rolling straight away; the gluten fights back and the tortillas tear when stretched.
30 minStep 4: Heat a large comal or flat griddle over a medium-high heat. On an oiled surface, roll a ball out to about 25 cm, then drape it over the backs of your oiled hands and gently pull your hands apart, turning the dough, until it is 30–35 cm and nearly transparent.
Step 5: Lay it on the hot comal and cook for 20–30 seconds, until bubbles rise and the underside has pale brown spots. Flip and cook 20 seconds more. It should stay soft and bendy, not crisp.
8 minStep 6: Fold the tortilla in quarters and stack in a cloth to keep it soft while you make the rest. Cool leftovers wrapped in a bag; they keep 3 days and freeze well.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 300 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 43 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tortillas de harina sobaqueras take?
- About 80 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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