Going out for Mexican food today for Cinco de Mayo seems natural. Sure we could try to safely distance outside waiting to pick up our orders for dinner or dine on the sidewall. Heck, there is even a nearby street vendor, but still the same, why go out when you can make your own sourdough discard tortillas at home, especially if you are Seniors like us who still are quite sure the pandemic has passed.
However, Chef Claudia Sandoval, a MasterChef winner and author of Claudia’s Cocina: A Taste of Mexico, says “Mexican culture is about so much more than tacos and tequila.” Then she goes on to challenge us to “learn about our customs, our traditions, and our history. A little research goes a long way.” But she contends, “It isn’t about celebrating independence. It is about celebrating the ability to stand up to forces beyond measure.” You can read more about how to celebrate Cinco de Mayo more respectfully this year in her interview with Better Homes and Gardens.
In it, she says, “We are the type of culture that welcomes you into our home, and however humble our plates, or offerings, you will always feel welcome to partake in familial and cultural activities… It’s important to make sure you’re celebrating Mexican heritage and not treating the day as just an excuse to go out for margaritas—but food is such a large part of the Mexican culture, that it can be one of the best (and tastiest!) ways to celebrate.” And for centuries Mexican food traditions have included tortillas, both corn, and flour.
Corn tortillas, or Tortillas de Maíz, pre-dates Columbus’s travels to the Americas and has been a staple food in both Mesoamerican and in Native North American cultures. Naturally, the corn tortilla predates the newer wheat flour tortilla since wheat wasn’t cultivated in the Western Hemisphere until European colonization.
According to Lynne Olver, in Aztec homes, two or three corn tortillas were served to each person with every meal. Often they were eaten plain, but might be dipped in a mole or chili pepper sauce mixed with water. At Aztec marketplaces, tortillas were sold filled with turkey meat, turkey eggs, beans, honey, squash, prickly pears, and chili pepper. (See “Food Timeline FAQs: Aztec, Maya, & Inca foods and recipes”, that Oliver developed.)
The flour tortilla, made from wheat, followed the colonization of Central America while the region was part of the Spanish Empire and settlers began cultivating wheat there. Flour tortillas are usually unleavened and made with a water-based dough, but are pressed and cooked just like corn tortillas on a hot dry, griddle.
But did you know that you can make them with sourdough? Neither did I, but Mel at Kettle Kale took the challenge on and came up with this sourdough discard tortilla recipe:
Sourdough Discard Tortillas
Ingredients
- 3 scant cups/355g all-purpose flour
- ⅜ cup/ 85g tepid water
- ½ cup/ 120g sourdough discard or unfed starter
- 1 tsp/ 6g Real salt
- 1 tsp/4g baking powder
- ½ cup/100g cooking oil
Directions
- Mix the flour, salt, and the baking powder together with a whisk in a large mixing bowl, or your stand mixer bowl.
- Add the oil, discard, and water.
If you are using your hands, mix the ingredients well. Then knead the dough until the ingredients are incorporated well and the dough is smooth.
If using a stand mixer, combine ingredients with the dough hook on medium speed. When the dough wraps around the hook, turn the speed to low, mixing until the dough becomes smooth. - Then on a lightly floured surface, turn the dough out and divide it into 16 equal parts or less if you want larger tortillas.
- Roll each piece into a ball and let rest under a damp towel, for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile warm a large frying pan to a medium heat, but do not grease the pan.
- Flatten the dough balls with a rolling pin.
- Then stretch them until they are circular (not necessary perfectly round).
- Place each tortilla into the pan one at a time for 45 seconds, until the first side bubbles and has become lightly browned.
- Then turn the tortilla over, cooking it for 15-20 seconds on the other side.
- As each is browned, transfer it to a plate to cool and you cook the remaining tortillas.
These writes Mel, “can be served immediately, while still warm, or transferred to an airtight container for several days. To reheat tortillas, place uncovered in the microwave alongside a small glass of water. Microwave for 20-30 seconds. The water will keep the tortillas from drying out while reheating.
“To freeze tortillas for later use, place in a zip top bag with a sheet of parchment paper in between each tortilla. Tortillas will keep in the freezer up to two months.”
So will you take up the challenge today to celebrate by making your own sourdough discard tortillas?
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