Recipes: Gluten Free Tortilla Wraps

I love tortilla wraps..... more than I can possibly say. Not eating bread doesn't bother me that much, and as I can't get my hands on Expandex modified tapioca starch in Dubai, I've had to pretty much give it up. 

But every time I go into Spinneys and I see their soft wraps, it makes me want to melt into a puddle. There is nothing better than a soft floury tortilla stuffed full of chicken and bell peppers. I can even do without the sour cream and cheese, they are that good! 

So I've been looking for a gluten free tortilla wrap recipe for some time, and I've just found this one. I haven't actually tried it yet, because I'm still without the Expandex modified tapioca starch, but as everything I've tried from Gluten Free on a Shoestring has been fabulous, I'm willing to bet these will be every bit as good. 

Obviously I'll update you as soon as I get back to the UK and try them, I've already got my Expandex modified tapioca starch sitting at my mum's house! I'm so very excited about these little gems. 

If you try them first, please please let me know how they taste.... I promise not to be too green with envy! 

If you are gluten free and you haven't already bought Gluten Free on a Shoestring Bakes Bread either in paperback or in your kindle, you are missing out. I am salivating over the bagels and crusty french bread, and I cannot wait to get started! 

Here is the tortilla recipe, now get baking! 

INGREDIENTS:

1 3/4 cups (245 g) all-purpose gluten-free flour, plus more for sprinkling (I use GFOAS's own mock better batter recipe, you can find it here)

35 grams (about 1/4 cup) Expandex modified tapioca starch*

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon (6 g) kosher salt

4 1/2 tablespoons (54 g) vegetable shortening

3/4 cup (6 ounces) warm water (about 85°F)

*For information on where to find Expandex, please see the Resources page. For information on how to replace Expandex with Ultratex 3, readily available in most countries outside the United States, in the gluten free bread recipes in GFOAS Bakes Bread, scroll to #6 in Resources. I have not yet tested Ultratex 3 in this recipe, but I would recommend trying a mix of 268 grams all purpose gluten free flour + 12 grams Ultratex 3 in place of the blend above. Ultratex 3 is at least 3 times as strong as Expandex.

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, place the all-purpose flour, Expandex, baking powder, and salt, and whisk to combine. Add the vegetable shortening and toss it in the dry ingredients. With the tines of a large fork, break up the shortening into small pieces about the size of small peas. Create a well in the center of the mixture, and add the water. Mix to combine. The dough will come together and be thick. Press together into a ball, cover with a moist tea towel, and allow to sit for about 20 minutes. The dough will stiffen a bit as it absorbs more of the water.

Heat a 10- or 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Divide the dough into five pieces. Begin with one piece of dough, and cover the rest with a moist tea towel to prevent them from drying out. On a lightly floured surface, with a rolling pin, roll out the first piece of dough until it is 1/8 inch thick. Cut out as many rounds as you can (should be three or four) with a 6- or 8-inch metal cake cutter (I actually used a saucepan lid because I did  have a cake cooker big enough!). Stack the raw tortillas on top of one another, dusting lightly with flour between them, if necessary, to prevent them from sticking. Gather the scraps and set them aside. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough, including gathering and rerolling all of the scraps together.

Once all the tortillas have been rolled out and cut, place them one at a time in the center of the hot skillet and cook on one side until bubbles begin to appear on the top surface and the tortilla darkens in color a bit on the underside (about 45 seconds). Flip the tortilla over with a wide spatula, and cook on the other side until more bubbles form and the tortilla darkens on the underside (about another 45 seconds). Remove the tortilla from the pan, place on a moist tea towel, and cover gently. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

If you don’t plan to use the tortillas right away, place them, still wrapped in the towel, in a plastic bag to seal in the moisture. Use within a few hours.

Oh, and one more thing: They freeze perfectly. Just stack the cooked tortillas, wrap them tightly in freezer-safe wrap, and freeze until ready to use. You can either defrost them in the refrigerator overnight, and then refresh them by softening them in a hot skillet (a few seconds on each side), or pop them in the microwave covered in a wet paper towel. (The skillet method is 1000x better.) You’ll be minutes away from a great meal.