Flour Tortillas

Step 1

Combine the flour, salt and sugar in a medium bowl. Add the shortening or oil and mix until mealy. Stir in 3/4 cup water to form a dough. Turn it out onto a surface and knead, adding more flour if needed, until a smooth, slightly sticky dough is formed, 5 to 7 minutes. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a towel and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. (Full disclosure: When we're hungry, we skip this step. But letting the dough rest does make it easier to roll these out.)

Step 2

Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Divide the dough into 8 equal parts and roll them out on a lightly-floured surface until they're really thin, keeping the remaining dough balls covered. I like a 1/16- or 1/8-inch thickness but wouldn't turn down a 3/16-inch-thick one. Cook them in the skillet on both sides until they're just starting to show some brown spots, 45 seconds to 1 minute per side. Keep warm in a towel until ready to serve.