If you have not tried making homemade tortillas, let me just tell you, it is not nearly as hard as you might think! This Kamut Flour Tortilla Recipe is even better as it is made with whole wheat ancient grain flour. Keep reading for all the details.
These homemade whole-grain tortillas are so simple to make, they will probably surprise you. They are also made with whole grain flour and are a delicious option to store-bought.
Interested in more Kamut recipes? Let me share my collections of recipes with kamut flour and kamut. Read all about how to sprouting Kamut in this post. Or what about cooking Kamut in a pressure cooker? The process could not be easier. My last suggestion is my Kamut sourdough pizza dough recipe. To die for!!
Is kamut flour gluten-free?
There are many misconceptions about Kamut flour, one of those being that it is gluten-free. This is simply not true. Kamut (Khorasan wheat) most certainly does contain wheat.
This easy tortilla recipe contains 100% Kamut flour, so this recipe is not gluten-free either.
Ingredients
- Kamut Flour- You can buy Kamut flour. If you want to get a little more involved, I love to grind my own grains in my Nutrimill grain mill. I purchased the Kamut grains from Azure Standard.
- Coconut oil- You can also use any other fat you like too. Lard is really my favorite, but I don't generally keep it on hand.
- Salt- Kosher salt is my go-to.
- Water- this is going to be a variable, depending on the weather and humidity. More on this below.
How To Make
I knead this dough by hand. Start adding the flour and salt to the surface and mix. Create a small well and add the coconut oil and water. Begin kneading and knead for about 1 minute.
Check for moisture. You will want the dough to be just slightly tacky (sticky). Not much, but just slightly. Add in more water or flour if you need it.
Continue to knead for another 3 minutes or so until it is smooth. Cover with saran wrap and let it rest for 20-30 minutes.
Divide it into 10 pieces. If you need to, flour your surface lightly. I didn't for mine, but you might need to. Use the least amount of flour as you can, you don't want to add in more flour than necessary.
Roll out the dough into 8-10-inch rounds. I am not that skilled at hand-rolling tortillas, so mine were 8-inch circles and on the thicker side.
Place them on the preheated skillet. I love to use my cast iron griddle for this as it holds and distributes heat so well. You will want the pan to be pretty hot when you add the tortilla, almost the smoking point.
Cook on one side, the tortilla will bubble, as it should. Then flip it over and cook it on the other side. How much you cook depends on your preferences. I take mine a little darker, but you might like them just barely cooked.
Once it is cooked place it on a dish towel-lined plate. This will keep the tortillas soft and warm. Repeat the process, of rolling, cooking, and storing until you have made all the tortillas.
Notes
- I used 100% Kamut flour in this recipe. If you or your family are new to whole grains, you might want to start with 5-/50. 50% Kamut flour and 50% all-purpose flour. These taste pretty close to the original and might be more pleasant to your palette.
- I love coconut oil for these tortillas, but any fat will do. When I don't have coconut oil, I prefer lard. Don't knock it until you have tried it:).
- Make sure and hold this in a dish towel or tortilla warmer before serving. This will keep them warm, soft, and pliable.
- These will not be as soft as store-bought tortillas. They don't have preservatives and are made with whole wheat flour. That being said, they are tender!
- You can store these in the fridge for 24 hours, but I think they are best eaten pretty soon after you have made them.
How long do homemade tortillas last?
Well, let me just start by noting that tortillas made with refined flour will last longer than homemade whole-grain tortillas- like these.
Once these have been cooked, I feel like they are in their prime for about 24-48 hours. There are no preservatives in this recipe to keep it from aging naturally, which isn't very long.
After 48 hours, they are still technically good, they just get dry and are stiff. You can microwave them to soften them, but they still aren't the same as fresh. I say make the most of these when they are fresh!
What Is Kamut?
Kamut is an ancient grain. It is a much larger grain (almost triple the size) than you might be used to seeing in wheat. It also has a distinctly lighter color. The grain is called Kamut Khorasan.
No one is exactly sure where Kamut came from, but most people guess it was the fertile crescent. It is named after the Khorasan region in this region of Northern Iran.
Kamut started gaining popularity in the late 2000s in the United States. It was first cultivated modern by a farmer in Montana in 1949.
It is a great high-protein wheat that I use in many baked goods. I have also sprouted Kamut and cooked it as well. It is delicious to use as a breakfast porridge or in place of rice. If you are not using it yet, you need to be!
Follow me on Instagram!
For more inspiration
Tender Kamut Tortilla Recipe
Equipment
- rolling pin or tortilla press
- skillet or griddle for cooking
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups kamut flour
- ¼ cup coconut oil or canola oil I prefer using coconut oil, but either will work.
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup cold water You might need a little more to get the right consistency in the dough. Read below.
Instructions
- Combine the flour and salt together. Then add in the coconut oil and water. I keep the coconut oil at room temp, in my house, this means it is solid.
- Knead the dough together for about 1 minute and check the consistency. You want it to feel just slightly tacky (sticky). It should just barely stick to your hands, but not too much. Add in more water if you need to.
- Knead another 3-4 minutes until it is smooth. I like to knead it by hand.
- Cover and let this sit for 20-30 minutes. The dough will need time to rest.
- Divide it into 10 balls. Roll them into balls, then press gently into 3-inch circles. Cover them and start with the first one your formed. Roll it out to a 10-inch circle. You can also use a tortilla press if you have one.
- Continue rolling, working through the rest of the balls.
- When they are formed, heat your skillet over medium heat. I like to use my cast-iron skillet for this.
- You can grease it lightly if you want, or just cook them without it,
- Cook until they are a deep golden brown on each side. Remove from the skillet and place on a plate covered in a dishtowel.
- Continue cooking the rest of them. These are best used within a few hours!
Notes
- I used 100% Kamut flour in this recipe. If you or your family are new to whole grains, you might want to start with 5-/50. 50% Kamut flour and 50% all-purpose flour. These taste pretty close to the original and might be more pleasant to your palette.
- I love coconut oil for these tortillas, but really any fat will do. When I don't have coconut oil, I prefer lard. Don't knock it until you have tried it:).
- Make sure and hold this in a dish towl or tortilla warmer before serving. This will keep them warm, soft, and pliable.
- These will not be as soft as store bought tortillas. They don't have preservatives, and are made with whole wheat flour. That being said, they are really tender!
- You can store these in the fridge for 24 hours, but I think they are best eaten pretty soon after you have made them.
Kina says
Can you freeze them?
Amy Sandidge says
I do not think they freeze well. They are much more stiff when they are thawed and not nearly as flexible as fresh. If that doesn't bother you, then freezing is a good option!
Dianne says
So I made these with freshly milled kamut berries and avocado oil instead of canola (canola oil is an inflammatory seed oil that is not healthy for you) and it was delicious! We loved it and will be a keeper for us!
Amy Sandidge says
I am so glad you liked the recipe!! It is an older recipe and one I need to update without the canola oil. One of these days! Happy baking.