Whole Wheat Tortillas / Wraps are one of those recipes that are surprisingly simple to make once you get comfortable working with the dough. This version combines whole wheat flour with all-purpose flour, giving you the deeper, slightly nutty flavor of whole wheat while keeping the tortillas soft and flexible enough to roll around your favorite fillings.
The dough comes together with just a handful of ingredients. Baking powder gives the tortillas a little lift, while the oil helps keep the finished wraps tender rather than dry. The amount of water can vary slightly depending on your flour, so the goal is less about following the measurement blindly and more about paying attention to the dough as it comes together. You want a smooth, soft dough that can be kneaded without feeling excessively sticky.
One of the most important parts of making homemade tortillas is allowing the dough to rest before rolling. Even though this recipe only requires a short 8–10 minute rest, it gives the dough time to relax after kneading. This makes each portion easier to roll thinly without constantly shrinking back. Rolling the tortillas as thin as possible also helps them cook quickly and remain pliable.
The cooking process is fast, so have your skillet properly heated before you begin. The tortilla should start developing bubbles on the first side, then cook briefly on the second side until you see light brown spots. Avoid leaving them on the skillet too long. Overcooking drives out too much moisture and can leave you with stiff tortillas that crack instead of folding.
Once each tortilla comes off the skillet, keeping it covered between clean tea towels is just as important as the cooking itself. The trapped steam helps maintain their softness while you finish the batch. Make them small, medium, or large depending on how you plan to use them, then fill them while warm with anything from eggs and vegetables to chicken, fish, beans, or your favorite sandwich fillings.
Ingredient Details
Whole Wheat Flour –
Provides the characteristic nutty flavor, darker color, and hearty texture associated with whole wheat tortillas. It also gives the wraps more structure.
All-Purpose Flour –
Lightens the dough and helps produce a softer, more flexible tortilla. Combining it with whole wheat flour keeps the finished wraps from becoming overly dense.
Baking Powder –
Gives the tortillas a little lift as they cook, helping prevent them from being completely flat and dense.
Salt –
Adds seasoning and brings out the natural flavor of the flours.
Olive Oil or Other Cooking Oil –
Adds moisture and tenderness to the dough, helping the cooked tortillas remain soft and pliable.
Water –
Hydrates the flour and brings the dough together. Using water that is slightly warmer than lukewarm helps create a workable, supple dough.
Ingredient Alternatives
Olive oil:
Substitute with another neutral or mildly flavored cooking oil such as avocado, vegetable, or canola oil.
All-purpose flour:
For this recipe, it is best kept as written because it helps balance the whole wheat flour and contributes to a softer tortilla.
Whole wheat flour:
No substitute needed.
If you enjoyed this recipe, you may also enjoy my recipe for Homemade Flour Tortillas
Whole Wheat Tortillas / Wraps
Description
These Homemade Wheat Tortillas / Wraps are made from a simple flour dough that cooks quickly on a hot skillet, creating soft tortillas with lightly browned spots and a subtle nutty flavor from the whole wheat flour. They’re versatile enough for breakfast wraps, lunch fillings, quesadillas, or whenever you want a homemade alternative to packaged wraps.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Mix the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
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Add the olive oil and water and bring the dough together using a spoon or dough mixer.
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Lightly dust your work surface with flour and knead the dough well for 3–5 minutes, until smooth.
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Cover the dough with a clean tea towel and allow it to rest for 8–10 minutes.
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Divide the dough into 12 small balls for small tortillas, 8–10 balls for medium tortillas, or 6 balls for large tortillas.
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Roll each ball out on a lightly floured surface as thinly as possible. If the tortilla is misshapen, use a pot cover, bowl, or another large circular object to cut and shape it into a neat circle.
Note:- let each tortilla rest for 1-2 mins after rolling out before you begin to cook it.
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Place the tortilla onto a preheated skillet over medium-high heat and cook until bubbles begin to form.
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Flip and cook until light brown spots begin to appear. Be careful not to overcook the tortillas, as this will cause them to become stiff.
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Remove each tortilla from the heat and place onto a clean tea towel. Cover with another tea towel to allow the tortillas to steam and stay soft.
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Repeat until all the tortillas are cooked. Serve warm with your favorite fillings.
Note
- Don't overcook them: The tortillas only need light brown spots. Keeping them on the skillet too long will dry them out and make them difficult to fold.
- Keep cooked tortillas covered: The tea towels help trap steam and maintain a soft, flexible texture while the remaining tortillas cook.
- Roll them thin: Thinner tortillas cook quickly and are easier to fold or roll around fillings.
- For even tortillas: Use a bowl, pot cover, or similar circular object to trim the rolled dough before cooking.
- Make different sizes: Small tortillas work well for smaller wraps, while larger ones are better suited to generous fillings.
- If the dough keeps shrinking: Give it another few minutes to rest before trying to roll it again. This allows the gluten to relax.
- Serving: Use warm tortillas with eggs, vegetables, chicken, fish, beans, cheese, or any filling you enjoy.
