Learn how to take your Practice Recipes into creative territory, master alternative shaping methods for tortillas, never forget the tips for getting the most accuracy out of measuring by volume, and much more to help your flatbread baking future.

If you like, continue to practice your flatbread baking skills, and stretch your know-how with the new tastes and textures in these extra recipes. Use the Measuring Cheat Sheet to upsize or downsize as needed.

This is a convenient listing of some of the unique ingredients called for in this module. Use it to shop online or as a reference to learn more about new ingredients.

Some of these links take you directly to affiliate partner sites. You’re welcome to skip these links to research and buy products wherever, or however you like. 

This is a convenient listing of basic tools called for in this course as well as some “nice to have but not necessary” items that make baking easier and more fun. Read more about each and how we use them here.

Some of these links take you directly to affiliate partner sites. You’re welcome to skip these links to research and buy products wherever, or however you like. 

My tortillas are too dry, when I try to roll them out they are cracking.

Don’t panic! Since we aren’t using chemical leavening agents in flatbread making, we have more leeway time-wise (no leavening agents that we need to get into an oven quickly).

First, double check to make sure you’ve added the correct amount of ingredients called for. If you have, and you still have excessive cracking, you just need to add more moisture to the dough.

Also, different brands of flours can react differently. Some flours (especially fresh) are more hydrated already than ones that have been sitting on a shipping facility shelf (older, drier). Results can also vary on a humid summer day versus a dry, cold winter one. A good rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon at a time until you get the textures you see in the videos. So, starting with 1 tablespoon of water at a time, fold into tortilla dough—you may be surprised how a little moisture can go such a long way and how absorbent some flours (and brands) are when others aren’t. Track these discoveries in your baking journal so you can hone in on what works for you and the ingredients you have available to you. After adding 1 tablespoon at a time, wait 1 minute so the flour will soak up the water. Repeat these steps until you get a workable texture like you see in the videos.

If you go too far and things get too sticky, cover and let the dough rest for 1–2 minutes to allow the flour to soak up the moisture.

Make sure that you are covering your dough with a damp cloth as you work. If you forget this step, the dough can dry out and crack.

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My tortillas are too wet and sticky, when I try to roll or press them out they are sticking to the parchment paper.

If your dough is relentlessly sticking to any surfaces and/or breaking apart excessively when you try to move it, it’s too wet. Add 1 tablespoon of flour back into the dough at a time and allow it to sit 1 minute so water in the dough can bind with it. Repeat this step if necessary until you reach a workable texture. See the notes above for too-dry dough and just add more flour as instructed instead of water.

Once you get the right texture, make sure that you are covering your dough with a damp cloth as you work. If you forget this step, the dough can dry out and crack. See steps above if it does.

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Help! I added too much of an ingredient! How do I make this work?

If you realize you’ve added too much of one ingredient, you just need to double the batch and do a little math. Simply, add another round of ingredients to make two batches, but minus the amount you over-added. Then, press out and cook all the extra tortillas, layer with parchment, and freeze for loads of future meals.

Remember, the more you make tortillas, the more you’ll instinctually realize what texture you need to roll/press out. With practice, soon enough making tortillas will be so easy you could do it in your sleep.

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My tortilla is sticking to the skillet” OR “My tortilla keeps burning!

Make sure the skillet is hot enough. H.O.T. This may seem counter-intuitive, but a really hot pan quick-sears and dries the outside of your tortilla versus slow cooking it and potentially causing burning or sticking. Don’t forget to flick water into the skillet, the beads should dance around and disappear in 3 seconds—this is a hot pan ready for tortillas. Then get ’em in and get ’em out. Tortillas should cook quickly so moisture can remain in them for pliability.

Sometimes, the first tortilla will stick if the pan isn’t heated enough—just let this first tortilla keep cooking and usually after 1 minute you can get a spatula underneath it. It will likely be too dry because it will have cooked too long, but taste will still be great. So, eat it as-is or slater with some peanut butter and jam or use it as a tostada and load it with savory goodies.

You will have to find the sweet spot temp wise with whatever pan you’re using and your range. Once you do, every subsequent batch will be more and more effortless. Track the temp for your cooking range in your baking journal in need be.

Using cast iron? It will get very hot, which is great, but you may have to become acquainted with your pan. Heat cast iron over medium heat for a longer time to reach the right temperature. Try a very light greasing using a high-smoke-point oil if the seasoning (non-stick factor) has diminished, and better yet, if the seasoning needs a recharge, read through Caring for Cast Iron.

We do not recommend stainless steel skillets for tortillas since they have a tendency to make tortillas stick, but you can avoid it with a very light greasing with a high-smoke-point oil, and nuanced temperature control. Since you will be using an oil here, you will be lightly “frying” the exterior of your tortilla so expect some crispiness.

Also, make sure you aren’t trying to flip the tortillas prematurely, you want the bottoms to dry out before flipping. You should be able to twirl the tortilla or move it around effortlessly once the bottom is dry enough.

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I can’t get my tortillas to roll thin enough, what can I do?

A tortilla press is a game-changer if you think you’ll be making tortillas often. Because it’s so easy, it actually encourages more tortilla making each week (which are GREAT for quick, easy meals).

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When I hand-roll tortillas I can’t get a round shape—any tips?

When you get “legs” on hand-rolled tortillas, pull them off (sorry, tortilla legs!) and patch them around the edge (just pat and press into the tortilla), sculpting it as you go. But by all means, embrace the rustic style and own it!

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I know the difference between cornmeal and corn flour, but what’s the difference between corn flour and masa harina?

Be sure to read the section about Nixtimalization in this Module.

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Are we basically just drying the torillas out as we cook? Should we see some colour?”

You are basically just drying them out quickly, yes. Too long a cook in a skillet can dry them out and lead to cracking—but psyllium helps minimize the possibility of this so see any baking tips we provide with each recipe if you want to adjust/play.

You’ll see char and brown spots of you use the direct-flame technique from the video and you may see browning if cooked in a skillet only. If you don’t see color, that’s ok as long as they’re dry yet pliable. If you want pliable, bendy tortillas, it’s always best to cook quickly in a hot pan than to dry out a tortilla in an effort to get browning. But plan B for a dried out tortilla is chips or make it a tostada, it will still taste great.

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I noticed that my Tapioca Flour from Bob’s Red Mill states that the flour is “ground into a powdery fine granulation from the dried roots of the cassava plant.” Is this the same as Cassava flour we need for class?

As discussed in the lessons (go back and rewatch/read), this is not the same as the cassava flour we need for the tortillas.

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Once cooked, my chickpea flatbread has a lot of cracking.

This is absolutely normal for chickpea flatbread that doesn’t use oil. If you want less cracking in a bread that does or does not use oil, add 1–2 more tablespoons more oil next time but know that some cracks are normal and won’t affect the taste of the bread. Oil hydrates the flour and traps moisture which minimizes cracking.

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My chickpea flatbread is sticking too much to the skillet (or baking dish).

You want to make sure you are using a well-greased or well-seasoned, hot pan as shown in the video. Also, as the bread cooks and cools, it should naturally pull away from the edges and release its grip on the pan. Be patient, and check back in 10 minutes once removed from the oven.

You can line the baking dish with unbleached parchment (if you don’t want to grease the pan). Just know that parchment can trap moisture and inhibit crispy edges/bottoms. You can get some of this crisp factor back by removing cooked Chickpea Flatbread from the parchment-lined vessel and baking directly on a baking rack to dry out until it is to your liking.

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I left my chickpea batter out too long, it smells kinda sour.

That’s fermentation! A good thing. It shouldn’t smell putrid or have any mold though, just sour and slightly yeasty. Cook it up for great flavor. If you see mold or it makes you recoil when you smell it, listen to nature’s expiration detector (your eyes and nose), start over.

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Do I pour all of the batter for the chickpea flatbread into the pan and that amount makes one flatbread, and serves 4 people?

That’s correct—4 large pizza slices, or 8–10 skinny slices. One flatbread can feed 2–10 people depending on how it is served, loaded up with toppings, and how hungry the group is. Use the Measurement Cheat Sheet to upsize pr downsize a recipe.

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What’s the best way to store flatbreads and ’Banzo Bread?”

Particular storage tips for each recipe are listed with each recipe. Be sure to read the entire recipe and all sections provided within that recipe.

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I have Chana flour, which also says Chickpea flour below. Is this ok to use for my chickpea flatbread recipe?

Yes, it is—Chana is Hindi for “chickpea.”

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When you are letting the batter rest do you put it in the fridge or is it OK on the counter? If so, is it still OK even overnight?”

Both work. You can leave it out on the counter to encourage a mild ferment (even overnight), but cover it with a tight-weave cloth, so it can breathe and fruit flies or anything else can’t get in. Fridge works just fine, too. You’ll get more sour flavor from room or warm temperatures (more yeast activity) and less flavor from fridge storage (yeast are slow in cold temps). Baker’s choice. Try both and track what you discover in your baking journal.