Best Homemade Flour Tortillas with Butter

Homemade flour tortillas with butter are soft, flavorful, and easy to make—ditch store-bought for this quick, delicious recipe you’ll make again and again.

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Listen—once you’ve tasted fresh homemade tortillas hot off your skillet, there’s no going back to those sad, floppy discs from the grocery store.

I’ve been making my own tortillas for over a decade now. Ten years of rolling, flipping, and perfecting buttery circles of heaven. And let me tell you: it’s one of those old-fashioned kitchen skills that just sticks, like making your own homemade cheese or seasonings.

You only need a few simple ingredients—nothing fancy, just pantry staples—but the end result? Next level.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• They’re insanely soft and buttery. Like fold-in-half-without-cracking soft. That melt-in-your-mouth kind of soft.
• You control the ingredients. No preservatives, no weird shelf-stabilizers—just simple ingredients from your kitchen.
• They cook up fast. Once the dough’s rested, you’ll be rolling and flipping your way to a stack of fresh tortillas in no time.
• A million times better than store-bought tortillas. One bite and you’ll wonder what you’ve been settling for all these years.

Once you make these, your tortilla standards will be forever raised—and honestly, that’s a good thing.

Ingredients for Homemade Flour Tortillas with Butter

• 4 cups all-purpose flour The base of soft, pliable tortillas—swap in half whole wheat flour if you want a little extra fiber.
• 2 teaspoons salt – Don’t skimp—it’s what brings the flavor to life.
• 1 teaspoon baking powder – Adds a little lift and softness to the dough without making it puffy like bread.
• 7 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted) -Gives that rich, buttery tortilla flavor—substitute with lard or vegetable shortening if needed. 
• 1 ½ cups milk – Warm milk helps bind everything together—use whole milk for the best flavor, or try a dairy-free version if needed.

Tools You’ll Need

• Carbon steel or cast-iron skillet – Holds heat like a champ and gives you that perfect golden finish. Stainless steel works, too, in a pinch, just add a little oil before cooking.
• Tortilla press (optional but highly recommended) – Speeds things up and makes your life about 10x easier when it comes to pressing out circles. Once you try it, you’ll wonder why you waited so long.
• Rolling pin – Even if you use a press, you’ll still want to roll them extra thin.
• Large mixing bowl – For combining your dry ingredients and pulling the dough together.
• Plastic wrap – To cover the dough.
• Wooden spoon or spatula– For stirring.
• Kitchen towel – To keep your dough balls covered and your cooked tortillas soft.

How to Make Homemade Flour Tortillas with Butter

Grab your large bowl and toss in the flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir it around with a wooden spoon or whisk—whatever gets the job done.

Now, melt the butter over the stove and add it to the milk in a small saucepan. You’re not boiling anything, just warming it enough to stir that melted butter.

Pour the warm milk-butter blend right into your dry ingredients. A shaggy dough forms almost instantly.

Use a spatula at first, then get in there with your hands. Knead for about a minute—it doesn’t need much. This is a friendly dough. Cooperative. Quick to come together.

Once formed into a tight ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

This dough rest is key. It’s what makes those tortillas soft, pliable, and easy to roll out. So don’t skip it, even if you’re impatient (we’ve all been there).

Prep While You Wait

While the dough chills out, prep your tortilla press (if you’re using one). I take a little oil and smear it on each side, then press on some plastic wrap so it sticks. Makes cleanup easier and keeps the dough from tearing.

Get your cast iron skillet or dry pan heating over medium heat. Let it warm up while you portion the dough.

Divide and Conquer

Take the rested dough and divide it in half. Then, cut each half into 8 fairly even pieces. I just eyeball it—cut in half, then half again, and again until you’ve got 16 balls of dough. No need to be fussy.

Cover the dough balls with the leftover plastic wrap and hand towel so they don’t dry out.

Press. Roll. Cook. Repeat.

One at a time, take a ball of dough, press it in the tortilla press, then grab your rolling pin and go to town. Roll it out super thin on a lightly floured work surface—between 8 to 10 inches wide.

Don’t worry about perfect circles; they’ve got more charm when they’re a little rustic.

Toss it onto your hot, dry pan and cook for about 30 sec. to 1 min. You’ll see some bubbles form here and there.

That’s your signal. Flip it, cook the second side, and move it to a wooden cutting board covered with a towel to keep it soft.

I keep a rhythm going—rolling the next while one cooks. It’s like a little dance between you and the stovetop.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need a stand mixer or even perfect measurements to make the best soft flour tortillas right in your kitchen. Just a mixing bowl, a little hot water, and a willingness to get your hands in some dough.

Your first tortilla might look wonky. Who cares? By the fourth or fifth, you’ll be cranking out soft homemade flour tortillas with butter like a pro.

Let me know if you give these a try—I’d love to hear how your butter tortillas turn out.