Soft flour tortillas

Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Add the lard and rub it in with your fingertips until thoroughly incorporated. Stir in the salt, then add the water and stir well to form a smooth dough.

Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for 2–3 minutes. Wrap the dough in cling film and chill for about 1 hour.

Divide the dough into 10 pieces and shape each one into a ball. Roll out each ball on the lightly floured surface, keeping an even round shape, to make a paper-thin disc about 15 cm (6 in) in diameter. As they are rolled, stack them up, interleaved with sheets of greaseproof paper.

Heat a griddle or cast-iron frying pan over a moderate heat until very hot. Cook the tortillas, one or two at a time (depending on the size of your pan), for 20–30 seconds on each side or until bubbles appear on the surface and they are lightly browned. As the tortillas are cooked, stack them up on a plate and keep covered with a clean tea-towel. Serve warm, preferably straight from the griddle.