tortillas vs. Bread - what's the difference?

Many people are confused with tortillas and with the fact that they are bread or not. They contain the same ingredients, have similar characteristics, but are so different in so many ways.

So what is the difference between tortillas and bread?  The main difference between the two is the category to which they belong. When people think of bread, they often think of a large loaf of leavened bread, and when they think of tortillas, they think of flatbreads (unleavened bread).

In this article, we’ll look at the differences between tortillas and other breads in many different ways, most notably comparing the differences between leavened and unleavened bread.

What are tortillas?

Tortillas are thin flat breads, without yeast, made from corn or flour.

Corn-based tortillas were the first to be made, as far back as 10,000 BC. These types of tortillas are made with corn, which is sometimes found in different colors, such as blue or black.

Flour tortillas are made with wheat flour, creating a much softer and more flexible product. Commercially, there are tons of varieties of flour tortillas ranging from gluten free to beetroot.

What is bread?

Bread is one of the oldest foods made and has been a staple in most homes ever since. It is made with leavening agents, mainly yeast, and always contains some type of flour and water.

Bread is very versatile and can vary in terms of ingredients used, production methods and times, shapes used, baking methods and times, and its end uses. As you probably know, there are thousands of types of bread, and most are very easy to make.

You can also find healthier versions of traditional carb-packed breads, like gluten-free breads, seed breads, or even veggie breads.

What is the difference?

As we have already mentioned, there are two main categories of bread: leavened and unleavened.

Leavened breads are those that contain leavening agents that give the bread its shape and volume. Unleavened breads, such as tortillas, matzoh, and roti, do not contain any raising agents, so they create very thin flatbreads.

Therefore, tortillas are a type of bread and we are going to take a closer look at the difference between leavened bread (loaves) and unleavened bread (specifically tortillas).

Ingredients

Corn tortillas are made with grits, a type of cornmeal treated with alkali. Flour tortillas are made with wheat flour.

Flour tortillas are much more basic than leavened bread, as they only require two ingredients: flour and water. You can and should add some seasoning (such as fine salt) to flavor your flatbread, but it has no other function.

In the case of flour tortillas, you can use many different types of flour to meet dietary needs.

To make any bread, you technically only need two ingredients, flour and water, but the main difference with tortillas is that leavened bread requires a leavening agent.

Leavening agents are baking powder, baking soda, or yeast, to name a few.

Yeast is the most popular when making bread and is also found in many different forms. You can find dry yeast, activated yeast, fresh yeast, and a starter yeast (used when making sourdough).

The leavening agent you use will also determine the type of leavened bread you will make.

Depending on the leavening agent, other ingredients will be needed to adjust flavor and color, control the leavening agent, and add any desired characteristics to the final product.

Other ingredients that are usually used when making bread are milk, eggs, sugar, salt, butter and oil.

The ingredients that are used and the proportions of each one will affect the result and the bread that is finally made, and yes, this means that there are thousands of possibilities.

As with any food today, there are plenty of substitutions to make leavened bread healthier and to meet certain dietary needs, as long as the substitutes perform similar functions to the original to create a viable loaf.

Production

Regardless of the type of bread you are making, with or without yeast, both are made into a dough by combining the necessary ingredients.

Leavened breads sometimes have specific times and a proper order for when ingredients are added, while tortillas simply involve the combination of wet and dry ingredients.

The dough is then kneaded until smooth and elastic.

Kneading the dough is a crucial step , as it helps create a strong and elastic gluten structure that will help form a beautiful product that will hold its shape. There are very few bread doughs that do not require kneading.

This is where the process starts to differ drastically. When making tortillas, after kneading the dough, a fermentation (rising) time is not necessary because there is no leavening agent.

Any dough that contains a leavening agent should be allowed to rest and “ferment” (rise and double in size). Some types of bread have multiple stages of fermentation, and again, the different methods also determine the type of bread you’re making.

When making some leavened breads, there are many other factors in the production method that will affect the result. Some are the temperature of the environment and the ingredients, the size of the dough, the quality of the ingredients, and the equipment used.

training process

To make tortillas, they are traditionally rolled into a smaller ball and pressed using a tortilla press. Today, it is quite acceptable to roll out dumplings with a rolling pin.

Tortillas are round, but are sometimes made into squares or ovals for various purposes.

Leavened breads have much more complicated molding methods. The shape and size of the bread even determine the type of bread it is.

For example, baguettes are traditionally long, thin loaves. Sourdough is usually a large, oval loaf that has been scored on the top, but it can also be found in circular shapes. The challah is a braided bread.

Leavened bread is also scored (by making incisions in the dough) to intentionally create a weak point so that the bread will expand in the oven without cracking. These incisions can also create visually appealing products and can represent certain cultures or traditions.

Size

Tortillas vary in size, but can be between 6 and 30 cm in diameter. The size depends on the region from which it comes and the use to which it is going to be given.

The tacos must be a comfortable size that can be held with one hand, so tortillas between 15 and 18 cm will be used. Burritos should have tortillas large enough to fill, but fold closed, so a 10-12 inch (25-30 cm) tortilla is perfect.

The size of the bread can vary from a roll to a ciabatta. The type of bread will determine the size that it should traditionally be; however, today we find that many people make smaller or larger versions of the same thing for a specific purpose.

Dinner rolls should be small enough to hold but large enough to take several bites, while a basic white loaf should be square and large enough to be evenly covered with other ingredients.

cooking method

Tortillas are cooked on a very hot griddle or skillet; cast iron ones work best. The cooked tortilla should be light and even in color, with darker spots where it has been cooked.

The tortillas cook for 10 seconds to 1 minute on each side, depending on the size and how hot the pan is. They are fully cooked when you press them and no longer feel doughy.

Leavened breads have many different cooking processes. Most breads are baked in traditional gas or electric ovens, but some are baked over an open fire, in a tandoori oven, or in a traditional bread oven (such as a pizza oven).

Breads are baked at different temperatures for different times and in different ways. Each combination of these will affect the result and the type of bread you are making.

Applications

Corn tortillas are used as a key ingredient in many dishes, including tacos, quesadillas, enchiladas, and even tortilla soup.

Wheat tortillas are mostly used for burritos and quesadillas, due to their flexibility, and again, depending on where they are.

These flatbreads are served as a side, as bread would be, to soups and stews.

Tortillas are also sometimes fried or baked until crisp to create tortilla chips. These chips are almost always salted and served with a variety of sides to make nachos.

Breads have many different uses. They are mainly a container for other foods, such as jams, preserves, meats, soups or fillings, but they can also be eaten as is.

The type of bread you make will help you with its purpose.

Bunny chow is a traditional Indian-South African dish from Durban made with a loaf of fluffy white bread (square bread) that is hollowed out and filled with curry. The bread is removed from the loaf and dipped into the curry to be eaten.

However, ciabatta bread has become one of the most popular breads for sandwiches and paninis, and sourdough is used as often as a garnish or toast as it is on sandwiches.

In conclusion

As you can see, tortillas are a type of unleavened bread, while loaves mainly refer to leavened breads.

There are many differences between leavened and unleavened breads (and tortillas in particular), such as the type of ingredients used, their proportions, production methods, the molding process, product sizes, methods of cooking and, ultimately, its uses.

We love bread, and between these two, it’s impossible to pick a favorite.