Tortillas Vs. Bread – What’s The Difference?

A Mexican dinner isn’t complete without the addition of a tortilla. Fajita Friday or Taco Tuesday is incomplete without the addition of these wraps. But it makes us wonder whether tortilla can be counted as a piece of bread or not?

If you are wondering the same, this article has been written for you. We have covered all the properties of tortillas and bread. At the end of this article, you will reach the conclusion of whether they can be counted as bread or not.

When we looked into this topic, we found that tortilla has some qualities that resemble bread; however, it also has some qualities that are very different from bread. Unlike bread, tortilla is nothing like what we eat in America; it is much different.

Bread is primarily defined as something that is made from flour, yeast and water. These ingredients are mixed and baked to form what we now call bread. On the other hand, tortillas are made of corn or flour mixed using water but contain no yeast.

Moreover, not every tortilla needs to be baked in the oven like bread. There’s also no leavening involved in this process which is the addition of yeast; rather, tortillas are unleavened. On the other hand, Bread is leavened, meaning the yeast is added to it.

Tortillas

Tortillas are unleavened flatbreads made from corn or flour. Tortillas have been made using corn for a long time and back to 10000 BC. They were primarily made from maize and were either black or blue.

On the other hand, flour tortillas are made of wheat and are comparatively more softer and flexible than corn tortillas. You will find various tortillas, from beetroot to gluten-free. This is also the most commonly used tortilla in today’s time.

Corn tortillas are typically made using hominy corn flour treated with an alkali. On the other hand, flour tortillas are very basic as they only require water and flour to be made. You may also add seasoning to it, but it’s not necessary.

Various flours can be used in flour tortillas according to dietary requirements. In order to make tortillas, they are made into small balls and then pressed. They are generally round but also come in square and oval shapes serving different purposes.

Tortillas come in various sizes ranging from just 2.4 inches to 24inches wide. The size is dependent on which region you are getting your tortilla from. Tortillas used in making tacos range between 7 to 8 inches.

While tortillas in burritos range between 11 to 12 inches, they are typically cooked in a frying pan or a hot grill. Perfectly cooked tortillas have a light color but dark spots from where it is cooked.

The corn tortilla is a primary ingredient in enchiladas, quesadillas and tacos. On the other hand, wheat tortillas are typically used in quesadillas and burritos but are also dependent on where you are eating them. They are also served in the form of chips by deep frying them and served as nachos and various accompaniments.

Nutritional Facts

A serving of one tortilla, which has about 50g of flour, includes the following

• Total Calories 159 Kcal
• Total Fat 3.5g
• Saturated Fat 0.9g
• Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g
• Monounsaturated Fat 1.8g
• Cholesterol 0mg
• Sodium 234mg
• Potassium 64mg
• Total Carbohydrates 27g
• Dietary Fiber 1.6g
• Protein 4.3g

Bread

most folks for ages have widely eaten bread. It is made with water and flour using yeast as a raising agent. There are various methods, agents and shapes used in making bread. There are tons of variety of brands out there, and most of them have pretty easy recipes.

Leavened pieces of bread are those pieces of bread that contain some kind of rising agent and give bread its desired volume and shape. Unleavened slices of bread may include roti matza and tortillas that do not have any kind of rising agents.

To make bread, you need flour and water, but unlike tortillas, you also need some kind of a rising or leavening agent. Yeast baking soda baking powder is all types of leavening agents used in making bread. However, the most commonly used is a yeast found in various forms.

Dry yeast, fresh yeast and activated yeast are all different types of yeast used in making bread. The type of leavened bread you want determines which raising agent is used. The final product color, taste and characteristics all depend on the type of yeast used.

Moreover, ingredients like salt, oil, butter, sugar, eggs and milk are all used in making bread. The ingredients and ratios of the ingredients greatly affect the product and are dependent on which type of bread you are making.

There are also various alternatives available to make bread healthier, keeping in mind a person’s dietary needs. The size of the bread varies from ciabatta to a dinner roll; moreover, larger and smaller versions of the bread are all available. Bread can be consumed as it is and also goes well with jams, meat or soups.

Nutritional Facts

• Total Calories 98 Kcal
• Total Fat 1.2g
• Saturated Fat 0.3g
• Trans Fat 0g
• Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6g
• Monounsaturated Fat 0.2g
• Cholesterol 0mg
• Sodium 180mg
• Potassium 46mg
• Total Carbohydrates 18g
• Dietary Fiber 1g
• Sugars 2.1g
• Protein 3.3g

So, What’s The Difference Between Tortillas and Bread?

Concluding the above-mentioned article into key points:

1. Bread is typically made by using a rising or leavening agent, while tortillas do not involve a leavening agent in their making.
2. Bread is made from wheat, while tortillas are made from wheat or corn flour.
3. Tortillas have a very simple recipe and are fairly easy to make. They only involve flour and water as primary ingredients; however, bread needs yeast to give it its desired volume and shape, and so is a longer process.
4. Bread combines well with just about any dish, be it soups or meat, while tortillas go well in making tacos or burritos.
5. Bread may involve milk, butter, salt and oil as key ingredients but tortillas are made by corn or wheat flour.

Sources:

• Foodsguy
• Unocasa
• Ohmydish