Ever picked up a package of tortillas and felt like you needed a chemistry degree to understand the ingredients? You're not alone. At Rise & Puff, we believe that food should be simple, clean, and delicious. That's why we set out to create tortillas with only the essentials, no additives, no preservatives, just real food!

The Ingredient Overload

Many store-bought tortillas come with a laundry list of ingredients. For example, a typical flour tortilla might include:

• Enriched Bleached Wheat Flour: This is flour that’s been chemically bleached and then re-fortified with synthetic vitamins like niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, and folic acid. While these nutrients are technically added back, it’s not the same as consuming them from whole, unprocessed foods.
• Vegetable Shortening: Often made from hydrogenated oils like soybean or cottonseed, this ingredient can contain trans fats, which have been linked to inflammation and heart disease [1]. It’s used to create a pliable texture. 
• Leavening Agents: Compounds like sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), and sodium aluminum sulfate help create airiness, but aluminum-based agents may raise questions about long-term health effects.
• Preservatives: Ingredients like fumaric acid, calcium propionate, and sorbic acid extend shelf life by preventing mold growth, but they’re not something you’d sprinkle into your dough at home. Some studies have linked certain preservatives to headaches and digestive discomfort [2].
• Dough Conditioners & Emulsifiers: Additives like mono- and diglycerides keep tortillas soft and shelf-stable, but they’re highly processed and not necessary in fresh, homemade-style products.

Each of these ingredients serves a purpose, be it texture, shelf life, or appearance, but they also add complexity and can introduce unwanted chemicals into your diet.

Our Philosophy: Simplicity is Key

We asked ourselves: Do we really need all these additives to make a tasty tortilla? Our answer was a resounding no. We believe great food doesn’t need shortcuts, it needs better ingredients and better methods. Through careful sourcing and a lot of trial and error, we developed a tortilla that puffs beautifully when heated, tastes amazing, and doesn’t rely on artificial anything. 

We went back to basics and crafted a tortilla with just four ingredients:

1. Flour: The foundation. We use high-quality wheat flour to provide structure and a soft texture.
2. Water: Essential for binding the dough and achieving the right consistency.
3. Avocado Oil: A heart-healthy fat that adds richness and helps with cooking.
4. Sea Salt: Enhances flavor and balances the other ingredients.

By focusing on these core components, we create a tortilla that's not only delicious but also free from unnecessary additives.

Why Refrigeration Matters

You might wonder why our tortillas are stored in the refrigerated section. The answer is simple: without preservatives, they need to be kept cool to stay fresh. This approach aligns with our commitment to clean eating and ensures you get the best quality product without compromising on health.

Understanding Clean Foods

The term "clean eating" gets tossed around a lot, but what does it really mean? At its core, clean eating involves consuming foods that are minimally processed and free from artificial ingredients. A clean food typically has:

• A short ingredient list.
• Recognizable components.
• No artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors.

Our tortillas fit this definition perfectly. With just four ingredients, all of which you can pronounce and likely have in your pantry, we're proud to offer a product that supports a clean eating lifestyle.

The Rise & Puff Difference

Customers often tell us that Rise & Puff tortillas remind them of something homemade, and that’s exactly what we were going for! When you cook one of our tortillas, the warm, nutty, toasty aroma that fills the house as they puff on the pan is as close to wholesome and homemade as you can get without making them yourself.

By simplifying our ingredient list, we not only make our tortillas healthier, but we also make them taste better, too. The natural taste of the flour shines through, complemented by the richness of avocado oil and the subtle enhancement of sea salt. With nothing artificial getting in the way, it's a difference you can taste and feel good about!

Sources:

1. Mission Foods Soft Taco Flour Tortillas Ingredients
2. Wikipedia: Flour Tortilla