
High water-absorption levels produce a silky, smooth-textured dough, with many layers in the final product. However, excessive amounts of water can result in a dough that is too sticky to be machinable. Over mixing also can produce sticky doughs with machinability problems, while under mixed doughs can produce smaller blisters than properly mixed doughs. Blisters create desirable characteristics in the final product, showing up as lightly browned spots on the surface.
Dough temperature also affects consistency, with lower dough temperatures increasing water absorption. This leads to a softer final product. Dough temperature also affects formulas incorporating yeast by influencing the rate of yeast growth, which affects the aroma and flavor of the final product. The optimum temperature for flour-tortilla dough is 90° to 100°F.