In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Whisk in the oil. Add the hot water and stir with a wooden spoon until it forms a dough, adding more hot water as needed. Knead the dough for a minute or so to help it come together. It should have the consistency of soft Play-Doh; it shouldn’t be too wet and stick to your hands and it shouldn’t be too dry and crumbly. Add additional flour or hot water to achieve the right texture.
Shape the dough into a large bowl and leave it in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and roll each into a ball. Place the balls back into the bowl and cover them with a damp kitchen towel. Leave them there so they don’t dry out during the pressing and cooking process.
MAKE THE TORTILLAS:
Remove 1 dough ball and roll it out to a circle about 7 to 8 inches in diameter. You can use a tortilla press or roll it out with a rolling pin. If you use a tortilla press, make sure to line both sides with plastic wrap or parchment paper before pressing. Because zip-top plastic bags are thicker, they work very well. To use a zip-top plastic bag, cut off the zipper side, cut open the 2 remaining sides, and lay it onto the tortilla press; place a ball of dough on it, fold the plastic bag over to cover the dough ball, and press it. If you don’t have a tortilla press, you can roll the dough out between plastic or parchment paper using a rolling pin.The tortillas should easily peel away from the plastic or parchment.
Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, place a tortilla in it and cook for about 45 to 60 seconds on the first side and about 15 to 30 seconds on the second side. It’s done when the dough has more of a bready than doughy look, and it has a few char marks. Adjust the heat down if the pan gets too hot. The tortillas might bubble up when cooking, which is fine; they will deflate after you remove them from the heat. Transfer the cooked tortilla to a bowl lined with a clean kitchen towel, wrapping them in the towel as you cook them. Continue this way until all the tortillas are cooked. Instead of a nonstick skillet, you can also use a cast-iron skillet to cook these; however, cook them over medium-low heat so that the pan doesn’t get too hot and they burn before cooking through. They take a little longer to cook using a cast-iron skillet.
Store the tortillas wrapped in the fridge for up to 5 days.