corn tortillas
At the beginning of the year, we sat down and wrote out our goals. They spanned topics covering food, work, marriage, spirituality, recreation, fitness/health, finances, and our home. Some are big and some are small, and some are stepping stones toward a larger vision that we have. All are very practical. One that made the list this year was more of a personal challenge that we both liked – buy no bread products, if we want it, we have to make it. It’s actually harder than you think it would be. My mind went to all the different types of bread we’d make instead of buying loaves from the store. But it also includes tortillas, buns, bagels, everything. Taco Tuesday? Gotta make tortillas. Enchiladas? Gotta make tortillas. Breakfast burritos? Gotta make big flour tortillas. And so we’re learning how to make tortillas – both corn and flour. We’ve made a few bad versions of each on the journey to learn how to make them.
Corn tortillas are a bit more technical than flour. First off, you have to have a tortilla press. Second, the masa flour you select has a big impact on the tortilla. And third, it takes practice and repetition to create bubbles or air pockets in a corn tortilla. But we’ve already reached the point where these are head and shoulders better than store bought. So there may be no going back. And they’re very simple – flour and water. There’s certainly still a place for the convenience of store bought tortillas, but if I have the time, I’ll take homemade every time.
corn tortillas
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups (231g) masa harina
- pinch of salt
- 1 2/3 cups (378g) warm water, about 100F
Instructions
Mix together masa and salt. Add warm water, stirring until well combined. Work the dough in the bowl with your hands until it all comes together and is smooth and somewhat firm, about 1 minute.
Divide the dough in 16 pieces and roll each into a ball. Place a few inches from one another and cover with a clean towel. Use a quart size Ziploc bag and cut the zipper top off, and cut down each side, leaving the bottom still attached.
Preheat a non-stick pan over medium-low heat, as well as a cast iron pan over medium heat.
Place the opened Ziploc in the opened tortilla press and place a tortilla ball in the center. Press until nearly the size of the press itself. You'll know you've pressed too much if one side is thinner than the other and too little if it doesn't fill the press. Peel the plastic off of the tortilla and gently place in the non-stick pan. You don't want it to brown here, just barely cook on each side - about 30 seconds per side. Transfer the tortilla to the cast iron pan for final cooking where you're looking to get puffing and coloring on the higher heat - about 1 minute per side.
Transfer the cooked tortilla to a clean towel and cover.
Notes
Inspired by: King Arthur's Corn Tortilla Recipe
Equipment needed: Tortilla Press
Masa Harina: There is a noticeable difference in smell and taste between King Arthur's Organic Masa Harina and other common brands like Ma Se Ca.
Sticky Dough: If you have trouble with the tortilla adhering to the plastic, you can first coat with a very small amount of olive oil. I rub it on my hands and then rub my hands on the plastic to avoid adding too much.