Making Corn Tortillas

Filed in archive Recipes on April 9, 2007

If you have a fresh tortilla factory near you, Lucky You. We don't, so I make ours. They're really easy to make. All you need is masa harina, water, salt, and a tortilla press.

Here's a basic recipe:

2 cups masa harina
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
approx. 1 1/4 cups water

Combine masa harina with the salt in a bowl. Add water a bit a time, mixing with your hands, until dough holds together. Knead in the bowl until smooth. It should not be crumbly, but it shouldn't be sticky either. Refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, for half an hour, before using.

When ready to shape, divide dough into 12 pieces. (This will make 6-inch tortillas -- if you have a bigger press, you can make 8-inch tortillas instead.) Make sure you line your tortilla press with plastic wrap (I tape mine on the other side to hold it in place).

Preheat a skillet or comal over medium-high heat.

Form each piece of dough into a ball then put onto the center of the tortilla press. Press down, then open and carefully peel tortilla off the plastic.

Cook the tortillas in the skillet or comal, about half a minute on each side. Transfer to a plate and layer between paper towels or the folds of a kitchen towel. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

The tortillas can be used in any recipe requiring them. They can also be fried, as for tacos, or cut into wedges and deep-fried, for tortilla chips.

I happen to have two tortilla presses. During one household move from one state to another, I forgot I already had one somewhere in my boxes and bought another. Tortilla presses usually go (in my area at least) for around $15. If you're interested, I can sell you mine for $10:D, just e-mail me at stefoodie AT gmail DOT com.

Oh, and if you want to see tortillas brought to a whole new level, take a gander at this!