Almost-From-Scratch Corn Tortillas
Updated July 12, 2023
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1½cups masa harina
- ¼teaspoon salt
- 2tablespoons vegetable oil, lard or butter
- About 1 cup hot water, or more as needed
- Flour for kneading
Nutritional analysis per serving (14 servings)
63 calories; 2 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 43 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Combine the masa and salt in a bowl; stir in the oil. Slowly stream in the water while mixing with your hand or a wooden spoon until the dough comes together into a ball.
- Step 2
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until it is smooth and elastic — just a minute or two. Wrap in plastic, and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to a few hours.
- Step 3
Break off pieces of the dough (you’re shooting for 12 to 16 tortillas total), and lightly flour them. Put them between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, and press them in a tortilla press, or roll them out or press them with your hands to a diameter of 4 to 6 inches. Begin to cook the tortillas as you finish pressing or rolling them.
- Step 4
Put a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Cook the tortillas, 1 or 2 at a time, until brown spots appear on the bottom, about a minute. Flip, and do the same on the other side. Wrap the cooked tortillas in a towel to keep them warm; serve immediately, or cool and store tightly wrapped in the fridge for a few days.
Private Notes
Comments
pressing is the hard part - this worked:
- cut the sides and zip-ends off a ziploc bag so you can open it up
- dust inside the bag with corn flour
- place an egg-sized ball of dough in the middle
- press with a flat bottomed glass pie plate
- gently tilt the plate from side to side or in a circular motion until the tortilla is as thin as you like
not kidding about the glass plate / tilting business - watch the pressure make the cracked edges ooze and consolidate into a perfect disc - amazing
This recipe is perfect. I used king arthur's super sturdy parchment in lieu of the plastic wrap, and we tried two cooking mediums: cast iron and non-stick. Cast iron was hands down the winner. The non-stick left the tortillas a little tougher and more fragile, while the cast iron cooked the tortillas quickly, so they remained pliable and had a very slightly spotty char to them that was perfect. We kept them warm in a kitchen towel while making the remainder, and they were perfect.
Instead of rolling the dough into balls, roll the dough into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Slice it half, then slice each half in half and repeat until you have 16 discs each about 1/2-inch thick. Then, center each disc between 2 pieces of 6-inch square plastic, wax paper or parchment and press in a tortilla press, OR use a glass pie plate (glass so you can see what you are doing without having to lift the plate) to flatten the disc to a diameter of 4 to 6 inches.
I learned the secret to making it puff from my Indian MIL. Take a clean balled up rag and firmly press down between the center and edge of the tortilla for several seconds or more after the *SECOND* flip. Do the same all the way around the tortilla. You can gently push the puff bubble to encourage it to expand into the parts it hasn't already. And if steam starts escaping from a hole, try pushing down in that area to help it not escape. Flatbread puffing up is magical! Good luck.
Easy, delicious and also inexpensive! Rolled out the dough between layers of clingfilm with a rolling pin.
I made 8 small tortillas with parchment paper and a glass pieplate. I put the the filling on the corn try otillas and it was good. Not a teal yortilla though. I will keep trying. The flavor was excellent,