Corn Tortillas
Learning to make handmade corn tortillas can be life-changing. It’s so easy, and a warm, fragrant tortilla turns any leftover into a fabulous taco. Unless you have access to masa made from freshly nixamalized heirloom corn — which has started turning up at small molinas around the country — you’ll want to use masa harina, which is masa that has been dehydrated and turned into flour. Just add water and it becomes masa again — and ready to use to make tortillas. In the past, the only widely available masa harina was made from commodity GMO corn (Maseca is the biggest brand). But now you can buy insanely fabulous masa harina made from heirloom corn from Mexico — it’s far more flavorful and fragrant than the commodity stuff, comes in white, yellow, blue and rose, and is not GMO.
But even if you use Maseca or other commodity masa harina, your handmade tortillas will be better than the pre-made tortillas available in supermarkets.
You'll need a tortilla press and a comal, griddle or large cast-iron pan or other skillet (not non-stick). Lining the tortilla press with plastic is essential to prevent sticking. Plastic from one of those very thin, crinkly plastic shopping bags works well.
(Note: For multi-colored tortillas, make half a batch of masa using one color masa harina, and half a batch using another. When you form each ball of masa, use some masa from both colors.)
Makes 12 tortillas.
Ingredients
1 cup masa harina
1 1/8 cup warm water
Instructions
1. In a large bowl, pour the water over the harina and stir with a spoon until the masa is moistened, then knead it together till it holds in a ball. It should be moist, but not sticky; it shouldn't stick to your hands. If it's not moist enough, add a little more water and knead again; if it's too moist, add a little more harina and knead. Cover with a damp towel.
2. Heat a dry comal, griddle or skillet on medium-high heat for about five minutes. Meanwhile, cut a large piece of plastic. Fold it in half, open your tortilla press. You want it to line the bottom, with the fold laying against the press' hinge, and the other half covering the top. Otherwise use a large sheet of kitchen parchment folded in half.
3. Roll a ball of masa about the size of a golf ball (maybe a wee bit smaller) and put it in the center of the bottom of the press. Making sure the plastic will sandwich the ball, close the press and pull down the lever gently. Open the press, lift the plastic with the tortilla, open your palm, lay the tortilla flat in your palm, peel off the plastic or parchment, and carefully place the tortilla on the cooking surface. Cook it for about 30 seconds, or until the edges start to lift all around.
4. Use a metal spatula to flip it over and cook for another 30 seconds, then flip a final time and cook 30 seconds more, at which point it may (hopefully!) puff a bit. Place it in your tortilla basket, if it's to be eaten immediately or very soon, or better yet, in an insulated fabric tortilla warmer, which can keep them warm for more than an hour.
Corn Tortillas
Ingredients
- 1 cup masa harina
- 1 1/8 cup warm water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, pour the water over the harina and stir with a spoon until the masa is moistened, then knead it together till it holds in a ball. It should be moist, but not sticky; it shouldn't stick to your hands. If it's not moist enough, add a little more water and knead again; if it's too moist, add a little more harina and knead. Cover with a damp towel.
- Heat a dry comal, griddle or skillet on medium-high heat for about five minutes. Meanwhile, cut a large piece of plastic. Fold it in half, open your tortilla press. You want it to line the bottom, with the fold laying against the press' hinge, and the other half covering the top. Otherwise use a large sheet of kitchen parchment folded in half.
- Roll a ball of masa about the size of a golf ball (maybe a wee bit smaller) and put it in the center of the bottom of the press. Making sure the plastic will sandwich the ball, close the press and pull down the lever gently. Open the press, lift the plastic with the tortilla, open your palm, lay the tortilla flat in your palm, peel off the plastic or parchment, and carefully place the tortilla on the cooking surface. Cook it for about 30 seconds, or until the edges start to lift all around.
- Use a metal spatula to flip it over and cook for another 30 seconds, then flip a final time and cook 30 seconds more, at which point it may (hopefully!) puff a bit. Place it in your tortilla basket, if it's to be eaten immediately or very soon, or better yet, in an insulated fabric tortilla warmer, which can keep them warm for more than an hour.
