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.
Easy, peasy, and delicious!
Turned out perfectly! It can be even easier than stated. I mixed everything together in a heavy glass bowl, so then when it was time to knead the dough, there was no need to take it out; I just kneaded it within the bowl. For pressing, I've used both the glass pie plate and tortilla press methods and personally prefer the pie plate! Used a plastic bag for nonstick; no need to flour at any step.
Wax paper works WAY better than plastic wrap.