Homemade Corn Tortillas Sallye Recipes

HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Add 2 cups Masa Harina and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a mixing bowl. Add 1 cup of the warm water and stir until the water is absorbed. Add the rest of the water incrementally until the flour melds into a dough. Use your hands to knead the dough into a cohesive ball.
• If the dough is sticking to your hands simply add a few sprinklings of Masa Harina to dry it out. Conversely, if the dough is still crumbly then you can add splashes of water until it becomes cohesive.
• Separate the dough into golf ball sized chunks, this will make tortillas approximately 4 inches across.
• Flatten the dough balls using a flat bottomed pan or a tortilla press. Be sure to line each side of the dough ball with plastic or Ziploc pieces. I usually just cut off the top of a gallon sized Ziploc bag and then make slits down the sides, leaving it connected at the bottom.
• Heat a skillet or comal to medium-high heat. (Lately I use a tad over medium heat on my stove and this will have brown spots forming in about 60 seconds.)
• Add a tortilla to the skillet and flip it after 10 seconds. Then cook each side for about a minute or until light brown spots are forming on the underside.
• Continue cooking the rest of the tortillas. I usually put one in the skillet and flatten the next one to expedite the process. Once cooked you can keep them warm by wrapping them in a tea towel or using a dedicated tortilla warmer. Serve immediately.
• Store leftovers tortillas in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, cook them in a dry skillet over medium heat until warm and crispy.

HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine masa harina and water; mix well with your hands. When dough forms, begin kneading in the bowl. Continue adding water, a tablespoon at a time, until dough becomes smooth and thick; it should be the consistency of Play-Doh. Roll dough into a ball slightly smaller than a golf ball (1.5 oz or 40 g). Set aside on a baking sheet, covering with a damp kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out.
• Preheat a comal or skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, cut freezer bag along either side to create a large plastic sheet; prepare the tortilla press by covering the bottom plate with half the sheet. Place a tortilla ball in the center of the bottom plate and flatten slightly with your hand; then cover the ball with the other half of the plastic sheet. Lower the press firmly so that the dough is sandwiched between the two plates. Open the press, flip the circle of dough (still sandwiched in plastic), and press again. Remove the flattened tortilla: it should be about 6 inches in diameter and an even thickness throughout.
• Test the comal by splashing a few drops of water on the surface; they should sizzle immediately. Remove raw tortilla from plastic and gently place onto the center of the comal. Watch for the edge of the tortilla to begin to dry out and turn opaque, 1 minute. Flip and cook the other side until the tortilla turns opaque and blistery, 1 more minute. Flip back to the first side and let it cook for a final 30 seconds. It will puff up like a balloon when it's cooked through. If the edges of the tortilla look grainy and dry, mix 1 tablespoon of water into the dough; make another dough ball and repeat the process of pressing and cooking.Once you've made your first "perfect" tortilla, you know the consistency is correct. Turn the rest of the dough into dough balls, lining them up on the baking sheet and keeping them covered with a damp towel throughout the pressing and cooking process.
• Line a basket or bowl with a dry towel and store the cooked tortillas in a stack, covering as you go. Wrapped up, they should stay warm for about an hour. (Alternatively, microwave the tortillas for 30 seconds.) Use cooked tortillas for Chef Cámara's Baja-Style Fish Tacos and Tinga de Pollo Tacos. For her Egg-Stuffed Tortillas and Deep-Fried Cheese Quesadillas, you will need to begin with uncooked tortillas.

CHEF JOHN'S CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Add masa harina to a large bowl. Sprinkle in salt and add hot tap water. Stir mixture with your fingers until dough starts to pull together.
• Knead for a few minutes to smooth it out until texture resembles modeling clay or putty. Add more water if dough is too dry and more flour if too wet.
• Place a damp towel and over the dough to keep it from drying out. Let rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Cut a zip-top bag into 2 rounds the same size as your tortilla press. Place 1 round on the bottom of the press.
• Place a clean kitchen towel over a pie dish for holding the cooked tortillas later.
• Pull off a little piece of the dough, enough to roll into a 1 1/2-inch or 1-ounce ball. Remove the top round of plastic, place dough ball in the center of the bottom round, and press down lightly. Cover dough with the top piece of plastic.
• Fold the tortilla press over, apply pressure to the lever arm until tortilla flattens to your desired thinness.
• Peel off the top piece of plastic. Line up the index finger of your dominant hand with the edge of the tortilla; flip it over into your other hand. Carefully peel off the plastic.
• Gently slide tortilla, palm-up, into a hot, dry pan over medium- to medium-high heat. Cook first side for 30 to 45 seconds. Turn over and cook second side for 1 minute. Flip and press once or twice with a spatula until tortilla puffs up slightly. Cook for 30 seconds more. Flip one last time and cook for 5 to 10 seconds.
• Quickly transfer tortilla to the pie dish and fold the towel over to wrap it up. Repeat pressing and cooking the rest of the tortilla dough, stacking and wrapping as you go.
• Leave the stack of tortillas wrapped until soft and supple, at least 15 minutes.

HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Set a comal, a flat griddle, or a cast-iron skillet over medium heat until thoroughly heated. (If the pan isn't hot enough, the tortillas will stick to it.)
• Meanwhile, cut two circles about the size of the tortilla press plates (or at least 6 inches in diameter if using a rolling pin) out of thin plastic bags, such as produce bags from the grocery store; do not use plastic wrap.
• In a large bowl, mix together the masa harina, salt, and water and then knead in a circular motion until the dough feels smooth and without lumps. It shouldn't be wet or sticky but nice and moist. If it feels coarse when you gather the dough together, add a bit more water. Masa dries out fast, so keep it covered while you make the tortillas.
• Roll a piece of the dough in the palm of your hand into a ball about 1½ inches in diameter. Place one of the plastic circles on the bottom of the tortilla press and place the ball on top. Place the other plastic circle on top of the ball and clamp down the press to make a flat disk, jiggling the press a little as you get to the bottom (this makes for a rounder tortilla). It should be about 5 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick. Alternatively, you can place a ball between plastic sheets or parchment paper and roll out the tortillas with a rolling pin.
• Open the press, check the tortilla for dryness (see Cook's Trick), and add water to the dough if needed. Remove the plastic on top of the tortilla, then lift up the bottom piece of plastic and the tortilla with one hand and peel the tortilla away from the plastic with the other hand. Keep at least half of the tortilla off your hand to make it easier to transfer it swiftly to the hot pan.
• Place the tortilla on the hot surface and don't touch it for 30 seconds-even if it doesn't lie completely flat, resist the temptation to fiddle with it! Cook until you can easily lift it with a spatula, 40 seconds to 1 minute; it should be opaque on the cooked side. Flip and cook for about a minute longer, until it has begun to get brown freckles. Flip once more. After 10 to 15 seconds, the tortilla should puff like pita bread, if not all over, at least in one area. If it is not puffing, gently tease it along by poking it in the center with the tip of your finger. Once it puffs, let the tortilla continue cooking for another 15 to 20 seconds, so that it cooks all the way through. That extra cooking is what makes the difference between stiff tortillas and those that are toothy, tender, and pliable.
• Transfer the cooked tortilla to a clean kitchen towel or a cloth-lined tortillero (a tortilla basket, which looks just like a bread basket) and cover to keep warm while you make the rest of the tortillas.
• Cook's Trick
• The masa has to be as soft and smooth as Play-Doh. This has less to do with the kneading-which takes under a minute-than with the amount of water. The measurement given on most bags for masa harina is too low. Here I give you the measurement that works for me. Things will vary, however, according to climate and ingredients. One way to tell if your masa needs more water is to take a look at the first tortilla after you have pressed it out. If the edges seem cracked and rough, you need more water. The tortilla should be smooth and even along the edges, not at all ridged.

CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together masa harina and hot water until thoroughly combined. Turn dough onto a clean surface and knead until pliable and smooth. If dough is too sticky, add more masa harina; if it begins to dry out, sprinkle with water. Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap and allow to stand for 30 minutes.
• Preheat a cast iron skillet or griddle to medium-high.
• Divide dough into 15 equal-size balls. Using a tortilla press, a rolling pin, or your hands, press each ball of dough flat between two sheets of plastic wrap.
• Immediately place tortilla in preheated pan and allow to cook for approximately 30 seconds, or until browned and slightly puffy. Turn tortilla over to brown on second side for approximately 30 seconds more, then transfer to a plate. Repeat process with each ball of dough. Keep tortillas covered with a towel to stay warm and moist until ready to serve.

ALMOST-FROM-SCRATCH CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.