Corn Tortillas
Equipment
- Cast Iron Tortilla Press (10 inch)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups Masa harina I used Maseca brand (corn meal, not corn flour!)
- 1 ¼ cups hot water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, butter or lard I prefer olive oil, lard was a bit odd
- ¼ tsp sea salt
Instructions
Making the dough
- Combine the masa and salt in a bowl then stir in the oil.
- Slowly pour the water in 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 (using a bit more masa harina, not plain flour!) and knead until it is smooth and pliable — just a minute or two. It won't be very elastic, but it should not be crumbly at all. If it is, add more water.
- Wrap in plastic, and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours. It is important to keep it moist and not let it dry out.
Pressing the tortillas
- Break off pieces of the dough into 40 gram pieces and sprinkle a little bit of masa harina on them again.
- Put them between 2 sheets of baking paper, and press them in a tortilla press, or roll them out or press them with your hands to a diameter of 6 inches.
- Begin to cook the tortillas as you finish pressing or rolling them.
Cooking
- Heat a large frying pan (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes until it is hot. Cooking tortillas over a low heat makes them rubbery.
- Cook the tortillas, 1 or 2 at a time, until brown spots appear on the bottom, about one or two minutes. Flip, and do the same on the other side.
- Place a tea towel flat on a dinner plate, and pile the cooked tortillas on the plate and cover to keep them warm (or use a tortilla warmer like I do)
- Serve immediately, or cool and store tightly wrapped in the fridge for a few days. They can be frozen too!