Tortillas
for “From Scratch” for BC Living
April 2023
I’d been wanting to try making my own tortillas for a while now. I always find when I get a pack from the store, I cannot finish them before they go stale (esp. the fresh corn ones in the HUGE packages).
I got myself a press but you can do the same with a heavy pot, and it will take some practice not to rip them or make sure they’re even, but when you get going, you REALLY get going.
Taco parties just got a whole lot better!
INGREDIENTS
-2 cups corn flour (masa harina)
-1.5 cups warm (to hot) water
INSTRUCTIONS
[NOTE: I used Maseca brand corn flour for my dough.]
In a large mixing bowl add the flour and water and mix until the dough starts to come together, and then finish with your hands until it is smooth but springy. (I heard it compared to Play-Doh texture and that’s pretty accurate.) If it’s too dry you can add a tiny bit more water and vice versa with flour if too wet.
Once your dough is formed, cover it with a damp towel (paper or tea towel) and let it rest for 20mins.
I weighed the dough and portioned it into approx. 40g balls – if you do not have a scale, use either a cookie/ice cream scoop or take approx. 2 tbsp of the dough and roll it into smooth balls. You will get around 16 give-or-take.
Get two sheets of parchment paper, or wax, or cut the sides away from a ziplock bag – you might find the dough sticks to one of these, so try another if this is the case.
Place one of the balls between the sheets, and press down with the tortilla press (if you are using, or your heavy pan). The tortillas should be about 5 inches across.
If you’re using the tortilla press, I recommend placing the ball closer to the hinge – the tortilla will be more centered when you press it this way.
Carefully peel the tortilla away from the lining, taking care not to rip it.
I laid the tortillas down on a parchment lined sheet while I made a few, and the skillet was heating over medium-high (I used a cast iron pan – a griddle works too).
Place the tortilla on the hot pan and cook for about 30 seconds on each side – flipping it 3 times and getting some nice browning on each side.
Place in a clean kitchen tea towel to keep warm (or a tortilla warmer if you have one), and repeat the whole process until you’ve made all the tortillas.
The leftovers will keep in the fridge for a few days – freezing isn’t recommended.
Reheat them in a pan (I add a tiny spritz of water to each side if they’re a little stale), for about 15-20 seconds.
ENJOY!