How to Make Homemade Corn Tortillas
Corn Tortillas
Tortillas are a main staple of Latin American and Tex-Mex cuisine. This versatile flat bread, which comes in either a flour or a corn variety, is used to make enchiladas, tacos, tostadas and many other dishes. Although you can buy corn tortillas from most grocery stores, homemade ones are usually better-tasting and are fairly easy to make.
You Will Need:
Griddle or cast-iron skillet
Rolling pin or tortilla press
Bread board
Medium mixing bowl
Two freezer bags
2 cups corn masa mix (masa harina)
1 ¼ cups water
½ teaspoon salt
Preparing the Dough
Mix the water, masa harina and salt together until the consistency resembles cookie dough. Add a tablespoon of water if the dough is too crumbly. Break off a piece of the dough approximately the size of a golf ball and roll it between your hands until it forms a ball. Repeat the process until you have about 15 or 16 small dough balls. Cover the balls with a piece of plastic wrap while you are working, since they tend to dry out quickly. Preheat your cast-iron skillet or griddle to medium or medium-high.
Flattening the Masa
If you are using a rolling pin to flatten your tortillas, lay a plastic bag on a bread board or other flat surface and sprinkle it generously with flour. Place the tortilla dough on top of the plastic bag, sprinkle some more flour on top, and lay the second plastic bag over the top of the dough ball so that both sides are covered in plastic. Roll until the mixture is about an eighth of an inch thick. Peel the plastic away from the tortilla. If you want your tortilla to be perfectly rounded, you can use a round bowl as a template. Turn it upside down on top of the tortilla and cut around it.
Cooking and Reheating
If you choose to use a tortilla press instead, lay a floured plastic bag down on the inside of the tortilla press. Put your dough ball on top of it and lay another plastic bag on top. Close the lid. When you open it, your tortilla should be flat.
Place your tortilla gently on the skillet. Let it cook for about a minute or until it begins to bubble, then flip it over and cook the other side for approximately the same length of time. The tortilla should be lightly browned on both sides.
You can prepare corn tortillas up to two hours before you plan to serve them. Reheat cold tortillas by placing them in the oven and warming them at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, or by returning them to the skillet and heating them at a low temperature until they are warm.
