Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Homemade Corn Tortillas

I am slowly starting to realize that there just aren't enough hours in the day to make every single thing from scratch, but that sure isn't going to stop me from trying!  There are some things you can buy in the store that are somewhat close to a homemade version, but let me tell you, corn tortillas are not one of them.  Store-bought corn tortillas are pretty awful, depending on the brand, and you aren't left with many options other than frying them since they are dry and break apart if you look at them wrong.  So unless you've got a great Mexican market close by, your corn tortilla experiences may not be the best.  BUT...they are SUPER easy to make at home!  I'm not sure why I never tried them before, honestly.  They are way easier than flour tortillas and are quite delicious and addicting!  My boys and I made these together a couple weeks ago and they were great to munch on while we were making and made a delicious taco shell for our chicken tacos that night.


They only call for 3 simple ingredients: masa (corn flour treated with lime), water, and salt.  I picked an almost 5 lb. bag of masa up at my ordinary grocery store for just a couple dollars, and it will make a lot of tortillas.  Enjoy!

Corn Tortillas
Makes 12-16 tortillas

2 cups masa
1 1/3 - 1 2/3 c. warm water
1/4 tsp. salt

In a medium bowl, combine masa, 1 1/3 c. water, and salt. Add more water as needed, a little at a time, continuing to knead, until a soft dough forms, about the consistency of playdough.

Divide dough into 12 equal pieces and roll into balls (Do 16 if you prefer yours 5-6"; 12 for 6-7" diameter).  Cover balls with a damp cloth while you begin rolling them out.

Preheat a griddle or skillet.  If you have a tortilla press - press away!  For the rest of us, here's the method I used.  Take a gallon ziploc (or other) bag and cut it in half so you have two flat pieces (You could use plastic wrap, but it's thin and harder to work with).  Place your ball on top of one piece, then place another piece on top of the ball.  Using a pie pan, or other heavy dish or pan, press down, rotating slightly, until you've flattened the ball as far as it will go.
Continue rolling it out with a rolling pin until it's very thin and about 6-7 inches in diameter.
Carefully peel the plastic away and place on the hot griddle.  Cook the tortillas about 30 seconds, until starting to brown, then flip and cook until done, about 30 more seconds.
Continue with the rest of the dough.  If dough gets dry as it's sitting waiting to be rolled, just knead in a little more water. Wrap cooked tortillas in a towel to keep warm.

Source: Adapted from several sources

2 comments:

Unknown said...

thank you thank you thank you!!! for the super great tip on pressing the tortillas out!! I just made my first batch of flour tortillas, now I am going to try your recipe for corn tortillas!!. thanks again for the awesome tip, cant wait to make these!!!!

Sarah said...

Great, Cristi! Thanks for the comment, I hope they're delicious!