How To Make Corn Tortillas
User Reviews
5
How To Make Corn Tortillas
Description
How To Make Corn Tortillas uses instant masa harina combined with lard or vegetable shortening, salt, and hot water to create a pliable dough. Mixing begins with stirring and continues by hand until smooth. Resting the dough wrapped in plastic for 30 minutes softens it, allowing the pressed tortillas to be flexible and less likely to crack.
The dough is divided into 16 equal pieces, each pressed thin in a prepared tortilla press lined with plastic wrap or freezer bags to prevent sticking. Cooking on a preheated skillet over medium heat briefly cooks each tortilla until light spots and slight puffing occur. The tortillas feel crisp when hot but soften upon cooling, making stacking and keeping them warm essential for serving.
This technique suits gluten-free diets due to the corn base. Alternative methods include rolling out the dough between sheets of plastic if a press is unavailable, although pressing yields better results for the delicate masa dough. Making corn tortillas can be a hands-on group activity, speeding the cooking process when multiple skillets and helpers are involved.
Ingredients
- 2 cups masa harina (Instant Masa)
- 1/3 cup lard (or vegetable shortening)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 /4 water hot tap
Instructions
- Set out a large mixing bowl, a cutting board and knife, a cast iron or nonstick skillet, and a tortilla press.
- Measure the masa, lard, and salt into the mixing bowl. Pour very hot tap water over the lard to melt it. Mix the dough with a wooden spoon at first, then by hand until it is very smooth.
- Press the dough into a rectangle. Then wrap in plastic and leave to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. *The rest time softens the masa to make the tortillas more flexible.
- Set the skillet over medium heat. Place plastic wrap over the to top and bottom pressing-surface of the tortilla press. (Some people like to slide a freezer bag over each section because it's a little more sturdy than plastic wrap.) Cut the dough into 16 equal pieces, leaving them under the plastic, so they don't dry out.
- One at a time, place a ball of corn tortilla dough in the middle of the press, just slightly closer to the hinge. Press down hard to flatten the tortilla into a paper-thin circle.
- Gently peel the corn tortilla off the plastic and move it to the hot dry skillet. Make sure you lay it in the skillet carefully so it has full contact with the hot surface. Cook for approximately 1 1/2 - 2 minutes per side. *Pulling the corn tortillas off the plastic is the only tricky part of the process. Because the tortillas are so thin and delicate, you might rip the first few in half. Simply form the dough back into a ball and repress.
- Move the cooked corn tortillas to a holding plate and cover with a towel to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Serve warm.
Notes
- Stack warm tortillas as they cool to maintain softness and flexibility for serving.
- Using a tortilla press lined with plastic or freezer bags helps form thin, even tortillas without sticking.
- If you don't have a tortilla press, roll dough balls between sheets of plastic or wax paper, though this requires more effort than pressing.
- This gluten-free recipe uses masa harina, suitable for those avoiding gluten.
- Making corn tortillas can be a family activity with multiple people preparing dough balls and cooking simultaneously.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 16Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 52 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1tortilla | |
| Calories | 52kcal | 3% |
| Carbohydrates | 11g | 4% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 1g | 2% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Sodium | 146mg | 6% |
| Potassium | 37mg | 1% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 68IU | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 21mg | 2% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
