These are freshly made corn tortillas and are way better than shop bought. These have only 2 ingredients – Corn and water.
They are also gluten-free which is great for those that can’t have flour tortillas.
These tortillas are extremely versatile and can be eaten in so many different ways – as tacos, quesadillas, tortilla chips, or as a simple side that’s perfect for soaking up delicious sauces.
What do you need to make Corn Tortillas?
Masa harina: This is a type of corn flour made from corn that has a unique flavor and texture and is perfect for making Mexican corn tortillas.
Hot water: You’ll need hot water to rehydrate the masa harina to form a dough. The amount of water you’ll need will vary depending on the brand of masa harina as well as the overall moisture level in your home.
A skillet, or cast-iron pan are great for cooking your tortillas.
Parchment paper or plastic: You can use either for pressing your tortillas. For the plastic option, I like using a large plastic freezer bag from Ikea and cutting the side seams off of it so that it makes one large rectangular piece of plastic.
Tortilla warmer (a must): Not only for keeping your tortillas warm, but the tortillas continue to steam and cook inside the warmer and this stops them from being dry and brittle. Once cooked put them in a tortilla warmer or cover them in a clean kitchen towel and place them in a large plastic storage bag to keep in the heat and moisture. This will keep them soft and hot for when you’re ready to eat!
Lets make the tortillas –
Mix the cornflour with the hot water into a large bowl and mix together into a soft “playdoh” consistency.
After mixing into a rough dough, turn out onto a work surface and knead into a ball. It should be soft but not sticky. If you find it’s still sticky after kneading then add a small amount of corn flour and mix. If its cracking around the seams then add a little water and knead until its a smooth dough.
Tip: its best to be slightly on the side of sticky than dry, as the rest period will reduce the stickiness.
Now place back in the bowl and cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 20 mins, this will allow the flour to fully hydrate.
Now divide the dough up into equal sized balls. Use a scale to get the same weight for each one.
For my small 7 inch press, I made around 10 balls each weighing 40 grams.
(After the first couple it soon becoming intuitive how much is 40 grams.)
Place these back in the bowl and cover with a damp cloth. The damp cloth is to stop the dough from drying out.
When you are ready to cook the tortillas, Use the press to flatten all the balls ready to cook
To press the balls into tortillas they need to be sandwiched in-between either 2 bits of plastic or 2 bits of baking paper.
Open the tortilla press and lay one piece of baking paper on the bottom followed by the dough ball. Then place another piece of baking paper on top of the ball and flatten slightly with your hand. Now using the press, close it up and use the lever to flatten that ball.
Open the press and remove the sandwiched tortilla. I repeated this operation with all the dough balls.
To cook the tortillas, it’s important to have somewhere to store them immediately coming off the skillet, like a basket with a tea towel in where you can wrap them up while they are warm. This is an important step as the tortillas continue to cook and steam while wrapped up and it helps them becomes soft and not dry and brittle.
Put the skillet onto the hob and get it to a medium high heat, no oil.
Now we need to place the tortillas onto the skillet and cook them one at a time. There is a technique used to remove the baking paper and place the uncooked tortilla onto the skillet.
1) remove one side of the paper from the tortilla (NOT the tortilla from the paper)
2) place the naked side of the tortilla onto your open palm of your hand and carefully peel off the second paper from the tortilla
3) gently move your hand over the skillet and lay the tortilla onto the pan.
Cook the first side for 2/3 minutes. Check it can easily be loosened with the spatula. When it can turn hit over and cook for another 2 minutes. Now turn over one final time and cook for 1/2 mins.
It may start steaming and then you can use your spatula to flatten the rising steam.
Once you are happy it is cooked quickly place the tortilla into the basket and cover with the tea towel to keep warm and steam.
Repeat with all the other tortillas.
Corn Tortilla
Equipment
- 1 skillet
- 1 tortilla press
Ingredients
- 1 cup Masa harina
- 1.5 cup hot water
Method
- What do you need to make Corn Tortillas?
- Masa harina: This is a type of corn flour made from corn that has a unique flavor and texture and is perfect for making Mexican corn tortillas.
- Hot water: You’ll need hot water to rehydrate the masa harina to form a dough. The amount of water you’ll need will vary depending on the brand of masa harina as well as the overall moisture level in your home.
- A skillet, or cast-iron pan are great for cooking your tortillas.
- Parchment paper or plastic: You can use either for pressing your tortillas. For the plastic option, I like using a large plastic freezer bag from Ikea and cutting the side seams off of it so that it makes one large rectangular piece of plastic.
- Tortilla warmer (a must): Not only for keeping your tortillas warm, but the tortillas continue to steam and cook inside the warmer and this stops them from being dry and brittle. Once cooked put them in a tortilla warmer or cover them in a clean kitchen towel and place them in a large plastic storage bag to keep in the heat and moisture. This will keep them soft and hot for when you’re ready to eat!
- Lets make the tortillas –
- Mix the cornflour with the hot water into a large bowl and mix together into a soft “playdoh” consistency.
- After mixing into a rough dough, turn out onto a work surface and knead into a ball. It should be soft but not sticky. If you find it’s still sticky after kneading then add a small amount of corn flour and mix. If its cracking around the seams then add a little water and knead until its a smooth dough.
- Tip: its best to be slightly on the side of sticky than dry, as the rest period will reduce the stickiness.
- Now place back in the bowl and cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 20 mins, this will allow the flour to fully hydrate.
- Now divide the dough up into equal sized balls. Use a scale to get the same weight for each one.
- For my small 7 inch press, I made around 10 balls each weighing 40 grams.
- (After the first couple it soon becoming intuitive how much is 40 grams.)
- Place these back in the bowl and cover with a damp cloth. The damp cloth is to stop the dough from drying out.
- When you are ready to cook the tortillas, Use the press to flatten all the balls ready to cook
- To press the balls into tortillas they need to be sandwiched in-between either 2 bits of plastic or 2 bits of baking paper.
- Open the tortilla press and lay one piece of baking paper on the bottom followed by the dough ball. Then place another piece of baking paper on top of the ball and flatten slightly with your hand. Now using the press, close it up and use the lever to flatten that ball.
- Open the press and remove the sandwiched tortilla. I repeated this operation with all the dough balls.
- To cook the tortillas, it’s important to have somewhere to store them immediately coming off the skillet, like a basket with a tea towel in where you can wrap them up while they are warm. This is an important step as the tortillas continue to cook and steam while wrapped up and it helps them becomes soft and not dry and brittle.
- Put the skillet onto the hob and get it to a medium high heat, no oil.
- Now we need to place the tortillas onto the skillet and cook them one at a time. There is a technique used to remove the baking paper and place the uncooked tortilla onto the skillet.
- remove one side of the paper from the tortilla (NOT the tortilla from the paper)
- place the naked side of the tortilla onto your open palm of your hand and carefully peel off the second paper from the tortilla
- gently move your hand over the skillet and lay the tortilla onto the pan.
- Cook the first side for 2/3 minutes. Check it can easily be loosened with the spatula. When it can turn hit over and cook for another 2 minutes. Now turn over one final time and cook for 1/2 mins.
- It may start steaming and then you can use your spatula to flatten the rising steam.
- Once you are happy it is cooked quickly place the tortilla into the basket and cover with the tea towel to keep warm and steam.
- Repeat with all the other tortillas.
- Tortillas are now ready to use a tacos or tortillas
Nutrition
(All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more).