Corn Tortillas
Updated: Jan 13, 2021
Servings: 16 corn tortillas
Storage Life of Ingredients: 9-12 months
Nothing says authentic Mexican cuisine more than fresh, homemade masa harina tortillas. They make every Mexican dish taste so good. My daughter, Mindy, shared this recipe with me. It came from her mother-in-law whose family is from Guadalajara, Mexico.
Pictured Process
Mix masa, water, and salt together until dough is formed. A little more water can be added if the dough is too dry. If the dough gets too sticky, then you can add more corn masa. Today the dough was a little dry as you can see in the picture below, so I added a little bit more water.
Form dough into 16 golf balls. First, I roll the dough into a ball between my hands.
Then I cup my hand over the ball and roll against the counter.
Leave the balls in the bowl, cover with a clean dish towel or plastic wrap, and let rest for 30 minutes.
Cut a plastic grocery bag into two circles the circumference of your tortilla press. Place the two plastic circles on the top and bottom plates of the press.
Place one corn masa ball on the tortilla press (bottom plate, covered with plastic), close the lid, and lightly push down.
Open the tortilla press, turn the tortilla 45°, close the lid, and lightly press again. The tortilla should not be too thin, or it will fall apart when you cook it on the griddle.
Cook on a hot griddle at medium high heat on both sides until you see some golden brown spots. While cooking the first side, after about 90 seconds, the sides will begin to pull up away from the pan. Cook a little longer, then turn the tortilla over and cook for another 90 seconds on the second side.
To make taco shells, cook in hot oil on each side, and then drain on a paper towel. Yield: 16 tortillas.
Storage Tips
Masa Harina: The masa harina flour will keep for 9-12 months in its original packaging on your pantry shelves. It usually lasts for a year.
Salt: Salt is a preservative and will keep indefinitely on your pantry shelves.
