30 minutes, plus 2 1/2 hours resting time
Almost-From-Scratch Corn Tortillas
- Yield 12 to 16 tortillas
- Time 1 hour
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Sam Kaplan for The New York Times. Food stylist: Suzanne Lenzer.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups masa harina
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, lard or butter
- About 1 cup hot water, or more as needed
- Flour for kneading
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Nutritional Information
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Nutritional analysis per serving (14 servings)
63 calories; 2 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 10 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 43 milligrams sodium;
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. -
Preparation
- Combine the masa and salt in a bowl; stir in the oil. Slowly stream in the water while mixing with your hand or a wooden spoon until the dough comes together into a ball.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until it is smooth and elastic — just a minute or two. Wrap in plastic, and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to a few hours.
- Break off pieces of the dough (you’re shooting for 12 to 16 tortillas total), and lightly flour them. Put them between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, and press them in a tortilla press, or roll them out or press them with your hands to a diameter of 4 to 6 inches. Begin to cook the tortillas as you finish pressing or rolling them.
- Put a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Cook the tortillas, 1 or 2 at a time, until brown spots appear on the bottom, about a minute. Flip, and do the same on the other side. Wrap the cooked tortillas in a towel to keep them warm; serve immediately, or cool and store tightly wrapped in the fridge for a few days.
Cooking Notes
Buck380
pressing is the hard part - this worked:
- cut the sides and zip-ends off a ziploc bag so you can open it up
- dust inside the bag with corn flour
- place an egg-sized ball of dough in the middle
- press with a flat bottomed glass pie plate
- gently tilt the plate from side to side or in a circular motion until the tortilla is as thin as you like
not kidding about the glass plate / tilting business - watch the pressure make the cracked edges ooze and consolidate into a perfect disc - amazing
- cut the sides and zip-ends off a ziploc bag so you can open it up
- dust inside the bag with corn flour
- place an egg-sized ball of dough in the middle
- press with a flat bottomed glass pie plate
- gently tilt the plate from side to side or in a circular motion until the tortilla is as thin as you like
not kidding about the glass plate / tilting business - watch the pressure make the cracked edges ooze and consolidate into a perfect disc - amazing
128 This is helpful
theoperadiva
This recipe is perfect. I used king arthur's super sturdy parchment in lieu of the plastic wrap, and we tried two cooking mediums: cast iron and non-stick. Cast iron was hands down the winner. The non-stick left the tortillas a little tougher and more fragile, while the cast iron cooked the tortillas quickly, so they remained pliable and had a very slightly spotty char to them that was perfect. We kept them warm in a kitchen towel while making the remainder, and they were perfect.
89 This is helpful
Michael
Masa Harina is dried hominy, soaked and washed, treated with slaked lime or ash, then ground it to produce masa, or “dough.”
You’ll find masa harina in any supermarket that has even a small Latino clientele, or online at Bob’s Red Mill or many other places. Don’t try to use ordinary cornmeal or corn flour to make tortillas; it won’t cook properly, and the tortillas won’t taste right.
You’ll find masa harina in any supermarket that has even a small Latino clientele, or online at Bob’s Red Mill or many other places. Don’t try to use ordinary cornmeal or corn flour to make tortillas; it won’t cook properly, and the tortillas won’t taste right.
43 This is helpful
Perignon
This was the 4th corn tortilla recipe I tried, and it's head and shoulders above the rest. I used walnut oil, made 12 slightly larger tortillas, and both the shrimp and shredded chicken quesadillas were amazing.
37 This is helpful
Jack
Instead of rolling the dough into balls, roll the dough into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Slice it half, then slice each half in half and repeat until you have 16 discs each about 1/2-inch thick. Then, center each disc between 2 pieces of 6-inch square plastic, wax paper or parchment and press in a tortilla press, OR use a glass pie plate (glass so you can see what you are doing without having to lift the plate) to flatten the disc to a diameter of 4 to 6 inches.
32 This is helpful
sam
168 grams = 1.5 cups masa harina
29 This is helpful
Ellen Tabor
I just took a cooking clas in Mexico City. We made tortillas with corn. We had a package of pre-mixed masa harina. We made it into balls but the chef said that if the balls of dough cracked even a little, to add more water. We used a press but I will be using a rolling pin because I’m not buying another piece of equipment. The most important lesson was to add water and knead until they dough balls re completely smooth.
22 This is helpful
TheMexican
Please omit the oil. There’s no need of it. I would advise to use lukewarm water to hydrate the nixtamalized corn flour.
17 This is helpful
Leslie
These were delicious - a wonderful corn flavor. If you are like me, and have had trouble getting your tortilla out of the press, try using parchment as the liner. I did that today, and was able to form beautiful tortillas with this dough.
I would quibble, though, that its enough for a taco party. This recipe fed my family of 3, but with no leftovers.
We used these tacos with Deb's (smitten kitchen) charred corn tacos - and it was a big hit.
I would quibble, though, that its enough for a taco party. This recipe fed my family of 3, but with no leftovers.
We used these tacos with Deb's (smitten kitchen) charred corn tacos - and it was a big hit.
15 This is helpful
CFXK
Easy system using parchment paper, a press and two cast iron pans
Press dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper. Remove top piece, pick up the bottom piece, and flip tortilla directly into one of the pans.
Prepare second piece of dough using same paper, flipping it into the second pan at the one minute mark while also flipping the first tortilla at the same mark. At end of second minute, remove first tortilla, immediately add the third, then flip the second in the other pan.
Repeat.
15 This is helpful
Lynn
I have never seen my Honduran family add any type of fat to make corn tortillas.
It is very important for the masa to be fairly damp, cover balls with a wet cloth while making the rest. Don't form until ready to throw onto the comal; you don't want them to dry out.
The more you practice, the less resting time the masa needs.
There's nothing more fulfilling than seeing a tortilla puff with air.
12 This is helpful
JazzyMami
Masa Harina is corn treated with hydrated lime. Corn flour and Masa harina are not the same thing. Maseca is a brand of masa harina (dough flour) that is commonly used for tortillas. So is Bob's Red Mill. Corn flour cannot be substituted for masa harina as it has not been altered with hydrated lime and therefore will not be effective in making tortillas. You can use regular AP flour to make plain flour tortillas in a pinch, though.
10 This is helpful
Ginnie
I’ve found tortillas are perfectly flexible after I’ve wrapped the freshly cooked torts in a towel and let them rest. Mine were also brittle if eaten right off the pan, so I don’t skip this step.
10 This is helpful
Jennifer
Tried olive oil first. Didn't like the texture. The second time I used a dollop of Crisco, and a little more water. The secret or trick is that the mash can't be mushy and sticky, but still very workable. Adjust water and masa accordingly. Mix with your hands! It's fun. A decent tortilla results when the ball of corn mash looks nice and smooth, amd is soft to the touch.
9 This is helpful
Chris Segatti
It's the SECOND flip that makes it puff up! I discovered it by accident when flipping and it went back to the FIRST side. It puffed up magnificently! :)
8 This is helpful
kayla
Thank you 4 this recipe! Used parchment paper-so no plastic. I used this recipe and some tips from cooksillustrated.com, eg to flip the tortilla 3 times.
www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/9093-homemade-corn-tortillas?incode=MCS...
www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/9093-homemade-corn-tortillas?incode=MCS...
7 This is helpful
sam
175 grams masa harina, 2 TB butter, I cup hot water salt to taste - use parchment paper with the press and cast iron pan for the cooking
7 This is helpful
Muchaloza
I learned to make tortillas from a young Mexican woman. When you cook them it should be on an ungreased cast iron pan, very hot. The tortillas should be flipped three times. She showed me that if you tap the tortilla with your fingertips after the third flip sometimes it will bubble up and form a pocket. She never used oil or a spatula, only her fingers.
7 This is helpful
tedpal
It's perfect! I had to add a little bit of extra water after the dough sat for 30 minutes. It felt a little dry and crumbly, so I wet my hands, patted the ball, kneaded it, and repeated. They came out perfect! In my case, I probably cooked for 90 minutes on each side.
6 This is helpful
Gemma Seymour @gcvsa
I have never in my life used any kind of fat in my tortillas, and I'm not going to start now. The only thing that shoukd be in a corn tortilla is masa harina, water, and salt, and if you don't own a cast iron tortilla press, then get one. Figuring out just the right proportion of mass to water is simple, and when you have it right, a tortilla will peel right off the 4 mil polyethylene film I use in my press.
5 This is helpful
Susan Griffith
I have tried a few other recipes but this one was by far the most successful. This recipe works great, I followed the instructions exactly (I used vegetable oil and Bob's Red Mill Masa Harina)and they came out perfect! I highly recommend this recipe if this is your first try making tortillas.
4 This is helpful
David S
We found that a local organic grocery carries masa in bulk that has much better texture and color than the packaged grocery store maseca.
3 This is helpful
kayla
yes-i added water before pressing and they came out better
3 This is helpful
S. Parker
Corn by definition is gluten free. You need to make sure that the masa harina is certified against cross contamination, but why would you want to use "gluten-free" flour other than masa harina?
2 This is helpful
Jasresistance
For pressing these out, I absolutely recommend using parchment paper. I used the pre-cut sheets that are for a half sheet pan, and cut them into quarters. Perfect size for my press. We tried the Ziploc bag and had too much stick and difficult to handle.
Also for those who question the oil addition, it’s helpful to keep the tortillas soft if you won’t be eating them all at once. I stored mine in the fridge and reheated the next day with great results. And we used King Arthur organic masa harina
2 This is helpful
Private Notes are notes that only you can see. .
For example: “Made for Alex's birthday. Next time double the recipe.”
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