How to Make Your Own Tortillas

Indunnec

Editor

posted on 20 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Nothing tastes better than fresh tortillas! If you dislike those leathery ones often found in the grocery store that tear when you wrap them and get soggy when you add ingredients to them, then you can easily make your own. Soggy and leathery is not authentic and definitely not worth it. Homemade corn or flour tortillas are much more delicious, and are a smarter choice as you know exactly what is going in them. Once you've made your own tortillas, you should challenge yourself to make huaraches, which involve homemade tortillas and loads of different toppings.

Steps

Flour Tortillas

Gather your ingredients. This recipe makes 8 tortillas. Here are the ingredients you'll need to make tasty flour tortillas: 4 cups of flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 1 cup of water (many substitute warm milk for a fluffier texture) 1/2 cup vegetable shortening or lard

Mix flour, salt, & baking powder in a large medium/large bowl. Make sure your bowl is big enough to accommodate all your ingredients.

Cut in shortening/lard until lumps are gone. Use a pastry cutter or fork; don't work the dough too much.

Make a hole in the center of the dry ingredients.

Add water, about a half a cup at a time, and work mixture into a dough.

Knead until smooth. The dough should be slightly sticky but not hard. You can add slightly more water or flour if needed.

Cover and set aside for 10 minutes. This will let the baking powder work the dough into a fluffier tortilla mix.

Make the dough into balls about the size of eggs.

Using a rolling pin, roll each dough ball into about a 6 inch (15.2 cm) circle. Flour your work surface before you roll the tortillas.

Heat griddle or skillet on medium heat. You can apply a little bit of oil, grease, or lard, or you can go without.

Cook tortilla 1/2 to 1 minute on each side. If it starts to bubble up, that's long enough.

Flip tortilla to the other side and cook for a few seconds. 20-30 seconds should be enough.

Continue until all your dough is cooked.

Experiment with different kinds of tortillas. Now that you know how to make tortillas, you can change up the method a bit! Some simple touches to this basic recipe can add spice, flair, or sweetness to an otherwise simple flour tortilla. Add a little bit of cinnamon and sugar to your basic flour tortilla recipe for a sweet, cinnamon-y kick. Deep fry them if you want and add the cinnamon/sugar mix right after they come out of the oil.Make Your Own Tortillas Step 13Bullet1.jpg Add a bit of chipotle peppers and adobo to your flour tortilla recipe for a spicy kick. These tortillas come packed with a kind of salsa already in them!Make Your Own Tortillas Step 13Bullet2.jpg Add some chopped sun-dried tomatoes to your flour tortilla recipe for some savory richness. The perfect accompaniment to fish tacos or chicken mole.Make Your Own Tortillas Step 13Bullet3.jpg

Corn Tortillas

Gather your ingredients. This recipe makes 24 tortillas. Here are the ingredients you'll need to make tasty corn tortillas: 2 cups masa harina (preferably Masienda brand) 1 1/2 cups water 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Whisk masa and salt in a medium bowl. Make sure salt is evenly distributed in the masa.

Stir in water, a little at a time, until dough begins to form.

Knead the masa until dough begins to form. The dough should have the consistency of Play-Doh: springy and firm but also slightly dry. Add more water by tablespoons if the dough is too dry; add more masa if the dough is too wet.Make Your Own Tortillas Step 16Bullet1.jpg

Roll a portion of dough into a ball shape and flatten it into a tortilla. Your tortillas can vary in size, but try out a golfball-sized portion to start. Then, flatten the dough into a round tortilla. Adjust the size of each ball of dough depending on the preferred size of your tortillas. Use a tortilla press lined with plastic wrap for even, more uniform-looking tortillas.Make Your Own Tortillas Step 17Bullet1.jpg If you don't have a tortilla press, use a rolling pin for more artisanal tortillas.Make Your Own Tortillas Step 17Bullet2.jpg

Check for the right consistency before you cook the tortillas. If the dough crumbles, it is too dry — add more water. If the dough sticks to the plastic on the press, or to the rolling pin, it is too wet — add more masa. This will be your final chance to get the consistency right before cooking.Make Your Own Tortillas Step 18Bullet1.jpg

Decide whether you want to press all your dough before you cook or press as you cook. The tortillas won't take long to cook, so you may want to have them all pressed before you begin cooking. If you're working with a tortilla press, you should have enough time to press tortillas while you cook.

Heat your comal over medium-high heat. Comal pans distribute heat evenly and quickly, so they are best for cooking tortillas. If you don't have a comal, opt for a cast iron skillet as an alternative.

Place your tortilla on the pan to cook. Cook 1-2 minutes on one side, or until slightly charred and edges begin to curl. Flip onto opposite side and cook for 15 more seconds. Remove from heat.