Corn Tortillas
Makes 12 tortillas
pound fresh masa (or 1½ cups masa harina kneaded with 1 cup water) Tortilla press
Inspect the dough:
Whether you’re using fresh masa or rehydrated masa harina, you want the texture to be as soft and moist as possible without sticking to your hands.
If the dough develops small cracks when squeezed, it is too dry and needs more moisture.
To correct this, knead water into the dough in 1-tablespoon increments until it become malleable and forms into a ball. Cover the masa with a damp towel.
Prepare the equipment:
Set up a double griddle or two cast-iron pans over two burners.
Heat one side of the griddle (or the pan) over lowmedium heat and the other over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes.
Cut two squares of medium-heavy plastic to fit the press (a freezer bag works nicely).
Open the tortilla press and place one square on the bottom plate and one square on the top plate, making sure the plastic doesn’t wrinkle.
Make a test tortilla:
Grab a small handful of the masa and roll it into a sphere the size of a golf ball.
Gently flatten it into a rough disk with your fingers. Open the press, keeping the plastic squares on each plate.
Center the masa ball on the bottom plate.
Close the top plate, ensuring that the second piece of plastic lands squarely on the top of the dough.
Fold the handle and apply even pressure. Fold back the handle and open the press. Peel the top plastic from the tortilla.
The tortilla should be about 5½ inches in diameter and about ¹/ -inch thick. Peel off the plastic.
Cook the tortilla:
Position yourself over the cooler end of the griddle with the tortilla draped over the palm and top of your hand parallel to the hot surface.
Bring the edge of the tortilla to the griddle and very quickly slide your hand out from under it; the tortilla should stick right away to the surface.
Cook for 15 seconds. The tortilla will begin to change color after 10 seconds.
Using a metal spatula or your fingers, flip it onto the hotter side of the griddle and cook for 30 seconds.
Flip the tortilla again, leaving it on the hotter side and cook for another 10 seconds before flipping a final time.
Cook for an additional 10 seconds.
When the tortilla is done, its edges will begin to release from the griddle and it may inflate slightly.
Taste your test tortilla:
If the dough is too dry, the texture will be heavy and the edges will begin to crack. If needed, gradually add water to the remaining dough until it is moist and pliable.
Once you are happy with the texture, divide the remaining dough into 12 equal balls and repeat the process.
Store the cooked tortillas in an insulated container so that they retail their heat until ready to serve.
Note:
Houston’s Mi Tienda stores (Mi Tienda I is on Spencer Highway and Mi Tienda II is on East Little York) sell 12 varieties of 100 percent masa corn tortillas and five types of authentic flour tortillas made fresh daily on site.
The corn for the tortillas is cooked, processed and ground in store.
Customers can also purchase six different flavors of fresh masa to make tortillas and tamales at home.