Homemade Corn Tortilla Food

CHEF JOHN'S CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Add masa harina to a large bowl. Sprinkle in salt and add hot tap water. Stir mixture with your fingers until dough starts to pull together.
• Knead for a few minutes to smooth it out until texture resembles modeling clay or putty. Add more water if dough is too dry and more flour if too wet.
• Place a damp towel and over the dough to keep it from drying out. Let rest for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Cut a zip-top bag into 2 rounds the same size as your tortilla press. Place 1 round on the bottom of the press.
• Place a clean kitchen towel over a pie dish for holding the cooked tortillas later.
• Pull off a little piece of the dough, enough to roll into a 1 1/2-inch or 1-ounce ball. Remove the top round of plastic, place dough ball in the center of the bottom round, and press down lightly. Cover dough with the top piece of plastic.
• Fold the tortilla press over, apply pressure to the lever arm until tortilla flattens to your desired thinness.
• Peel off the top piece of plastic. Line up the index finger of your dominant hand with the edge of the tortilla; flip it over into your other hand. Carefully peel off the plastic.
• Gently slide tortilla, palm-up, into a hot, dry pan over medium- to medium-high heat. Cook first side for 30 to 45 seconds. Turn over and cook second side for 1 minute. Flip and press once or twice with a spatula until tortilla puffs up slightly. Cook for 30 seconds more. Flip one last time and cook for 5 to 10 seconds.
• Quickly transfer tortilla to the pie dish and fold the towel over to wrap it up. Repeat pressing and cooking the rest of the tortilla dough, stacking and wrapping as you go.
• Leave the stack of tortillas wrapped until soft and supple, at least 15 minutes.

CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together masa harina and hot water until thoroughly combined. Turn dough onto a clean surface and knead until pliable and smooth. If dough is too sticky, add more masa harina; if it begins to dry out, sprinkle with water. Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap and allow to stand for 30 minutes.
• Preheat a cast iron skillet or griddle to medium-high.
• Divide dough into 15 equal-size balls. Using a tortilla press, a rolling pin, or your hands, press each ball of dough flat between two sheets of plastic wrap.
• Immediately place tortilla in preheated pan and allow to cook for approximately 30 seconds, or until browned and slightly puffy. Turn tortilla over to brown on second side for approximately 30 seconds more, then transfer to a plate. Repeat process with each ball of dough. Keep tortillas covered with a towel to stay warm and moist until ready to serve.

HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine masa harina and water; mix well with your hands. When dough forms, begin kneading in the bowl. Continue adding water, a tablespoon at a time, until dough becomes smooth and thick; it should be the consistency of Play-Doh. Roll dough into a ball slightly smaller than a golf ball (1.5 oz or 40 g). Set aside on a baking sheet, covering with a damp kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out.
• Preheat a comal or skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, cut freezer bag along either side to create a large plastic sheet; prepare the tortilla press by covering the bottom plate with half the sheet. Place a tortilla ball in the center of the bottom plate and flatten slightly with your hand; then cover the ball with the other half of the plastic sheet. Lower the press firmly so that the dough is sandwiched between the two plates. Open the press, flip the circle of dough (still sandwiched in plastic), and press again. Remove the flattened tortilla: it should be about 6 inches in diameter and an even thickness throughout.
• Test the comal by splashing a few drops of water on the surface; they should sizzle immediately. Remove raw tortilla from plastic and gently place onto the center of the comal. Watch for the edge of the tortilla to begin to dry out and turn opaque, 1 minute. Flip and cook the other side until the tortilla turns opaque and blistery, 1 more minute. Flip back to the first side and let it cook for a final 30 seconds. It will puff up like a balloon when it's cooked through. If the edges of the tortilla look grainy and dry, mix 1 tablespoon of water into the dough; make another dough ball and repeat the process of pressing and cooking.Once you've made your first "perfect" tortilla, you know the consistency is correct. Turn the rest of the dough into dough balls, lining them up on the baking sheet and keeping them covered with a damp towel throughout the pressing and cooking process.
• Line a basket or bowl with a dry towel and store the cooked tortillas in a stack, covering as you go. Wrapped up, they should stay warm for about an hour. (Alternatively, microwave the tortillas for 30 seconds.) Use cooked tortillas for Chef Cámara's Baja-Style Fish Tacos and Tinga de Pollo Tacos. For her Egg-Stuffed Tortillas and Deep-Fried Cheese Quesadillas, you will need to begin with uncooked tortillas.

BLUE CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Combine the masa harina and warm water in a bowl and stir until mostly incorporated. Then use your fingers to bring it all into one uniform ball of dough.
• Break the dough into 8 golf-ball sized balls.
• Place a ball of dough between two sheets of plastic and press with a tortilla press or heavy casserole dish into a circle, about ⅛" thick. (See notes below for more detail). Peel back the plastic carefully.
• Heat a large flat pan on high heat on the stove top. When hot, place a tortilla in the center and cook for about 3 minutes, until browned spots form on the underside. After flipping, a bubble might form in the middle of the tortilla. This is fine. Don't puncture it. Once the bubble flattens, remove from heat and set on a plate to cool.
• Form a stack of the tortillas as they get made. This will help them steam and soften.

CORN TORTILLA RECIPE (WITHOUT A TORTILLA PRESS)

Steps:

• Mix dough. Whisk the flour and salt together in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add warm water to the flour and mix together with a wooden spoon or spatula until a thick dough forms. Use your hands to knead the dough, about 4-5 minutes. The dough might start out feeling dry but will soften the longer you knead it. By the end the dough should feel soft and not sticky, similar to play-doh. Slap the dough with the palm of your hand. If the dough stick to your palm, keep mixing. If it doesn't stick you're done kneading.
• Let rest. Cover the dough with a warm tea towel and let rest 20-30 minutes. Don't skip this step - your dough needs to rest and hydrate before you move on or you will end up with hard tortillas.
• Divide & roll. After resting, begin portioning out the dough. If you have a kitchen Divide your dough into 20 equal portions about the size of a golf-ball (weighing about 40 grams each). Roll each portion into an even ball.
• Prep & press. One at a time, place each dough ball in between two large sheets of baking paper or plastic wrap. Gently smash or press down the dough with a large cast iron skillet, pot or plate. Make sure to use something with a flat bottom. If the dough isn't flat enough use a rolling pin to finish flattening out the dough until it's about 5 inch wide in diameter. To remove, lift up the bottom plastic wrap/baking paper and peel back to release the dough.
• Cook. Warm a large skillet or non-stick pan over a medium-high heat. When hot, transfer the dough to the warmed skillet and cook in the dry pan about 1-2 minutes (until you can see little brown spots across the surface) then flip and cook on the other side 1-2 minutes.
• Transfer & Repeat. Transfer the cooked tortillas to a large bowl or plate lined with a damp tea towel (this will help prevent it from drying out too soon). Repeat this process until all of the dough has been cooked.

HOMEMADE MASA DOUGH USING YELLOW FIELD CORN

Steps:

• Rinse 2 cups of dried field corn in cold water. Remove any stones or struggling kernels.
• Add 1 tablespoon of calcium hydroxide to 8 cups of water in a non-reactive pot (I used stainless steel). Combine well. Add the corn to this mixture.
• Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. When the skins of the kernels slip off easily then it's had enough cooking time.
• Remove from heat, cover, and let sit overnight at room temperature.
• The next day (or at least 6-8 hours later) drain the corn and massage it under running cold water. Use your hands to remove the skins from the kernels. Change the standing water a couple times until it starts to run clear.
• Drain the corn and add to a food processor. You'll need 1 teaspoon of salt and approximately 1/2 cup of water for the whole batch (as photographed above I ground it in two batches in a smaller food processor). Wipe down the sides of the food processor occasionally. It will need approximately 4-5 minutes to thoroughly combine, you can add splashes of water if it's not combining well.
• Use immediately or cover with plastic/foil and store it in the fridge.
• If you want to make tortillas with the masa dough, adding some masa harina to it will make it easier to handle. I added about 1/2 cup to this batch.

HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Cook 1/4 cup of batter on a skillet, 2 minutes on each side.

HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Combine Masa Harina and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
• Add boiling water and stir until dough resembles, thick, cooked cereal.
• Wet hands and form dough into balls the size of an egg.
• Place each ball of dough between two lightly moistened pieces of waxed paper and flatten to about 1/8 inch thick, using a tortilla press, rolling pin, or pressure from the hands. Remove tortilla from waxed paper.
• Heat griddle or skillet on medium-high heat.
• Place each tortilla on the griddle and cook for approximately 1 minute on each side.
• (Tortillas should be lightly speckled.).
• * Masa Harina is available in the cereal section of most grocery stores.

HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Set a comal, a flat griddle, or a cast-iron skillet over medium heat until thoroughly heated. (If the pan isn't hot enough, the tortillas will stick to it.)
• Meanwhile, cut two circles about the size of the tortilla press plates (or at least 6 inches in diameter if using a rolling pin) out of thin plastic bags, such as produce bags from the grocery store; do not use plastic wrap.
• In a large bowl, mix together the masa harina, salt, and water and then knead in a circular motion until the dough feels smooth and without lumps. It shouldn't be wet or sticky but nice and moist. If it feels coarse when you gather the dough together, add a bit more water. Masa dries out fast, so keep it covered while you make the tortillas.
• Roll a piece of the dough in the palm of your hand into a ball about 1½ inches in diameter. Place one of the plastic circles on the bottom of the tortilla press and place the ball on top. Place the other plastic circle on top of the ball and clamp down the press to make a flat disk, jiggling the press a little as you get to the bottom (this makes for a rounder tortilla). It should be about 5 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick. Alternatively, you can place a ball between plastic sheets or parchment paper and roll out the tortillas with a rolling pin.
• Open the press, check the tortilla for dryness (see Cook's Trick), and add water to the dough if needed. Remove the plastic on top of the tortilla, then lift up the bottom piece of plastic and the tortilla with one hand and peel the tortilla away from the plastic with the other hand. Keep at least half of the tortilla off your hand to make it easier to transfer it swiftly to the hot pan.
• Place the tortilla on the hot surface and don't touch it for 30 seconds-even if it doesn't lie completely flat, resist the temptation to fiddle with it! Cook until you can easily lift it with a spatula, 40 seconds to 1 minute; it should be opaque on the cooked side. Flip and cook for about a minute longer, until it has begun to get brown freckles. Flip once more. After 10 to 15 seconds, the tortilla should puff like pita bread, if not all over, at least in one area. If it is not puffing, gently tease it along by poking it in the center with the tip of your finger. Once it puffs, let the tortilla continue cooking for another 15 to 20 seconds, so that it cooks all the way through. That extra cooking is what makes the difference between stiff tortillas and those that are toothy, tender, and pliable.
• Transfer the cooked tortilla to a clean kitchen towel or a cloth-lined tortillero (a tortilla basket, which looks just like a bread basket) and cover to keep warm while you make the rest of the tortillas.
• Cook's Trick
• The masa has to be as soft and smooth as Play-Doh. This has less to do with the kneading-which takes under a minute-than with the amount of water. The measurement given on most bags for masa harina is too low. Here I give you the measurement that works for me. Things will vary, however, according to climate and ingredients. One way to tell if your masa needs more water is to take a look at the first tortilla after you have pressed it out. If the edges seem cracked and rough, you need more water. The tortilla should be smooth and even along the edges, not at all ridged.

CORN TORTILLA

Steps:

• Mix the masa harina and salt in a bowl. Add the water and olive oil and mix until a smooth dough is achieved. (If it's too sticky add a little more masa harina, or, if it's too dry, add a drop more water.)
• Divide the dough into 24 balls. Cover and leave to rest in the fridge for 10 minutes.
• Flatten the balls of dough with your hands - alternatively, use a tortilla press or roll them between two layers of cling film. Flatten to approximately 3mm thick.
• To cook the tortillas, lightly oil a flat griddle pan or frying pan and place over a hot heat.
• Cook the tortillas for approximately one minute on each side, or until lightly coloured.

HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. Cut in the lard. Stir in the water. Mix to incorporate. The dough should be slightly wet. Form the dough into a smooth ball, cover with a towel and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 12 even pieces. Place a little water on the hands and form the dough into golf ball-size balls. Take 2 pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap from a plastic bag and cut them to the shape of the surface of the tortilla press. Open the tortilla press and lay one piece of waxed paper on the press. Place the masa ball in the center. Place another piece of waxed paper over the masa ball. Gently close the press and press down, until the dough has spread to 6-inches in diameter.
• Heat a cast-iron griddle or a large nonstick skillet on high heat. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, hold a tortilla in your hand, carefully removing the wax paper on each side. Allow the tortilla to rest half on your hand, and half hanging down, and gently lay the tortilla down on to the hot skillet. Start working on pressing the next tortilla. Cook the tortilla on the hot pan for 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side. The tortilla should be lightly toasted and little air pockets forming.
• Heat 2-inches of canola oil in a heavy-bottomed medium skillet until it reaches 370 degrees F. Add the tortillas, 1 at a time and fry, turning once with tongs, until crispy, about 30 seconds. Remove to a baking sheet lined with paper towels and lightly season with salt.