Almost From Scratch Corn Tortillas Recipes

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.

ALMOST-FROM-SCRATCH CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• 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.

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.

HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix masa, salt, and oil with your fingers, working oil into flour. Slowly add 3 cups water; stir with your hands to combine. Knead dough until it comes together in a smooth ball and no longer sticks to your hands. If it's too dry or wet, add water or masa by the tablespoon.
• Cut two 6- or 8-inch rounds (matching your press size) out of a plastic bag (to keep dough from sticking when you press it). Heat a nonstick griddle or cast-iron pan over medium, 10 minutes.
• Roll a golf-ball-size piece of dough between your palms; gently press flat. Place one plastic round on the bottom of the press and the other on top of dough; press firmly. (Or roll dough between plastic rounds with a rolling pin.) Remove top plastic, slip tortilla into one hand, then flip onto other hand. Peel off bottom plastic and flip dough onto griddle.
• Cook tortillas until golden in spots, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip; cook 1 minute more. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel; keep covered. Repeat with remaining dough. Tortillas can be refrigerated in a resealable bag. To reheat, wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave until warm.