Thin Cornmeal Tortilla 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.

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.

SOFT CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Mix together your dry ingredients and then the eggs and water together. You may need to add more water to thin out the mix a bit. The batter should be the consistency of slightly thickened crepe batter.
• On a very hot griddle (400 degrees) spoon about 1/3 cup of the batter and form into a circle -- much like you would a crepe. When the tortilla is not shiny in appearance, flip over and allow to cook another minute or so.
• Stack on top of each other and keep warm til serving.

PANAMANIAN TORTILLAS (THICK CORN CAKES)

Steps:

• Mix the water, mix, salt, rice flour, and sugar (optional) with a spoon.
• Knead with wet hands in bowl (wet hands keep it from sticking, so if it starts to stick just get your hands wet again).
• It will form into a mixture called "masa".
• Get bunches of the masa and form them into circles. Make sure the edges are pinched (no creases or cracks), and that the thickness is consistent (about 1 or 2 cm thick).
• To bake, put some of the butter in the pan and spread evenly. Heat the butter on med high.
• When butter is heated, place masa circles on the pan and let bake.
• Flip them every 2 or 3 min to evenly cook without burning.
• They will start to puff up and get golden.
• It should take about 10 min to cook thoroughly, but make sure not to overdo them--no one likes a burned tortilla!
• Repeat the steps until all the circles are baked through.