Foolproof Homemade Tortillas
These hybrid corn-flour tortillas are my favorite homemade tortillas for tacos, and are great for beginners. The dough is easy to work with, makes delicious tortillas that are sturdy enough to stand up to drippy fillings without cracking, and are never dry!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup corn masa flour
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¾ cup hot water
- 3 tbsp olive oil, melted coconut oil, or melted butter you can substitute other vegetable oil or melted lard
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
Make masa dough:
- In a medium bowl, mix the masa flour, all purpose flour, and salt. Whisk or stir until well combined.
- Rub or cut in the fat until it is completely incorporated and the mixture takes on a sandy texture.
- Add hot water and stir, then knead gently until the dough forms a smooth, cohesive ball. Adjust and add another teaspoon of water if the dough is still too dry or crumbly, or cracks when pressed. It should be soft but not sticky.
Rest dough:
- Let the dough rest for 20-30 minutes, tightly wrapped or covered so that it doesn't dry out. You can also refrigerate the dough at this point for up to a day or two.
- The rest lets the masa flour absorb the water, and the gluten in the wheat flour relax, so that your tortilla masa dough is easier to handle.
Press and cook tortillas:
- Begin preheating the comal (a heavy griddle or large cast iron skillet works well) over medium high heat.
- Break off a walnut sized chunk of dough, and roughly roll it into a ball. You can also roll all of the dough out into a log, so that it is easier to portion evenly.
- Keep the unused portions of dough covered lightly with plastic wrap or a damp towel.
- Using a tortilla press lined with heavy plastic or parchment paper, press the ball into a flat disc. If you don't have a tortilla press, you can roll the dough out between sheets of parchment or silicone baking mats, or improvise a tortilla press using the smooth bottoms of two small saute or cast iron pans.
- Test the griddle by flicking a few drops of water on the surface... when they jump and sizzle, it's ready.
- Carefully peel the pressed or rolled tortilla from the plastic or parchment, and toss it onto the hot griddle. I find this easiest by first peeling one side free, then laying the dough side on your outstretched hand as you peel back the other side. Then, quickly flip your hand over above the griddle.
- Once the first tortilla is on, work quickly to roll and press the second. Flip the first tortilla onto the back of the griddle, then replace it with the freshly rolled one. You will need more time for the first few tortillas, but once you get the hang of it, you can press them as fast or faster than they cook.
- Continue pressing, flipping, and stacking the tortillas until you have cooked them all.
- Wrap the cooked tortillas in a clean, lightly damp tea towel or preheated tortilla warmer. Keep warm until serving, or wrap tightly and refrigerate or freeze.
Notes
Yield varies from 12-16 tortillas, depending on size.
Nutrition
Calories: 104kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 2gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 98mgPotassium: 36mgFiber: 1gSugar: 0.03gVitamin A: 21IUCalcium: 15mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
