Corn Tortillas

This recipe is extremely simple and does not require a tortilla press! Makes 8 tortillas.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups masa harina corn flour
  • 1 1/2 cups hot water
  • 2 tsp salt
  • oil for cooking at medium-high heat

Instructions

  1. Heat 1 1/2 cups of water. For most baked goods you only want warm water, but in this case you want it to be hot.
  2. Add the masa harina and salt to the water and combine. The texture should be like playdough/wet sand. This type of flour has been nixtamalized and finely ground, and regular corn flour or cornmeal may not be usable for tortillas.
  3. Form the mixture into a ball and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Allow to rest for at least 20 minutes to absorb the moisture. Do not leave for too long or it may dry out.
  4. Separate the ball into 8 pieces, then form into balls again and place one on a sheet of parchment paper. Fold the parchment over so it covers the ball, and crush with the bottom of a plate to start forming a circular shape. Then, use your hands to perfect the shape and flatten the tortilla further. Make sure it's not so thin it will break when moving or flipping.
  5. Bring a pan to medium-high heat and add some oil suitable for cooking at that temperature. You may need to add more oil after every other tortilla. Cook the tortillas for about 30 seconds on each side. If the tortillas form air bubbles, you're doing it right!