Hands On Gourmet Recipe for Homemade Tortillas
Serves 8-10 people
These are great to make for any type of taco. Grilled or braised meat, seafood, tomato or tomatillo salsa, avocado, sour cream, shaved cabbage, sautéed mushrooms, zucchini, scrambled eggs, beans or simply with cheese.
Nothing and I mean nothing is better than a thick warm corn tortilla hot off the presses!
*you can buy masa at any grocery store and the press you can buy on-line or in the Mission Neighborhood of San Francisco, for $10
Ingredients
2 cups masa harina
pinch of salt
1 cup warm water
Special Equipment
tortilla press
plastic wrap
ring mold (rim of a glass will work if you don’t have one)
Instructions
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms into a ball.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, such as a cutting board or your counter top. Knead the dough for 3 to 4 minutes until it becomes smooth and no longer sticky. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest at for about ½ hour.
Divide the tortilla dough into 10 equal size pieces. Keep the dough covered as you work.
Take one piece and roll it between your hands to form a ball.
Open the tortilla press and lay a piece of plastic wrap on the bottom of the press. Sit the ball of dough on the plastic wrap and flatten the dough by pressing down on it with the palm of your hand. Now lay a second piece of plastic wrap on top of the dough. Close the press and press down firmly a few times until the tortilla is flattened. The tortilla should be thin and round.
Cook the tortillas in a cast iron or non stick skillet. You can cook them dry or use a small amount of oil.
