Homemade Corn Tortillas Without A Press Recipes

CORN TORTILLA RECIPE (WITHOUT A TORTILLA PRESS)

Steps:

• Mix dough. Whisk the flour and salt together in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add warm water to the flour and mix together with a wooden spoon or spatula until a thick dough forms. Use your hands to knead the dough, about 4-5 minutes. The dough might start out feeling dry but will soften the longer you knead it. By the end the dough should feel soft and not sticky, similar to play-doh. Slap the dough with the palm of your hand. If the dough stick to your palm, keep mixing. If it doesn't stick you're done kneading.
• Let rest. Cover the dough with a warm tea towel and let rest 20-30 minutes. Don't skip this step - your dough needs to rest and hydrate before you move on or you will end up with hard tortillas.
• Divide & roll. After resting, begin portioning out the dough. If you have a kitchen Divide your dough into 20 equal portions about the size of a golf-ball (weighing about 40 grams each). Roll each portion into an even ball.
• Prep & press. One at a time, place each dough ball in between two large sheets of baking paper or plastic wrap. Gently smash or press down the dough with a large cast iron skillet, pot or plate. Make sure to use something with a flat bottom. If the dough isn't flat enough use a rolling pin to finish flattening out the dough until it's about 5 inch wide in diameter. To remove, lift up the bottom plastic wrap/baking paper and peel back to release the dough.
• Cook. Warm a large skillet or non-stick pan over a medium-high heat. When hot, transfer the dough to the warmed skillet and cook in the dry pan about 1-2 minutes (until you can see little brown spots across the surface) then flip and cook on the other side 1-2 minutes.
• Transfer & Repeat. Transfer the cooked tortillas to a large bowl or plate lined with a damp tea towel (this will help prevent it from drying out too soon). Repeat this process until all of the dough has been cooked.

HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS (WITHOUT A PRESS)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the masa and salt. Add the warm water and stir with a spatula until evenly combined, switching to your hands once the dough gets too thick to stir. Knead for 4 minutes until the dough becomes less gritty and more smooth. Let the tortilla dough rest for 10 minutes.
• Divide the dough into 1 1/4 to 1 1/2-ounce balls (see notes). If you don't have a kitchen scale, aim for 1 1/2-inch diameter.
• Place a dough ball between two pieces of wax paper (parchment or plastic wrap also work, but I find the dough sticks less to wax paper). Roll the dough until it's wide enough to be cut with a 5-inch biscuit cutter. The thinner you roll the tortillas, the faster they'll cook and the greater the yield (this may take some experimenting; you can always re-roll the dough).
• Peel the wax paper off the dough, one side at a time, then place the tortilla back down on one piece of wax paper and press down with a 5-inch biscuit cutter. Peel the excess dough away from the cutter before lifting it, then remove the raw tortilla and set aside on a cutting board or baking sheet (something you can use to move it). At this point, you can either repeat this process with the remaining dough, or roll a couple at a time while the tortillas cook.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat (use anything but nonstick; I used stainless steel). Set down a large piece of foil or a tortilla warmer to store the finished tortillas (something to help them steam and keep warm).
• Drop a tortilla straight down onto the skillet (if it slides too much, the finished tortilla might have a peely appearance). Cook for 30-60 seconds, flip with a spatula, then cook for an additional 30-60 seconds. Times may vary depending on your cookware and the thickness of the tortillas). You can cook 1 or more at a time, depending on the size of your skillet.
• Once the tortilla is cooked, transfer to the tortilla warmer or set down on the foil and close to create a pouch. The steam will keep them from drying out. Add each cooked tortilla to the same stack, closing again as you go.
• Serve immediately (this is when they're besor cool completely before storing in the refrigerator in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag for up to 3 days.

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.

HOMEMADE CORN TORTILLAS

Steps:

• Set a comal, a flat griddle, or a cast-iron skillet over medium heat until thoroughly heated. (If the pan isn't hot enough, the tortillas will stick to it.)
• Meanwhile, cut two circles about the size of the tortilla press plates (or at least 6 inches in diameter if using a rolling pin) out of thin plastic bags, such as produce bags from the grocery store; do not use plastic wrap.
• In a large bowl, mix together the masa harina, salt, and water and then knead in a circular motion until the dough feels smooth and without lumps. It shouldn't be wet or sticky but nice and moist. If it feels coarse when you gather the dough together, add a bit more water. Masa dries out fast, so keep it covered while you make the tortillas.
• Roll a piece of the dough in the palm of your hand into a ball about 1½ inches in diameter. Place one of the plastic circles on the bottom of the tortilla press and place the ball on top. Place the other plastic circle on top of the ball and clamp down the press to make a flat disk, jiggling the press a little as you get to the bottom (this makes for a rounder tortilla). It should be about 5 inches in diameter and about 1/8 inch thick. Alternatively, you can place a ball between plastic sheets or parchment paper and roll out the tortillas with a rolling pin.
• Open the press, check the tortilla for dryness (see Cook's Trick), and add water to the dough if needed. Remove the plastic on top of the tortilla, then lift up the bottom piece of plastic and the tortilla with one hand and peel the tortilla away from the plastic with the other hand. Keep at least half of the tortilla off your hand to make it easier to transfer it swiftly to the hot pan.
• Place the tortilla on the hot surface and don't touch it for 30 seconds-even if it doesn't lie completely flat, resist the temptation to fiddle with it! Cook until you can easily lift it with a spatula, 40 seconds to 1 minute; it should be opaque on the cooked side. Flip and cook for about a minute longer, until it has begun to get brown freckles. Flip once more. After 10 to 15 seconds, the tortilla should puff like pita bread, if not all over, at least in one area. If it is not puffing, gently tease it along by poking it in the center with the tip of your finger. Once it puffs, let the tortilla continue cooking for another 15 to 20 seconds, so that it cooks all the way through. That extra cooking is what makes the difference between stiff tortillas and those that are toothy, tender, and pliable.
• Transfer the cooked tortilla to a clean kitchen towel or a cloth-lined tortillero (a tortilla basket, which looks just like a bread basket) and cover to keep warm while you make the rest of the tortillas.
• Cook's Trick
• The masa has to be as soft and smooth as Play-Doh. This has less to do with the kneading-which takes under a minute-than with the amount of water. The measurement given on most bags for masa harina is too low. Here I give you the measurement that works for me. Things will vary, however, according to climate and ingredients. One way to tell if your masa needs more water is to take a look at the first tortilla after you have pressed it out. If the edges seem cracked and rough, you need more water. The tortilla should be smooth and even along the edges, not at all ridged.

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.