After our last attempt to make Homemade Tortillas, we started to wonder if maybe those were a bit of a fail due to the flour. They were just so difficult to get flat! We decided that we would try a new experiment with corn tortillas instead.
Our Dad has been saying for years that he prefers the corn version over the flour. So Mom has purchased some from the store and we all agreed that they were just awful! They tasted like dry wood chips.
So to be honest, we had pretty low expectations on the taste of these, but it was worth the try. (Plus we wanted to use the tortilla press again!)
Finding a Recipe for Corn Tortillas
We started our research on different recipes out there and came to an amazing conclusion. This was the simplest recipe that we have ever seen. There are two ingredients. Some kind of crazy corn flour that was thankfully at our grocery store, and water. How could this possibly taste good?
We started by mixing the two, and each of us had to get our hands in there. What fun it was to mush this together.
More than other wheat flour dough that we have played (I mean kneaded) with in the past, this felt just like Playdough. It was not as soft as pizza dough, and it had almost a pasty texture.
The recipe instructed to keep adding water each until it came together, but we did not need to do this, as the proportions worked the first time.
It also said to break these down into 18 small balls, which seemed like they would be very small. We went with 16, and next time I think we would divide it even less.
After playing, (I mean rolling them into balls) we pulled out our tortilla press and used parchment paper like we did for the flour.
Learning to Cook the Tortillas
As soon as we started to pull the paper off, we started to get nervous. They were so thin! With some luck, the first one came off into my hand and I plopped it on the cast iron griddle.
So far, easy! And then we tried to flip it with tongs.
Oops. This is when panic sets in that all of them are going to just fall apart.
Our Mom thought that perhaps the iron was not hot enough for them to hold together. After scrapping this one off, we decided to try the plastic wrap that the directions had suggested.
This seemed to work a bit better, though there were quite a few that we could just not get to peal off without breaking!
Our next strategy was to try to flip them with a spatula, and this was much easier.
Although we still had a few that broke apart, even with a higher heat, we did manage to get most of them into passable tortillas.
How we would Adjust our Corn Tortillas
While these were a great size for kids, they were petite. My Dad ate about 5 of them! I think next time we would make them larger and just a little thicker so that do not fall apart as much as they did this first try.
According to my parents, these tasted much more like authentic Mexican food. Maybe we need to take a family trip to try the real thing!
Trying Corn Tortillas
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Masa Harina
- 2 ¼ Cups Water
Instructions
- Mix the Masa Harina with the water. Add a teaspoon of water at a time if it is too dry to come together.
- Cut into small pieces. (We tried 16 and thought they were too small.)
- Roll into balls and then press flat with either a tortilla press or rolling pin. If using a tortilla press, we suggest using plastic wrap on either side for an easier transfer to griddle or skillet.
- Gently place on hot griddle. You may need to adjust the temperature if it falls apart when flipping.
- Using a spatula, gently flip after 30-45 seconds. Cook for 1 minute, and then flip back over.
- Place warm tortillas under a clean towel until the all dough balls are cooked.
- Layer with your favorite Mexican taco fillings.