NEWS FLASH!!!! You can make corn tortillas at home and……..wait for it……they’re gluten free! I know, this isn’t really breaking news. When you have to make all kinds of gluten free food from scratch why on Earth would you want to make corn tortillas? Especially when you can buy them for cheap anywhere. Well, like most things made from scratch, they just taste better. Besides, they are soooo simple to make and you may just impress someone with your ability to whip out piping hot fresh tortillas. You really only need one special tool; a prensa de tortilla, if you habla Español. That would be a tortilla press if you speak English. You can find them for about $15-$20 online or in a kitchen store. You will also need Masa which is a finely ground corn flour. Another name for it is masa harina, not to be confused with corn meal. Let’s get to it.
Corn Tortillas
2-1/2 cups Masa flour (I used Maseca brand)
1-1/2 cups warm water
1/2 Tbs kosher salt
In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the masa, water, and salt. Mix on medium speed until the dough forms a cohesive, but not sticky, semi-firm dough (about 2 minutes.)
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and even up to 5 days.
Cut a quart size Ziploc bag in half to line your tortilla press so the dough doesn’t stick. Place one half of the bag on the bottom of the press and use the other half to place on top of the ball of dough before you press it. Roll about 1-1/2 Tbs of dough into a ball and press into a tortilla. You can roll the dough into balls in advance, just cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel to keep the dough from drying out.
Check you out, you just pressed your own fresh tortilla.
Place your tortilla on hot griddle for 2-3 minutes per side. Do not oil the griddle. The tortillas should get a little brown on each side but still be soft and pliable.
This recipe makes about 10-12 four inch diameter tortillas. You could easily double the recipe if you need more than that. All you need now is something tasty to roll up inside your fresh, hot, homemade goodness. I’ll be back soon to help you out with that. Enjoy!!!
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I think you just convinced me to get a tortilla press...or to ask for one for my birthday!
ReplyDeleteJust attempted to do this with GF corn flour (Bob's) and it did NOT work. Although I used wax paper and not plastic. But somehow I get the feeling there is a difference between corn flour and masa? (I know there's a difference between corn meal, but I thought corn flour would work...didn't.)
ReplyDeleteAnyways, is Maseca considered GF? I saw it at a local store and was a little nervous about buying it since it was on the same shelf as regular flour...was nervous about cross-contamination.
I double checked about Maseca being GF. The Maseca website claims that their product is gluten free. Here is the link: http://www.mimaseca.com/en/libre-de-gluten/
ReplyDeleteI think masa is a little different than plain corn flour. The ingredient list on the bag says selected corn treated with lime.
Very cool!
ReplyDeleteI make these all the time and they are wonderful. You can pick up a very good tortilla press at any Mexican market for about ten dollars (save a little). The masa is GF, it is even on the label. And it is different from corn flour or corn meal because it is treated with lime in some way.
ReplyDeleteWhat I would like to know is how to make tamales...
I don't have a tortilla press (can't find a cheap on in New Zealand), so I just use a chopping board. Masa on the other hand is easy to get and not terribly expensive.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work :)