Tortillas | Traditions
You guys! I learned how to make corn tortillas…that actually puff up! You might not think that it’s that big of a deal, but for me it is! I went to Oaxaca last year in November, and I took a cooking class from this wonderful family. We had the most amazing food, and one of the things that we made was tetelas. And for that you have to make a corn tortillas first. So when I came home, I went out to buy some masa, and borrowed my friend’s tortilla press.
In my attempts to make corn tortillas on my own, I failed many times. The masa (dough) would be too dry, too wet, they would come out too thick, they wouldn’t puff…etc. With each “failed” batch I made, I tried something different and got closer to making them right. This weekend, I finally got the right consistency, AND that nice puff. I’m still learning to get the tortillas consistent, but I call this a win.
Why is this so important to me?
Food is such an important part of a culture. Learning how to make Mexican food has been a way for me to draw closer to my Mexican roots. I didn’t grow up with anyone passing down family recipes (other than a few staples), so I’ve had to research and experiment on my own, so I CAN pass things down to my children.
It’s also so fun, for my family to get excited for me when I succeed. Now they prefer homemade tortillas to store bought ones, and my batch of 16 is usually gone in one sitting. Everything I learned about making corn tortillas I googled. I pulled from different resources until I found what worked for me. So I’ll share some tips.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup Maseca
1 1/4 cup Water
You’ll also need:
Plastic tortilla sheets OR a plastic baggie
And a tortilla press OR a pie dish or something to press the masa with
You pretty much just mix these two ingredients for 16 tortillas. But here are some tips that have helped me to get mine to puff up.
I have a metal tortilla press, so I don’t push very hard and only press once per tortilla.
Before I peel the plastic off of the raw tortilla, I run my hand over the plastic. Then I peel the plastic back, put the plastic back over the tortilla, flip it over, and do the same on the other side. This helps it not stick to the plastic.
I use a super hot griddle. I have it to the highest setting.
Once the tortilla starts to cook, about 30-45 seconds, I do the first flip.
I cook the tortilla a little longer, and then flip again.
If the tortilla isn’t puffing up after a few seconds after the second flip, I apply a little bit of pressure on the tortilla with my spatula. I might flip again and apply pressure if it’s still not puffing.
I’ve learned that cooking is an art, and with any art, when you’re learning how to use your tools and materials, you’ll get some mess ups along the way. So be patient. And feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
The kids love having tacos or quesadillas. Today, I had my tortillas with some eggs and arroz and salsa roja.
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