Easy Corn Tortilla Recipe

Follow this simple and easy corn tortilla recipe and in less than an hour, you can serve fresh, homemade corn tortillas. Corn tortillas are easy to make because there are just two ingredients, water and masa harina, which is a finely ground corn flour. Each tortilla takes about a minute to cook and this recipe is practically mistake proof.

To make easy corn tortillas, you will need:

• 1 ¾ cups masa harina
• 1 1/8 cups hot water
• Rolling Pin
• Plastic wrap or waxed paper
• Flat pan

1. Measure the masa harina into a large bowl. Make a crater in the middle of the masa harina in the center of the bowl and slowly add a small amount of hot water. Mix with a wooden spoon or your clean hands if the water is not too hot. Mix until all the hot water is absorbed and dough is formed.
2. Knead the dough. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a clean, dry, flat surface for kneading. To knead the dough, fold the far side of the dough to the middle and push with the palm of your hand. Rotate the dough, fold and push until the dough is smooth (about four minutes). If the dough is dry, sprinkle a little water on it during kneading. If the dough is sticky, touch your hand into the masa harina and then continue kneading.
3. Cover the dough. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap making sure it is not exposed to the air. Let the dough stand for 30 minutes.
4. Divide dough. Tear the dough into 12 to 15 equal pieces and form into a balls.
5. Roll the dough. Turn the heat on high under the flat pan to preheat it (about five minutes). Place a ball of dough between two sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper and flatten it with your hand. Roll the dough with a rolling pin placed in the center of the dough and roll outward. Turn and roll until the tortilla is the desired size.
6. Cook the tortilla. Cover a plate with paper towels. Place the tortilla in the middle of a very hot pan and cook for 30 seconds or until the tortilla is puffy. Turn the tortilla over and cook on the other side for 30 seconds. Remove the cooked tortilla and place it on the plate. Cover the plate with a clean dish towel. Serve warm. Store cooled tortillas in a zip lock bag. Yields 15.

Tips:

A tortilla press can be used instead of a rolling pin to flatten and shape the dough. The best masa harina can be found at your local Mexican grocery.

Warnings:

If the tortilla is not puffy after 30 to 45 seconds, the pan is not hot enough. Turn the heat on high and wait two or three minutes before cooking any more tortillas.

References:

"Tortillas Cookbook: 101 Recipes with Tortillas." G & R Publishing. 2003.

Victoria Wise and Susanna Hoffman. "The Well-Filled Tortilla Cookbook." Workman Publishing. 1990.