The Kitchn: Make corn tortillas from scratch
Corn tortillas are made with just two ingredients: masa harina and water. What could be easier? You can have best-ever tacos with homemade tortillas on your table tonight. Here is a step-by-step recipe that explains exactly what to do.
What is masa harina?
This ingredient looks a lot like finely-ground cornmeal, but is actually a different product altogether. Masa harina is ground from corn kernels that have been soaked in limewater: an alkaline solution that actually changes the physical structure of the corn, making it physically softer and also freeing up more of its nutritional content.
Don't try to substitute cornmeal for masa harina. Your tortillas will just end up brittle rather than pliable.
Where to buy masa harina: You can always find masa harina in Latin American grocery stores, but I've also had good luck finding it in larger chain grocery stores in either the baking aisle or near the other Latin American ingredients. You can also buy it online at Amazon.com.
Do you need a tortilla press?
While you don't have to have a tortilla press, it makes the whole process much easier and more fun. The beauty of the tortilla press is that it provides very even pressure, making perfectly round, thin tortillas batch after batch.
These presses are relatively inexpensive and widely available at any store with a decent kitchen supply section. Buy one made from cast iron or aluminum, and avoid any made with plastic. Even though plastic is cheaper, it tends to break. You'll use a metal press for years and probably pass it down to your kids.
Don't have a press or want to invest in one right now? Use a rolling pin to roll your tortillas as thin as possible. They won't be perfectly round and you might get some cracks on the edges, but your tortillas will still serve just fine as vehicles for tasty fillings. You can also try pressing the balls of dough beneath a heavy flat-bottomed skillet and then rolling them out more thinly with a rolling pin. It's a bit more labor-intensive, but helps make even tortillas.
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