Homemade Corn Tortillas

5 from 1 vote

Soft homemade corn tortillas with a toasted sweet corn flavor.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Resting Time20

Total Time45

Course: Ingredient

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings:

Calories: 139kcal

Get Recipe Ingredients

Mix the masa harina and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir in enough water to hold the dough together in a ball (start with 1 1/4 cups and add more as needed). Cover with a damp towel and let sit for 15-20 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate. Add more water if the dough is crumbly and doesn't hold together when pressed between your fingers.
WHILE THE DOUGH IS RESTING: Prep a gallon size zip-type bag by trimming off all the outer edges to create 2 separate pieces of the plastic bag about 9 inches square. Or you can use plastic wrap, however, it is harder to keep the plastic wrap from wrinkling and misshaping the tortillas when pressed.
Turn onto a working surface lightly dusted with masa harina and knead for a few minutes to form a smooth ball. The dough should be soft and just hold together; it should not feel too dry or sticky.
Divide dough evenly into twelve pieces and roll each into a ball (a kitchen scale is helpful here for equal pieces). Cover balls of dough with a damp towel while working to press and cook them. (The dough can be covered and refrigerated 2-3 days before pressing.)

Place a ball of dough between the two pieces of plastic bag on a tortilla press. Press down on the dough with your palm to flatten slightly then and place in the center of the press. Press the tortilla until it measures about 6 inches in diameter. (If one edge is thicker, rotate and press again to even out.)

Place a ball of dough between the two pieces of plastic bag on flat surface. Center a flat bottomed skillet or pie plate over the dough and with even pressure, press the tortilla until it measures about 6 inches in diameter. TIP: A clear pie plate makes it easier to see if it is centered. You can also use a rolling pin to finish evening out the tortilla.
Gently remove the tortilla from the plastic by gently peeling the plastic away and transfer to a clean surface and cover with a damp towel (don't stack the uncooked tortillas). Continue to press the dough until all the tortillas are ready to cook.

Heat a dry, seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, gently transfer a tortilla with a thin, flat spatula to the hot skillet and cook about 30 seconds. Flip to the other side and cook about 30 seconds on that side.
Wisps of smoke may occur. Check the tortilla and modify heat if needed—it should brown in spots like freckles.
Flip again to the original side and cook another 20-30 seconds; the tortilla should puff in the middle. Now give it one more flip, and cook a few seconds so that both sides are freckled with browned spots. NOTE: TOTAL cooking time is about 1 minute on each side, including all flipping.
Transfer cooked tortillas to clean dish towel and fold the towel over so they can rest and steam. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough and by the 12th one you’ll have it down.

Yield: 12 tortillas; serves 6 (2 each)

Storing Homemade Tortillas:

It is better to refrigerate the dough (2-3 days) and cook them fresh for a meal.
The best way to store leftovers is to cool them completely under a damp towel and wrap them in plastic wrap or place them in a zip-type storage bag and refrigerate for 2-3 days.
I prefer to use leftover tortillas in recipes that benefit from crisping them, such as soup toppers (noted in the post), huevos rancheros, or taquitos.