How to Make Tortillas From Scratch

Follow this step-by-step recipe to make tortillas at home

Some things are just better when they’re made from scratch—and making something with your own two hands provides such satisfaction. When you cook from scratch, you know exactly what ingredients go into your meals, and it offers you the flexibility to adjust your recipe for dietary or taste preferences.

I’ve been wanting to make my own tortillas for a while now. I find that when I get a pack from the store, I can’t finish them before they go stale (especially the fresh corn ones in the huge packages). So I got myself a press—but you can also make it work with a heavy pot. It will take some practice before you learn how to make the tortillas even and not rip them, but once you get going, you’ll get the hang of it quite quickly. Taco parties just got a whole lot better.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups corn flour (masa harina)*
• 1 1/2 cups warm (to hot) water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large mixing bowl, add the flour and water. Mix until the dough starts to come together, then work it with your hands until the texture is smooth but springy. (I’ve heard it compared to Play-Doh’s texture and that’s pretty accurate.) If it’s too dry, you can add a bit more water, and vice versa with flour if it’s too wet.
2. Once the dough has formed, cover it with a damp towel (paper or tea towel) and let it rest for 20 minutes.
3. Portion the dough into approximately 40 g balls. If you don’t have a scale, use either a cookie/ice cream scoop or take approximately 2 tbsp of the dough and roll it into smooth balls. You will get around 16.
4. Prepare two sheets of parchment paper, wax paper, or cut the sides away from a Ziploc bag (whichever works bests for you and doesn’t stick to the dough).
5. Place one of the balls between the sheets, then press down with the tortilla press (or heavy pan). The tortillas should be about five inches in diameter. If you’re using the tortilla press, I recommend placing the ball closer to the hinge—the tortilla will be more centred when you press it this way.
6. Carefully peel the tortilla away from the lining, taking care not to rip it. Place the formed tortillas down on a parchment-lined sheet while your skillet preheats over medium-high heat (I used a cast-iron pan; a griddle works too).
7. Cook each tortilla in the hot pan for about 30 seconds on each side, flipping three times until lightly browned.
8. Wrap in a clean kitchen tea towel to keep warm (or a tortilla warmer if you have one), and repeat the whole process until you’ve made all the tortillas.
9. The leftovers will keep in the fridge for a few days (freezing isn’t recommended). Reheat them in a pan (I add a tiny spritz of water to each side if they’re a little dry/stale), for about 15 to 20 seconds.

*NOTE: I used Maseca brand corn flour for my dough.