Fresh Tortillas

Name: Fresh Tortillas
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 10 6-inch tortillas
Cuisine: mexican
Ingredients: 1 pound masa, either from nixtamalized masa prepared from masa harina or store-bought fresh masa

Recipe from Jessamyn Waldman Rodriguez

Adapted by Jessamyn Rodriguez

Updated July 12, 2023

Total Time: 30 minutes
Rating: 4(36)
Comments: Read comments

I am a firm believer that the tortilla makes the taco. It is a travesty to slow-cook meats and beans, find delicious cheeses and chop fresh herbs only to throw them onto stale, chemical-laden tortillas. For this recipe, I recommend purchasing a tortilla press, though it is not necessary. Tortillas aren’t hard to make, but they require a little bit of practice. The most delicious tortillas come from masa made from nixtamalized corn, but you can also make masa from good quality masa harina. Tortilla factories will often sell you prepared masa. —Jessamyn Rodriguez

Featured in: Hot Bread Kitchen’s Jessamyn Rodriguez and Her Moroccan Tagine

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Ingredients

Yield:10 6-inch tortillas

1pound masa, either from nixtamalized masa prepared from masa harina or store-bought fresh masa

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
If you are making the masa, choose a good masa harina with as few ingredients as possible, preferably just corn and lime, like Bob's Red Mill. Pour a scant cup of water into a large bowl, add 1½ cups masa harina and stir. Knead the dough for 30 seconds until it is firm and supple. It should not stick to your fingers when you touch it and it should not crumble when you press it into a ball. It should feel firm and supple, like fresh Play-Doh. Roll into a large ball, cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
Step 2
Roll the ball into a log about 1½ inches thick. Slice it crosswise into 10 equal pieces, each about 1½ ounces. Roll each piece into a small ball. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel to keep the dough from drying out.
Step 3
Put a tortilla press on a table at a comfortable height, so that you can use your body weight to assist in the pressing. If you don’t have a tortilla press, use a heavy cutting board as the bottom of a press and a heavy metal saucepan with a flat bottom as the top.
Step 4
Set a griddle or large cast iron skillet over high heat. Line a basket or a shallow bowl with a clean cloth napkin. Cut a plastic produce bag at the seams to make two pieces of thin plastic. Put one piece on the tortilla press with a dough ball on top. Push down lightly with the heel of your hand, creating a thick disk, and cover the top with the other piece of plastic. Use the press to flatten the tortilla. Open the press, turn the tortilla in the plastic 180 degrees and repeat to make a very thin circular tortilla, 6 inches in diameter. Jiggle the handle a bit when pressing for extra force.
Step 5
Hold the flattened tortilla in your hand and peel off the plastic. Gently transfer the tortilla to the hot griddle. The tortilla should lie flat on the pan without any creases. Cook the first side of the tortilla just until the edges begin to dry, about 1 minute.
Step 6
Flip and cook the tortilla until you start to see some steam puffing up inside of it and brown spots developing on the underside, about 2 minutes more. You can take your fingertips or a spatula and lightly press down on the tortilla to encourage steam. Flip one more time, and cook for 30 seconds to get some brown spots. Exact cooking time depends on the heat of the cooking surface. Transfer the tortilla to a napkin-lined basket and cover. Repeat until you’ve used up all of your dough. Serve warm.