These instructions explain how I make tortillas. While explaining the how-to I also want to show the flexibility you have when deciding how to make them. There are lots of instructions on the Internet and they all probably work but this is how I do it. You can make 1 tortilla or 100 tortillas at a time. I find that for my level of patience, roughly 2 dozen tortillas at a time works for me. You can make them plain or add any herbs, seasoning, oil, or anything you want to the corn flour. The most important part is that you need to be able to mix the dry and wet ingredients to form small golf ball sized shapes which can be flattened, dropped onto a hot pan, toasted on each side, and then placed on a cooling rack. When mixing you can use your hands, utensils, or a mixer. I've never been able to overbeat. As for the "golf ball" size - that is also up to you. If you want larger or smaller tortillas, go for it. Some things that you add to the dough (sugars) might burn before the tortilla is fully toasted but you're free to experiment. We have experimented with just about every spice/seasoning we have in the kitchen and we sometimes use fresh ingredients such as cilantro. I've used cinnamon & sugar, cocoa powder, and topped them with a simple milk/powder sugar frosting but savory is the favorite. I've also used tomato juice.
To cook, we're really just toasting both sides on the stove. I prefer an iron pan but you can use anything that works for you. I recommend adding something to the pan to prevent the tortilla from sticking but if your tortillas don't stick then oil is optional. Toast the tortilla until you think it's done. Really, it's up to you. The goal is to produce something which you can eat plain or with toppings and eaten flat or folded. If you want to cook them covered or uncovered it doesn't matter.
If you're making more than you will use right away, cool them fully on a rack and then freeze. They last forever and they reheat well in the toaster. The way I was taught, cover the tortillas with a towel while they cool.
Here are your instructions:
1. Pour some corn flour (Masa) into a bowl. Add whatever flavoring you choose.
2. Add water and mix. Add more water and keep mixing until you get a consistency that you can form golf ball sized balls, flatten, and they'll hold their shape. You don't want to leave any dry corn flour in the mix.
3. Toast both sides on a pan on the stove
4. Cool
5. Eat and/or freeze
Tortilla Presses
They sell these online, Amazon can be a reliable source. You will find presses in cast Iron, wood, aluminum, plastic - they come in lots of different materials and at a lot of different price points. You shouldn't need to spend more than 10-20 US dollars. They don't need to be expensive and cheap works fine too. Before I press I always lay a length of plastic wrap across the press so that my dough never touches the press. It makes everything easier to handle and easier to clean.
That's it! Here are some more detailed instructions:
Need a little more info?
For this batch I made Salt & Pepper tortillas.
1. Get whatever it is that you are going to use to flatten the tortillas. Experts in Central America just use their hands but I've never gotten very good at this part and so I use a tortilla press. I've also used the bottom of a large heavy pan with the dough tucked in between some plastic wrap. What you want is a way to flatten the dough to whatever thickness you choose.
2. Pour into a mixing bowl however much corn flour you want to use. I typically use 3 or 4 cups at a time but there is absolutely no requirement here. If this is your first time perhaps you want to experiment with using just a cup. Pour the corn flour into a mixing bowl. You can use an electric countertop mixer, your hands, broom stick, shovel, or whatever you want to try.
3. Mix the corn flour and as you do, add water. Warm water, cold water, hot water, it doesn't matter. You want a consistency that you can press together into a ball and it will hold it's shape. How 'wet' is determined by you. Can you work with it and roll it into a golf-ball sized dough ball? It doesn't need to be perfect, size doesn't matter, and they do not need to be uniformly shaped. It's up to you.
4. Whether using a tortilla press or any other flattening tool I always make sure that the dough ball is between plastic wrap With my tortilla press I lay out a sheet of plastic wrap so that it drapes over the top and bottom of the tortilla press. I place 1 ball of tortilla mix in it and then I close the press and flatten it.
5. On the stove you should have some sort of skillet. I prefer iron but you can use anything. Add oil if you want to make sure nothing sticks but oil is optional. Heat it to a medium or medium high heat. We want to heat/toast the tortilla on the pan.
6. When the edges of the tortilla start to curl (about 2 minutes... but it can be longer) flip it. Look at the cooked side, do you like it? You can cook the tortilla shorter or longer, to any level of browning you prefer.
7. Let the tortilla cook for another couple minutes or so - till you are happy with the browning. When done, remove the tortilla and place on a cooling rack. Cover the cooked tortillas with a clean dish towel or any clean towel you have handy.
8. Eat whenever or cool completely and freeze. They last indefinitely. They might develop ice crystals if placed in the freezer too warm but I've never had a tortilla go bad in the freezer.