The Melaniff Family Cookbook

Corn Tortillas

Mexico City, Mexico

Ingredients

2 cups Masa Harina (Instant Corn Flour)  

1 1/3 C Water - warm, approximately

Procedure

Mix corn flour and warm water to form soft dough. If too crumbly, add more water. If it sticks to the plastic or your hand, it is too wet and a little more masa may be added. 

Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Pinch off pieces and form into smooth balls with the palms of your hands. Keep remaining dough covered with a damp cloth to prevent drying.

Heat griddle (preferably non-stick or seasoned iron) over medium heat and keep ready.

Open tortilla press (a Maquina Tortilladora) and lay a plastic sandwich bag on the bottom half. Place ball of dough on the plastic, a little off-center, towards the hinge of the press. Place another sandwich bag on top of the ball and flatten slightly with your hand. Close the press firmly, then open. Dampen hands with a little water. Peel the top bag off the tortilla, then lift the bottom plastic bag up with the tortilla still on it. Transfer the tortilla, dough side down, to your dampened hand. With free hand, carefully peel the bag off the dough.

Place the tortilla on the hot griddle and cook turning only once, like a pancake. This should take about 2 minutes.