In the last episode of the Self Reliant Skill of the Week, I made flour tortillas. They were a lot harder to make than I though they would be! So for this week, I am making homemade corn tortillas. These corn tortillas are versatile, easy, and only take 3 ingredients.
In the spring of 2020, when they were talking about lockdowns, I bought some Masa Harina. I thought it would be a great idea to have around for emergencies. I’m not great at baking bread, and we eat a lot of tortillas. So having some Masa Harina around might just come in handy!
But then I realized, I don’t know how to make tortillas. Never done it!
So, since I’m learning new skills each week for my Self Reliant Skill of the Week, I thought it would be perfect to learn how to make tortillas. You can see part 1 here.
I can definitely say that these homemade corn tortillas are much easier to make than flour tortillas. Too bad flour tortillas are my personal favorite! And with only 3 ingredients, they are very, very economical.
Masa Harina means “corn flour”. I bought Ma Se Ca brand, and I was pleased with the quality of it. Even though it’s been on the pantry shelf for quite some time, the texture was great, and it still smelled and tasted fresh.
In this post, I am making these homemade corn tortillas without a tortilla press, since I don’t have one.
After looking at SO many recipes, this is the one that I used.
Homemade corn tortillas recipe
2 cups Masa Harina
1 1/2-2 cups hot water
3/4 tsp. table salt
Roughly mix together the Masa Harina and the salt with a whisk in a large bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups water, and combine with your hands. If it still feels crumbly, add more water, up to 2 cups. Mix with your hands until a dough begins to form. Knead for 3-4 minutes in the bowl until the dough is smooth and can form a nice, cohesive ball. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel, or damp paper towel and plastic wrap. Let this sit for 10-15 minutes.
Scoop a 2 tablespoon ball of dough, and shape into a ball with your hands. Set the ball down on a piece of plastic wrap. Set another piece of plastic wrap on top of the ball. Taking a heavy-bottomed pan (like a cast iron skillet), press down firmly on the ball until it’s as flat as you’d like. If you can’t get it flat enough without a tortilla press, use a rolling pin over the plastic to flatten it out more. The ball should now be a 4-5 inch tortilla.
Heat a dry cast iron skillet on medium-high heat. Remove the top plastic from the tortilla, and gently lift the tortilla off the bottom plastic. Put into heated pan, and cook for 40-60 seconds on each side, until lightly browned.
Store in a plastic bag in the fridge for up to a week.
Makes about 10 4-5 inch tortillas.
Conclusion
I really like these homemade corn tortillas, as well as how easy they are. I’ll definitely be making them more often! I might have to invest in a tortilla press, but for now doing it like this is just fine.
Have you made your own corn tortillas? Do you have any other tips on making them more efficiently? Please share in the comments!
This post may be shared on Family Homesteading and Off The Grid Blog Hop, Simple Homestead Blog Hop, Farm Fresh Tuesday, and Old Paths to New Homesteading & Self-Reliant Living.
