Our Best Recipe For Homemade Tortillas Using Masa Harina
Our Best Recipe For Homemade Tortillas Using Masa Harina
December 27, 2022
A bag of our masa harina (also known as masa flour or nixtamalized corn flour), plus water, a trusty tortilla press and a can-do attitude are all you need to make perfect corn tortillas at home. While a homemade loaf of sourdough takes hours (if not days) to achieve, homemade tortillas can be ready in mere minutes!
Check out the recipe below for perfect homemade corn tortillas and if you meet any trouble on your road to "puff" perfection, check out these tips to help you find your groove.
Tortilla-Making Tips:
Tortilla-Making Tips:
- Not getting a puff? For additional hydration during the tortilla cooking process, we recommend using a spray bottle/mister to lightly hydrate each side of the tortilla (to prevent dryness and cracking). If you don't have a mister, just fill a little cup with water and use your fingers to flick droplets of water onto your tortilla.
- *Warm water (~100 degrees F, or the hot setting on your faucet) is recommended for mixing your masa, in order to begin blooming the natural flavor of the masa and to fully activate the small bits of pericarp (corn skin) in the masa flour (which help the masa bind, naturally).
- Water can be substituted with other liquids such as stocks, broths, juices etc., depending on the desired flavor. Salt and/or spices may also be added. Masienda respects tradition while encouraging creativity for all cooks.
- Want to make tortillas ahead of time? While best enjoyed fresh for tacos, leftover tortillas are great for other applications such as enchiladas, quesadillas, tostadas, and totopos (chips). To store tortillas, make sure they have cooled completely. Then place them in an airtight container, or tightly wrapped in plastic, in your refrigerator for up to a week. Storing warm tortillas before they’ve cooled, may cause condensation which can lead to mold.
All Comments
Hi Deglin! We haven’t tried it ourselves, but we’ve heard from folks that a stand mixer can work! We’d go with the paddle attachment since masa harina doesn’t have gluten like wheat flour, so a dough hook isn’t really needed. The paddle will help mix everything evenly without overworking it.
That said, masa harina comes together super easily by hand—just masa and water, and you’re good to go! If you do use a mixer, you might need to tweak the water a bit. Hope that helps!
Can I use a mixer instead of hand-mixing? If so, should I use a paddle or a dough hook? Thank you.
Hi Holly! Thanks so much for your comment. It sounds like the comal might have too much seasoning buildup or some leftover residue from the tortillas. A good cleaning with a scouring pad or steel wool should help remove the stuck bits. After that, you can restart the seasoning process with just a thin layer of oil—remember, a little goes a long way! If you’re still having trouble, feel free to email us at shop@masienda.com, and we’ll be happy to help.
Hi Benjamin! Thanks for your question. For a mild, flavorful twist, you can try adding garlic powder, onion powder, or a little oregano. Smoked paprika adds a nice depth without any heat. If you like, a bit of ground cumin can also work well. Just a little (1/2-1 tsp) goes a long way to enhance the flavor! Let us know how it turns out!
Used my comal for the first time. Seasoned as directed, made only corn tortillas on it. Comal now has lots of left over/stuck on tortillas. Didn’t seem to happen until the end. I tried scraping off with rubber spatula. Nope. I tried simmer water in it. Nope. Doesn’t look good at all and not sure how that happened on the first use following all directions. I took photo but cant add to this post.