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, tostadas, migas, 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.
- Want to mix your masa ahead of time? Masa benefits from a little rest (10-20 minutes, covered with a damp cloth) to fully hydrate, but if you want to make your masa in the morning, for example, and press and cook tortillas later in the day, it's best to tightly wrap it in plastic or in an airtight container and store in the fridge. Leaving mixed masa at room temperature for too long can cause fermentation. We don't recommend storing mixed masa for longer than a day or two — with masa harina, you can mix up a fresh batch in minutes.
- Can the same masa be used for tamales? Masa for tamales typically incorporates fat, a flavored liquid such as stock, salt, and a leavening agent. Check out our best recipe for tamales from masa harina.
87 comments
Hi Dave! Flipping the tortilla a bit earlier, around 20-30 seconds, could help with the puffing. If you’re still not getting it, adding a little more water to the masa might do the trick. You’ll want the texture to feel like Play-Doh, nice and smooth but not too sticky. Here’s our puff guide to help: https://masienda.com/blogs/learn/anatomy-tortilla-puff. If it’s still not working, feel free to message us on Instagram or email with more details, and we can help troubleshoot!
I just received my Kamol, seasoned it, and used my MASIENDA red corn masa harina to make tortillas. Best I have ever made. Thank you so much for sharing not only your products but your traditions and cooking techniques. #ILOVEMEXICO
I suppose you can use homemade Masa dough better than store bought and a bit more corny
In the video your tortilla instantly puffs up. Ours rarely do, although we were not flipping at 20-30 seconds, more like a minute. If flipping earlier doesn’t help do you think possibly using more water might help. We follow the recipe quite accurately.
Thank you
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.
The recipe, says you can add salt, spices, and seasoning. What spices and seasonings would you recommend adding? (Preferably not too spicy).