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.
89 comments
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).
Hi TT! Try using 150g of masa harina (about 1 packed cup) and 257g of warm water (about 1 cup). That should give you around 10 6-inch tortillas. Hope that helps! Let us know if you have any questions.
Is there any chance you have a recipe in grams? I’m having trouble getting the right consistency.
Hi Kristi! Yes, you can absolutely make tortillas and freeze them! Here’s a tip: make sure the tortillas are completely cooled before freezing. To make it easier to grab one at a time, place a small piece of parchment paper between each tortilla. If you freeze them as a whole stack, they might stick together and tear when you try to separate them. Let us know if you have any other questions!
Hi! Is there a way to make tortillas and freeze them? What is the best method/process for this?
Best way to make the masa?
Use your stand mixer with the Flat Blade Paddle
Add the masa harina (slightly packed).
Add an equal amount of boiling water
Mix for 2-3 minutes
And it’s done!
I love your masa, and your directions are great. One question: how do you get sprayed or flecked water on the first side of the tortilla?
I read about a taqueria in the mid west somewhere that made burritos using corn tortillas. Do you have any idea how those tortillas would be made? Would there be lots of fat added, like in a flour tortilla, to make them more pliable? Or is there some other trick you might know of to make a large corn tortilla that could be rolled into a burrito? Thank you.
As a child I visited my mom’s relatives in Northern Mexico. I watched intently as an aunt showed me the steps to making her corn tortillas. We rubbed dried kernels off cobs she grew. She had nixtamalized kernels soaking which she then ground on her metate and made tortillas by patting dough in her hands back and forth and cooking them in a comal over an open fire.
What I think is interesting is how, in your website, you explain how to turn the cooking tortillas! Mom’s aunt was careful to ingrain that method in my brain; 1st side, 20 seconds, flip, 30 seconds, flip back 20 seconds, done! Sprinkle coarse salt, roll tightly, eat. Delicious!
Because of your recipe, I am looking forward to trying your masa.