Corn Tortillas (Perfect Puff, Masa Harina Brands, Skillet types)
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- Опубліковано 15 тра 2024
- Corn Tortillas (Perfect Puff, Masa Harina Brands, Skillet types)
00:00 Intro
00:52 Masa Harina Brands
02:49 Making the Dough with Maseca (and the basic recipe)
05:42 Making the Dough with Bob’s Red Mill
06:33 Pressing Tortillas
08:01 Troubleshooting the Pressing step
08:54 Cooking Tortillas
13:02 Pan Materials
14:17 Low to High Flip Variation
14:39 Troubleshooting the Puff
15:35 How to Prevent Sogginess and Storage Instructions
16:44 Toasting Tortillas to Serve
17:36 Practice Suggestion and Scaling the Recipe
Affiliate Links (commission earned):
Tortilla Press amzn.to/3M53SO9 (mine is 8 inches in diameter)
Bob’s Red Mill Masa Harina amzn.to/3SmIzvB
The tortilla press is generally cheaper to buy online, but masa harina is cheaper to buy in your local store.
For about 16 tortillas:
200g masa harina
2.8g salt (1 tsp Diamond Crystal Kosher or 1/2 tsp Table salt)
300g water for Maseca and White Masienda / 275g water for Bob’s Red Mill
In a medium bowl, mix masa harina and salt with a big spoon or spatula. Heat the water to 140F (60C) and add to the bowl. Mix with a spoon until all the water is absorbed. Knead by hand for 2 minutes and check the texture. When you press a clean, dry finger into the dough, the finger should come away with only a faint residue. Add more water or masa harina as necessary.
Rest the dough for 30 minutes covered with a damp, and thoroughly wrung out paper towel. Resting longer is fine as long as you use it the same day and keep the paper towel damp at all times. Divide into 28 gram portions and roll into balls. Portioning into balls and resting can be done in any order.
Set a small teflon pan on medium-low heat and another pan on medium-high heat (this pan can be made out of any material, but ideally not teflon. Cast iron or carbon steel are the best.) Prepare a small bowl or pot with a lid and two pieces of paper towels to steam the tortillas after cooking. Cut 2 rectangular pieces of plastic from a gallon zip lock bag to fit your press. Work with 1 ball of dough at a time.
1) press the ball of dough to the thickness of a quarter
2) cook for 20 seconds on each side in the low heat pan (no color should develop)
3) flip the tortilla into the high heat pan for 30-60 seconds on each side or just until it puffs and starts to color
4) put it in a pot between towels and cover with a lid leaving a bit of a crack
Let the tortillas rest in the covered pot for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, but keep them covered with paper towels. Crisp up in some fat (ideally lard) before serving. Use the same day and if storing for many hours, wrap them up after they cool completely.
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Mexican home cook here. Your video is excellent and explains everything very well. Rick Bayless is the best English speaking resource for this. Here are some tips I have gathered in my tortilla making practice that hopefully are helpful
1. I highly recommend resting the dough first and then portioning. That allows you to make any adjustments to water to the whole batch after resting. I always end up having to add at least some after the rest. It also allows me to test one tortilla in my press to ensure it doesn't stick to the plastic. Once I know the dough is good, I can portion the rest while the pan/grill is preheating.
2. It is easier to leave the plastic as one sheet connected at one end like a book. That way you can peel one end off, lift everything up off of the press, invert the tortilla onto the palm of your other hand, and then peel the plastic off of the tortilla leaving it in your open palm. Plastic grocery bags also work great. You may have to test a few different kinds before you find the right one that won't stick
3. Traditionally, a cast iron pan called a comal is used for tortillas. They have always produced superior tortillas for me but that may be all in my head as no one in my family would think of using anything else.
4. Another Rick Bayless corn tortilla video skips the step where you flip the tortilla and cook the second side on the low heat pan - you simply lift the tortilla off of the low heat pan and flip it raw side down onto the hot pan. This technique works just as well in my opinion and saves time.
5. You can simply press the entire tortilla flat with the bottom of the spatula once to get the puff. If you follow my step 4, you only need to press when flipping the low-heat cooked side of the tortilla (the side that was up as the raw side was cooking on the hot pan) over. (This technique is also from Rick Bayless)
6. You will typically find two different grinds of masa harina: one that is for tamales which is labelled as such and one for tortillas which often isn't labelled as anything but "masa harina." The only difference is the coarseness of the grind. If you like your tortillas to be smoother, use the masa for tortillas. If you like them with a little more grit, use masa for tamales. They will taste the same. The difference will be in mouthfeel
7. Most tortillas I have had do not have salt in them. The dough doesn't need it really. I sometimes make it with salt and sometimes without and I have a hard time telling the difference. The filling for the tortilla is often plenty salted enough that you don't notice anyway
Also, a minor nitpick: the letter 'h' is silent in Spanish so it is pronounced 'ah-REE-na' not "HA-REE-na"
Again, you do outstanding work. This video is wonderful. I am very happy to see my culture's food getting the analysis and explanation that you so thoughtfully give to every video you make
Wow! This is the most helpful comment I've gotten in a long time. I love your idea of resting the dough and then making adjustments before portioning. I think I was making SO many tortillas while practicing that I got used to the exact amount of water that worked well for me, so there was no risk in portioning right away, but that's probably a risky thing to do.
@@helenrennie I am honored that my comment has been deemed helpful enough to be pinned.
Great video, it is so helpful, I have been making my own tortillas just recently, but they are inconsistent. ctsliva45, thank you for those details. I look forward to making my next batch of homemade tortillas!!
Thank you for your helpful,info, too!
Thank you for sharing all your wisdom.
I grew up on the Mexican border and i still didn't know any of this. I always thought i was just no good at making tortillas. You've both inspired and motivated me to try again-- the right way.
Well, she might be more lost than you.
Don’t worry if you made too many tortillas. You can use the leftovers to make totopos for nachos, or strips for a sopa de tortilla, where you also need some stale tortillas for the soup, too. You can also make chilaquiles or pastel azteca with your leftover tortillas, or even use some to make tostadas or as one of your ingredients for a delicious mole.
Any recipes for the nachos? That sounds amazing...
I really appreciate the level of detail Helen provides in all her videos and this one is no exception
I'm Polish and I have recently discovered a good old slavic flatbread called 'podpłomyk'. I prepare it a few times a week and it takes less than 10 minutes to make in total. To think that people used to eat that even a thousand years ago and the recipe still stands is incredible. I'd like to try the corn version too.
would love to know how you make it!
Only a Polock
Please share the recipe so we can try making it too
Hahaha 😆 😊
Awww thank you Helen for saying hello!!! I’m honored! I’ve never used the two pan method, but I will definitely try it!! As always, your explanation was thorough and clear. It’s amazing to see indigenous women in Guatemala making tortillas by clapping their hands and cooking them in a big comal, but, for the rest of us, we need a little bit of help with the methods you take the time to research and practice!
I don’t know if you tried freezing them but, after they’re cooled down, I put them in a freezer bag. They don’t stick to each other and we can get as many as we need out of the bag when we want. We warm them up a little bit in the microwave and finish them in a toaster over.
Thank you for making this wonderful video (in time for Hispanic Heritage Month!)
I can’t wait for the carnitas video! I’m sure they will be deliciosas!!!!
You're the goat for getting Helen into doing this. Helen never fails to have useful information. LFG
I learned how to make tortillas by slapping back and forth between my hands when I was twelve years old. I got fairly consistent puffing, too. Now that I’m in my late sixties, I can’t do it so I use the underside of a dinner plate to press them, followed with a rolling pin.
As always, I learned something useful from Helen!
I feel so lucky to live in the timeline where this lady is doing her thing.
This is the most comprehensive tutorial I have seen on UA-cam. I have spent a lot of time looking for techniques and instructions and this is the best one so far. This video addresses a lot of the issues I suspected I was running into but didn't understand why I was messing it up.
Nixtamalized corn is made with lime, not limestone. Limestone is made of calcium carbonate, and if you burn it above 900°C you get a very caustic “unslaked lime” (calcium oxide), and if you add that to water you get a less caustic “slaked lime” (calcium hydroxide), which is what you use to make masa.
So it’s sort of made with limestone, but not really. It would be like saying soap is made with wood when it’s really made with ashes. It’s a chemically different material.
Who invited the geek into the channel! 🫣🤣🤓🤓🤓🤓 Awesome! My Dad was a chemist (PharmD). Blew up the lab coat many times with his “experiments” while in college. I was just little but I remember him walking into the house exuberant and a bit crispy around the edges, as he shared the full details of his “test”. Sounded a lot like your explanation. 😆 Thanks for the memory.
You don't have to use limestone at all to nixtamalize corn, boiling in any sufficiently alkaline solution will do. The native Americans mostly used wood ash (high in calcium carbonate).
Having had the conversation about nixtamalized corn with many non-food-geeks, I can say with certainty that she said “limestone” to avoid listeners thinking she meant “lime” the fruit. I have to explain every time and have ended up saying something similar to what she did. The distinction between the fruit and the mineral is much more meaningful for most people than the distinction between two different but related minerals. Helpful for a comment, yes! So thanks for clarifying. But probably not going to be a part of your dinner table conversation when you tell someone you are serving them homemade tortillas.
But if you go to the Mexican market, you need to ask for cal. Or else you might leave with green citrus.
I didn't want to cut up a plastic bag, so I used parchment paper. It worked great
Agreed: I purchased 8 inch parchment rounds. They will hold together allowing me to prepare up to 18 tortillas. =Peace=
I find that the tortillas stick to the plastic too much, but not parchment! Also I can put them on the parchment right in the skillet if they don’t want to separate, and let cook for a few seconds. The steam makes it easy to pull the parchment off.
I like wax paper
You can buy 8 inch parchment rounds. They fit perfectly in the press.
I’m sure every single person who follows Helen and closely knows this is exactly why we all love you so much, your attention to detail surpasses pretty much any other UA-cam channel in terms of cooking. I learned so much as you explain why and not just how.
Sometimes we also put lard in tortillas, when I used lard I just use a little bit less water to make up for it. You put it in at room temperature, soft but not melted.
I love that you show how to make an assembly line!
I mostly use tortillas, both flour and corn, instead of bread and have been using Bob's for years. A Mexican friend's grandmother swears that I am part Mexican. There are several very helpful hints in this video, but I really like the idea of using two pans! I have been using a very well seasoned cast iron skillet, but I also have carbon steel
Thank you for this video and I will not tell my Mexican friend that my best hints came from my favorite Russian cook!
Great video. One huge trick to help take tortilla out of plastic after pressing: 1. While still on the press, slowly pull top plastic off and then put plastic layer back on loosely; 2. Flip tortilla still with plastic on both sides and remove the second layer of plastic "slowly"; 3. Place tortilla (plastic free side) in hand and remove already loosened plastic side. Also another tip: I like plastic with print on it because it is a little firmer - the writing side is usually the last side I take off in this process.
the plastic bags from inside cereal boxes are the best for this. They are also great for tenderizing meats with a meat hammer & dont tear.
Tortillas are the best part of any meal. Fill with eggs and bacon for breakfast, chicken and your favorite style coleslaw for lunch.
I've found that Bob's coarser grind requires a longer rest to fully hydrate. Getting the ratio right makes it the trickiest to get a good puff. Masienda is available at whole foods and Amazon now and is worth a try.
The traditional method only involves two flips, side-A 20-30 seconds, Side-B 30-60 seconds, back to side-A for 30ish seconds. It's worth it to try and cook two or three simultaneously. If you're feeding a family and need 20-30 tortillas, it will take an hour to do it one at a time.
This must be one of the most comprehensive guides on making tortillas. Showing the making of tortillas and illustrating very clearly with the different types of corn flours and trouble shooting help. It also shows how to well maintain the finish tortillas. It’s a treasure video on tortillas. This is very helpful indeed. Thank you 😊❤
Helen, thank you for showing this segment on homemade tortillas!!! I make tacos pretty much every week and about once a month I make my own corn tortillas. Your video is a game changer!!! I did not know there was so much that could be done to a tortilla!!! I will be referencing your video for a long time. Mahalo!!!
I use waxed baking paper for the film. I used to get tearing when peeling. My workaround was to remove one paper, throw the tortilla onto the pan (like a pie to the face), then remove the second paper after a few seconds.
Awesome video, Helen! I love these in-depth guides with lots of troubleshooting information for every step.
For over 30 yrs. I've been using 2 pans for making tortillas.
I have 2 old cast iron tortilla presses,
and sometimes I add cumin or chile powder to my masa mix BEFORE I add the water.😉😁🌮🌮🌮
I too prefer the yellow masa over the white ......
WAY more flavor!
When they were little, my G-daughters called corn tortillas 'Little Pillows'.
We call them globos ( balloons ) 🎈
❤I can't believe how well this method works. I have tried and tried to make tortillas time after time with nothing but failure! It was very easy, and I had them all cooked in no time. Every single one puffed up like a pillow. THERE WASN'T EVEN ONE TORTILLA LEFT!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING!❤
great job :)
I can now do everything in one pan 🎉
AMAZING
What a helpful video! I especially appreciate the troubleshooting segments covering common pitfalls.
Thank you so much Helen for your detailed and simple tutorials ❤
I've just started making my own tortillas, so this couldn't have come at a better time! Some great tips here; especially like the idea of the double-pan setup. Thanks for the video.
The H is silent. & it’s said like Arena but Ah instead of Uh. ❤️ u so cute! Don’t mean to be rude just happy to share knowledge with you like you share so much good stuff with us.
Hello Helen, if using a dish towel to cover the already made tortillas be aware of the soap you used to wash those dish towels, since the perfumes can transfer to the tortilla itself....
It is been said that if you make a tortilla and it puffs you are ready to marry lol... Mexican saying... bty eating a tortilla recently made with a piece of queso fresco and salsa on top makes the best experience while seating in front of a comal waiting for your taco... my grandmother used to give us the first tortillas of the batch just with salt and rollled up like a thin taco... best memories of abuela...
Glad you did a video on tortillas, best regards Helen
Your videos are always very detailed leaving nothing out. Thank you.
Fantastic video! Your level of detail is truly unmatched :)
Small suggestion, a very light sprinkle of flour to the tortilla press or on the plastic helps prevents sticking and they come off easier.
Helen, your video is the best on tortilla making I have every heard! Thank you thank you thank you!
What a great lesson. Thank you!
Wonderful instructions! Thank you.
Thank you so much for this video! I have been struggling forever to make good tortillas and this video was the trick. From the measurements to the methods everything in this video helped me make great tortillas and I can’t wait to make them again!
Thank you!!!! I’ve been searching for a really good corn tortilla recipe/tutorial for a long time. NOW I will make them! I am an accomplished and adventurous home cook and I love learning more from your excellent videos.
Yes, a big thank you to n Carol. My kids just got me a tortilla press for my birthday. I haven't used it yet because I didn't know what recipe to try. Now I do!
YES thank you 🙋🏽 I'm so happy for your sharing 🌺
Love the detail.
Thanks
This is great. Thanks for the clear instructions. I've never done the low heat/high heat, but that's a great idea.
You have a wonderful and gentle way of teaching. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much!!! I grew up eating home tortillas and was never figured out what I was doing wrong. This video did a great job at explaining it.
What a talent! Thanks for sharing all your knowledge!
What a fantastic tutorial. Thank you so much.
Finally!!!! Found the right recipe. These turned out perfect. Thank you
Wow, great instructions; thank you! I've been holding off making tortillas because I really felt like I needed better instructions. Now, I'm ready...as soon as I get some masa harina.
We made these last night to go with Mexican pulled pork. OMG! They’re so much better than store bought tortillas! After my wife got the pressing right, they all puffed up like yours did. Thank you!
Thank you. You are an amazing teacher!
Such an excellent explanation! Thank you so much!
You are so easy to listen to and are the perfect speaker! So pleasant! I make corn tortillas as well, and you are giving me much more helpful info than I imagined! This is genius! I r3 entry tried the new King Arthur masa Harina and really love it, but I’m buying Bob’s next time because I love yellow corn and yiur look great! Thank you!
You need your own cooking show!
Helen thanks so much for all your instructions. Helped me to avoid tortilla disaster!
Thank you very much, Helen for a very comprehensive teaching. It will greatly improve my corn tortilla making and cooking.
just like mom and grandma used to make... tip for for those of you with young kids, or kids at heart. take a soft cooked tortilla rub some butter (or your favorite fat) on one side, then sprinkle some salt, then roll the tortilla squeezing it tight in your hand so the tortilla shows your finger marks, then promptly give to your kid nice and warm. they will love it.
!!
Thank you for this incredible video, best I’ve seen on tortilla making so far!
Excellent lesson. Thanks!
What a brilliant, comprehensive video. Thank you 🙏🏻
your video is articulate your elocution is awesome and the video itself is absolutely a professional gem!
I am grateful for the simple instructions with tips and techniques and no obnoxious music
this post was a joy to watch
Thank you so much for posting
Rick Bayless is definitely the man. His recipes and videos are fantastic.
I love how you referenced Playdough consistency 😊
Your style of teaching is AWESOME!
Great video as always, Helen. Can't wait for the carnitas video! My thought on why pressing the spatula edge in the center can help them puff is that one side of the tortilla is generating steam more so than the other, but the pressure from that minimal amount of steam isn't enough to fully puff the whole tortilla. When you press the edge of the spatula in the center, you are "segmenting" the interior airspace from one large area into two separate areas. This means the steam that is being generated now has less area to expand, creating more pressure in that smaller space. It's that pressure which starts the puff and "breaks" through to the other side, filling the entire tortilla.
These are valuable pearls for beginners. I just got a beautiful wooden tortilla press for Christmas, and this video has given me so much needed advice.
A taco on a home-made fresh corn tortilla has that incredible bite that makes a world of difference.
Thank YOU so much for putting your awesome recipe and directions in the description box so we can have it with your video
Amazing and detailed, as always. Thanks!
Guided by Huntley Dent’s seminal cookbook, I’ve been making my own corn tortillas for over 35 years, but Helen’s two pan approach is new to me, and the two temperature pans will greatly speed up my process while enhancing the quality of the final product. I won’t be quite as fast as Helen because I like the rustic quality found in rolled tortillas and avoid using a tortilla press.
Thank you for all the tips! My tortillas came out great! Im sold on the 2 pan method. And i LOVE Rick Bayless!
EXCELLENT!!! Thank you! I've been making my own tortillas for years but never flawless. My aim now is to make them flawless with your help. Again, thank you.
Amazingly detailed as always
This is a wonderfully made video with great tips and explanations. I am latina, and just haven't mastered this but with your tips I think I can. Thank you!
We just learned a lot! Thank you!
I am so happy I found this video and this channel! I love you Helen Rennie!! I love you!
Thank you for expl this perfectly and different ways to accomplish it!
Your ADORBS! Great tutorial! Muchas gracias!
Thank you for this excellent video! The two pan method helped me achieve the puff for the first time! For people who don’t have a tortilla press, pushing down on a Pyrex pie pan works and you get to see the tortilla form as the dough gets smushed (very satisfying). I really appreciated your quarter tip for determining the correct thickness. Thanks again for this awesome video!!
Well done video! I can't wait to try it out! I also love that you used a scale!! Tried them and they were great!
Best instructions on corn tortillas. I've just recently started making them and have watched Rick Bayless. Not having a grill like his I used cast iron one at a time. I don't have a tortilla press but use my cast iron griddle to press them😊. They are starting to taste better with practice 😊
Dear Helen, You are very thorough and definitely not boring. Very educational, totally enjoyed your video. I am really impressed. You are a natural.
Delicious. Thank you. The Bob's Red Mill was really delicious. I used a different flour before.
What an awesome video! Thanks for such great instructions!
Thanks for this corn tortilla video. I love making them. I’ll try your tips for better outcomes. ❤
Well, I've been using the Bob's and will keep on doing so.
Great video. I got a tortilla press for xmas and after 3 failed batches, I found this video and the 4th batch was downright edible and the 5th batch was terrific.
Thank you so much for this video. So easy to follow and hit ALL the steps.
I look forward to more!
I've done this for years and just dealt with occasional "pancake" non-puffers and soggy steamed ones. Then, I didn't realize they need fried again to boost flavor, they were fine as they were. But yours look delicious so I'll try that! Love the slow and detailed approach to your cooking vids.
wow the food in this video looks amazing
I’m very impressed, this was a comprehensive video. I’m fairly new to making corn tortillas at home but have it mastered pretty well and I still learned several things today. I can’t wait to try the two pan method to see if they turn out as tender as mine since I heard they become tougher with additional turning.
Superb tutorial! ❤️ from Coatepec Veracruz Mexico
Carnitas lard is SO flavorful. Thanks for a great video full of tips and for using carnitas lard.
She is truly excellent
Thank you so much for your dedicated tortilla tutorial. This is perfect for me since I love great tasty homemade tortillas with all my home cooked meals. No more buying sitting random tortilla brands for me. 🤗❤️
This video is so thorough and so much appreciated. I worked all day making tacos for the first time a while ago and my tortillas were such a disappointment. I spent so much time and effort on amazing fillings for them to be dragged down by my lack of tortilla technique. They didn't puff and were too thick and not pliable. I have put off trying again because I wanted to be sure I wouldn't screw up again. I definitely now know a lot more than I did before about making corn tortillas, and specifically why mine turned out less than stellar. On top of that you have a lovely speaking voice and you are delightful to learn from ❤
Thank you for this great video. I made tortillas last night, using King Arthur masa harina. I wasn’t happy with them, so I went looking for answers. I found your video, and I love how you go through the process step-by-step. I going to try it again tonight. Thanks again 😊
always a relevant and very detailed video. Thank you Helen
Superb video and superb explanations, thank you!
Great video and tips! Thanks 🙏
Keep going girl! You’re doing a great job. I love your commentary. Excellent show production too. 👍
there was nothing that i didn't love about this video. it was very informative, the techniques were demonstrated nicely, it had useful tips, and your voice was not annoying, which is a huge plus. Thank you
Wow, this fantastic!
Your explanations are brilliant. You pronunciation is excellent too. Thank you I now feel confident enough to make my own.
Helen, thank you! My very favorite tortilla is corn, and I've been hesitant in trying to make my own. I will try them now, thank you!!!
You are awesome 😊 I love how you explain in detail and all of the trouble shooting tips thanks.