3-Ingredient Authentic Mexican Corn Tortillas
This 3-Ingredient Authentic Mexican Corn Tortillas recipe is the best Theyre better than store bought tortillas are healthy and are a great gluten-free option
This 3-Ingredient Authentic Mexican Corn Tortillas recipe is the best Theyre better than store bought tortillas are healthy and are a great gluten-free option
- Carbohydrate 28.4741333333333 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 1.4112 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 3.48693333333333 g
- Saturated Fat 0.198613333333333 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Tortilla (67g)
- Sodium 75.7229166666667 mg
- Sugar 28.4741333333333 g
- Trans Fat 0.196746666666666 g
- Calories 136 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large bowl, mix salt and masa harina together.
- Pour 1.5 cups of hot water into the dough and mix with a spoon or your hand to form a big ball. The dough should be firm and springy when touched, not dry or super sticky. If the mixture is too dry and it needs some more water, add it in small amounts until dough is the right consistency.
- Cover the bowl with a cloth napkin and let the dough rest for about an hour.
- Preheat a griddle or large frying pan on medium-high heat.
- Pinch off a golf-ball sized piece of masa harina and form it into a ball by rolling it in a circular motion in the palm of your hand.
- Put the masa ball in between two pieces of plastic wrap, parchment or wax paper and flatten it using the tortilla press.
- Gently remove the flattened masa from the plastic wrap and cook on the hot griddle for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on how hot the surface of the griddle is. You want the tortilla to have beautiful brown marks.
- Flip the tortilla over and cook on the other side for 30 seconds to about 1 minute. The tortilla may start to puff up in the middle, That's okay!
- Remove the tortilla and place it between a cloth napkin or a tortilla warmer to keep it warm.
- Repeat steps 5-9 until all the dough is gone.
A simple tally of masa harina, salt, and water reveals nothing about the fundamental chemical transformation occurring during hydration. Nixtamalization, the traditional Mesoamerican process where field corn is cooked and soaked in an alkaline solution containing lime or wood ash, alters the maize at a molecular level by breaking down hemicellulose, releasing niacin, and making the corn malleable enough to form cohesive dough without the presence of gluten proteins. Without this alkaline cooking step, raw corn meal cannot bind into a workable flatbread. When hot water hits the masa harina, gelatinization begins immediately as starches absorb the moisture and swell, creating a pliable dough that holds its shape under pressure.
Achieving the correct hydration requires careful attention to tactile cues because ambient humidity dictates exact water absorption rates. The mixed dough must feel springy and firm like Play-Doh, rather than cracking at the edges or sticking to the palms. Resting the dough ball covered with a damp cloth for sixty minutes allows moisture to distribute evenly through every starch granule, preventing structural failure during pressing. When flattening the portioned golf-ball sized rounds between sheets of plastic wrap, apply steady, even pressure on the tortilla press to produce a uniform thickness of roughly two millimeters. Cooking the raw disk on a preheated medium-high griddle for thirty to sixty seconds per side triggers rapid steam expansion inside the masa layers, which frequently causes the flatbread to puff and ensures a soft interior encased by light char marks.
Because these flatbreads contain zero chemical preservatives, stack finished tortillas directly inside an insulated cloth napkin or a dedicated tortilla warmer immediately upon removal from the heat source to trap ambient steam and maintain flexibility. Storing leftover cooked portions in an airtight plastic bag inside the refrigerator for up to five days preserves usability, provided they are reheated on a hot dry skillet before serving to restore suppleness.
