I know Cinco de Mayo was yesterday, but I eat tortillas all the time. I’m also going to be honest, tortillas are really, really easy to make. I have seen about one hundred recipes that make them harder than they need to be, but I’m not going to. I used to think tortillas would take time, and effort and would just be so tricky, but I was mercifully incorrect! Tortillas are a simple, delicious food that can be made from scratch in about 5 minutes. They make any dinner/lunch/breakfast taste way better, and they are super cheap. In honor of Cinco de Mayo, here is my recipe for easy corn tortillas, so you can enjoy them all year round.
Ingredients:
1 Cup corn flour. I used Maseca Masa because it’s easy to find and it’s relatively inexpensive. This is just a dry flour, not a fancy masa mix.
1/2 Cup water.
Pinch of salt.
Parchment paper.
1 Teaspoon olive oil.
Directions:
Mix corn flour, water and salt in a large bowl. I like to start with the proportions listed above, then add more water as necessary. For the best tortillas, you’ll want a slightly sticky dough that easily forms into balls. I combine everything with a wooden spoon.
Roll a handful sized scoop of dough into a rough ball shape.
Place the ball between two pieces of parchment paper. I like to give it an initial smoosh here to start the circular shape I’m going for. Roll the dough with a rolling pin or wine bottle.
Though you’re trying for a circular shape, a perfect circle is not going to happen. Don’t worry, the unevenness gives your tortillas character.
You should roll your tortilla to about 1/8 inch in thickness. Anything thinner will be hard to get off the parchment paper, but thicker will take too long to cook (and won’t be very much like a tortilla).
Heat up a tiny amount of olive oil in a skillet. I like to cook with a very hot skillet for these, because I prefer a very brown tortilla (borderline carcinogenic). If you have more refined taste buds, by all means go medium heat.
Cook your tortilla, about 2 minutes per side (closer to 1 minute if you’re me). Make sure to get a handle on the whole thing before you flip it, they are easy to break!
After the first tortilla I don’t use any oil – my cast iron skillet can handle the tortilla process well without it.
Enjoy! Let your tortillas cool and top them however you want. I make mine with chorizo and eggs (especially as a Cinco de Mayo treat). You can do black beans, grilled meat, fish tacos, or even cut them up and broil them with some extra salt for chips.
What’s your favorite use for homemade tortillas? Let us know in the comments below!
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