A friend taught me how to make tortillas from corn masa using a tortilla press. The tortillas you make this way are rather small - 5-6" - but they taste very fresh.

Her "secret" is to use plastic from a recyclable grocery store bag (just the unprinted part) to make two squares larger than the press. The masa will not stick to it.

She also advised to add water only until the dough just forms a ball.

There are two schools of thought on fresh tortillas - thick or thin. She learned from her MIL who grew up in Mexico (of European Jewish descent, however) to make them thin. I like them a bit thicker so they cook until they get air bubbles that brown on the griddle. The thin ones have to be eaten that day. The thicker ones lasted for several days in the refrigerator.

The link below has wonderful directions and photos. I used their recipe which includes a little oil which made a better tortilla IMHO.

Kari

Here is a link that might be useful: Tortilla directions

Lars, most Mexican communities have tortillerias that make fresh tortillas every day but I'm sure they cannot compete with the big corporations that can produce them so cheaply in large central locations and then distribute. These places will sell the masa for making tamales, tortillas and many also have Mexican delis and bakeries that sell out every day. It's sad that even Anglo bakeries don't always have same day bread or goods, many just bake the bread but don't prepare the dough. Be thankful your tortillas don't come from China. They will soon enough. I don't make my own any longer but in our area there is a Tia Rosa brand that seems fresher than most. I haven't made a note of where they are made but I think they come from a bigger city than ours.

Lars, It is impossible to find fresh made corn tortillas around here so I make my own. And now that I have a good tortilla press and a tortilla warmer (Thanks to Gina) I have been making them more often.

According to Rick Bayless, the dough should be almost sticky. The more water you add the more tender the tortilla will be. He also bakes the tortilla over two different heats. I tried his method last time and my corn tortillas were the best I have made. I heated a double griddle, one side medium and the other side medium high. The tortilla is placed on the medium side for about 15 to 20 seconds and then flipped over and placed on the hot side for about 30 to 40 seconds. When it starts to get little brown spots it is flipped over again. If the tortilla is "perfect" it will puff up almost immediately. If it doesn't puff, either the dough was too dry or it was over cooked. They will still taste good even if they don't puff but they won't be as tender.

Ann

The brand currently in my fridge is Pinata and they are made by Don Miguel Foods. Interestingly enough, the label on the package says Anaheim, CA but according to the financial statement their processing plant is in Dallas, not Anaheim. I usually buy these or Mission.

I tried to make my own once and they didn't turn out well at all. Maybe I'll give it a go again with the link that KAri posted.

Alexa

Here is a link that might be useful: Don Miguel Foods/Pinata Tortillas

I make my own tortillas and use an electric Revel Tortilla Maker/Baker, although I started rolling them with a rolling pin and baking them on a griddle (I'm a pathetic gadget-lover). I like to make them so I can control what size they are and the ingredients in them.

The Tortilla Maker/Baker flattens the dough balls and bakes the tortilla. If I make them when hubby is around, he likes to take over the task.

We make a bunch and freeze them. I use the make-in-a-bag method outlined in the following recipe for all the tortilla recipes I use. This is a good recipe for kids.

Native American Tortillas In A Bag
(source: Kansas Wheat Commission - Recipes 2001)

1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour*
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 T. shortening
1/2 c. hot water

In a large self-locking plastic bag, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Close bag and shake to mix. Add shortening and work into flour until fine particles form. Add the hot water and knead the dough in the bag until it forms a ball.

Remove dough from bag and place on a lightly floured work surface; knead 15 strokes. Divide into six equal pieces; shape into balls. Cover; let rest 15 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece as thin as possible. Roll from the center out, turning several times to form an 8-inch circle.

Heat an ungreased griddle or skillet over medium heat. Cook until the surface begins to bubble and the underside is speckled golden-brown, about 15-20 seconds. Cook other side. Stack tortillas under a cloth as they are done and serve warm. Makes 6 tortillas.

*Variations: Use 1/2 c. corn meal and 1 c. all-purpose flour, or use 3/4 c. whole wheat flour and 3/4 c. all-purpose flour.

Nutrition: One tortilla provides 150 calories, 4.5 g total fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 230 mg sodium, 24 g total carbohydrate, .5 g dietary fiber, 3 g protein.

[Grainlady note: I use different types of flour, including spelt and rye. Tortillas are a good place to use up extra freshly milled flour I might have on hand. I also add 1-2 T. flaxmeal to the recipe to increase nutrition and fiber. I also use coconut oil instead of shortening. I try to avoid trans fatty acids.]

WHEAT AND SESAME TORTILLAS
(source: Natural Meals in Minutes by Rita Bingham)

2 c. whole wheat flour (or all-purpose or combination)
3 T. dry milk powder
1/3 c. sesame seeds
2 T. butter or applesauce (for fat-free version)
1/2 t. salt
2 T. yogurt (I use homemade kefir)
1/2 c. lukewarm water

Combine dry ingredients. Use hand or electric beaters to cut in butter or applesauce until mixture resembles fine crumb. Slowly pour in water and yogurt, mixing lightly with a fork. On a floured board, knead dough until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Shape into a ball, cover and let stand for 10 minutes.

Divide and shape dough into 8 balls. Cover, remove one ball at a time and roll paper-thin on floured board. Place on heavy, hot, ungreased skillet, over medium-high heat. Blisters should appear right away. Brown on one side and turn. Cook about 30 seconds. Makes eight 9-inch tortillas.

Cal. 255, Fat 5.2g, Carb. 38g, Fbr. 4g, Pro. 16g

Here is a link that might be useful: Revel Tortilla Maker

Alexa, check out this link too. It is a short video of Rick Bayless making corn tortillas. What is nice about working with masa is that it is very forgiving. You can continue to add water if you find your dough too dry or you can correct a wet dough by adding more. He says to let the dough rest for 30 minutes. But I've found other instructions in Mexican cookbooks that say Masa dough doesn't have to sit and can be used immediately. I've try it both ways and haven't noticed a difference.

Rick Bayless - Corn Tortilla Video. If you follow his instructions you will have the perfect tender corn tortilla.

Ann

Thanks Ann

I just retrieved my tortilla press from the yard sale box and will give this a try soon.

I think the problem I had last time (besides not having a clue what I was doing) was that the recipe called for blue corn masa with a substitution of half blue corm meal and half white masa. The mix turned out the consistency of wet sand. I will try it again with plain masa harina and see how that goes. Either way, I will post with my results!

Thanks again for the info!

Alexa

I buy Pepito brand flour tortillas here in MD. I think they are more flexible(tender) than most of the ones we have tried. I buy a pack of 20 small ones and a 10 pack of the larger ones- and we go thru them all in a week! I would love to find/ make ones as tender as the ones at chipotle grill. I am on a little hunt for a press to make my own but haven't found one yet. Sue

I'm really surprized your tortillas are coming from TX! There are lots of brands here in northern CA and most are from CA. Our local brand is Mi Rancho. (But I'm not sure where the flour tortillas come from.) They make a wonderful thick corn tortilla that is worth looking for. And my local farmers market has someone who sells delicious fresh tortillas and tamales. Making your own is the best but I rarely do, you'll eat more! Norm doesn't like corn tortillas, only flour. And since those are less healthy I end up buying both kinds instead of making them.

Okay my secret is now out..
Mine come from the dollar store..
They are as fresh as any "store" packaged..and for $1.00 for 10 taco size..it's a fabu deal!

But I love handmade from TJ's or Costco.

Lars, this summer, I've been interested in Mexican/Latino cuisine and just bought a book by Rick Bayless that I'm really enjoying - Authentic Mexican 20th Anniversary Ed: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico. Just enough history with a full spectrum of the cuisine, mixed with up to date ways of doing things.

I've already made chicken tamales from the book and have earmarked many other things to try. Also made his tomatilla sauce with tomatillas from my garden - my first attempt at growing these. I did improvise and make another batch of tamales with blue corn meal a friend brought from San Antonio. Not the same as masa, but I mixed it with masa and the tamales came out great. Not sure how that translates to tortillas.

But I've not made tortillas yet and want to. I've been looking at tortilla presses and wonder if there's a "best one" to buy. Any recommendations?

As a side note, the September issue of Gourmet just arrived and it's a collector edition devoted to Latino cooking in America. Really enticing articles and photos, including tortillas!

p.s. Just went to the Gourmet web site, and they have featured a review of 18 tortillas!

Femmelady, I can recommend the tortilla press that I bought. I had one years ago and tossed it because it wasn't heavy enough. The new one is cast iron with

Tortilla Press

Once you get the dough down "pat" so to speak, corn tortillas are very easy to make. I bake a whole batch and keep them warm in the tortilla warmer that Gina gave me in the last swap. Once the tortillas are cooked I finish making dinner. They stay really hot for more than an hour.

Terri I can't believe you can get handmade tortillas at your Costco. Sure can't get them at our Canadian costco. Just the package kind.

Yep, Ann they have them in the giant Mission brand packages and then a smaller package in the bread section that is "handmade". But it could be because the Costco is in an area with a very large Mexican Migrant Farmer population.

I buy from my local mexican store. Fresh tortillas and bolillos!

Bolillos are my new favorite bread. I get 5 for $1!! Great for making sandwiches.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolillo

Yeah... count me as a fan of bolillos. Short little chewy loafs of bread that make great sandwich bread. As noted they are cheap so if you ain't tried some you are missing out on good bread for no reason.

Flour tortillas. I was buying a mix out of the flour section in grocery store. For whatever reason they stopped stocking it. Suppose I'll have to learn to mix them up myself. Not that big a fan of corn tortillas. I do use plenty of corn tortilla chips so I could probably deep fry a few.

I was taught to use a dry iron frying pan to cook my tortillas. Works great!

Tortillas always remind me of Tuna. Tuna loved fresh tortillas and would cry at me while they were cooking. I hope there is a tortilla stand on the other side of that rainbow bridge.

: )
michael

Michael, I just had a conversation with my young intern, whose father is a minister. I told him that I thought heaven was whatever you wanted it to be. He told me that "the streets were paved with gold". I told him that I didn't care about gold, my heaven had green pastures and my dog was waiting for me. He thinks I'm a bit odd, but I think if your hereafter has Tuna and tortilla stands, then there is.

As for tortillas, we have a big migrant population and can get fresh tortillas at a couple of local hispanic restaurants and even at the local Save A Lot. I still make my own, sometimes, and I roll them by hand. I had a tortilla press that didn't get them thin enough for my taste, so I always rolled them anyway.

Like Michael and Norm, I like the flour tortillas best, I'm not so keen on the corn tortillas. I've never had a bolillo, I'm adding that to my list of things to try!

Lars, for some reason I thought you could get nearly any ethnic food locally there where you were. I'll bet you can, but you probably have to look for it.

Annie

Thanks Ann. That looks like exactly what I'm looking for. Great pictures too, as always. You're a gem!

The Rick Bayless video is very similar to how I learned how to make corn tortillas except he uses two heats on a large grill. My friend just used high heat on a smaller grill. It was also nonstick so you don't have to cook them with oil on the grill. The tortillas puffs up and gets browned spots.

I use a tortilla press just like the one on the video web site (from Sur La Table) and a warming container. By the way, the salsa maker on that site is almost identical to the Salsa Express manual food chopper that I've been loving. It chops everything for salsa but also does chopped onions, celery, carrots, peppers, you name it.

I read Rick Bayless's book a while ago but didn't even know what masa was or where to get it! It was great to learn how to make something that is faster than take-out food using ingredients in your pantry. The bag of masa I bought is lasting a long time because a little goes a long way

Enjoy!

Kari

I used to buy the fresh ones in Downtown Santa Ana, Ca. The city is almost all hispanic. I don't get down there these days. They were absolutely delicious. Serve them hot with butter and salsa wrapped up in the middle. YUM!

Oops! I seem to have forgotten that I started this thread, but the responses have been very helpful. I think I will definitely to go El Camaguey and buy a tortilla press, although I don't think it has a stainless steel surface like Ann's, which would be nice. I do keep dry masa on hand, but I also keep fresh masa in the freezer - for making what I thought were empanadas, but which are probably quesadillas, at least as they are made in Mexico, and deep fried.

As for flour tortillas, since I've found the whole grain tortillas in the market, I probably won't be making too many of those again, although I might want to experiment with some of the whole grain flours I have. I don't especially like tortillas made with all white flour, and corn tortillas are my favorite.

When I first visited Vancouver for a long visit (1978 or so), I was shocked that I could not find fresh corn tortillas in the grocery stores (I did find frozen ones, but did not consider that acceptable). At that time, I practically lived on soft tacos (that I made myself, often with tofu), and so I had to make an adjustment. I think I bought some whole wheat crackers instead.

I think I will try to find some Hispanic markets, although there aren't any in my immediate neighborhood. There are some in neighboring Mar Vista (where Scott lives), which is less than 2 miles from here. There are several places to buy fresh tamales, but they don't sell tortillas. Anyway, I think I will keep looking and also get the tortilla press.

Lars

Ann t I'll have to get one of those stainless steel tortilla presses. I have one that cooks them also but I don't need that, it slows the process down, plus a part of the handle has already broken. If cooking on two griddles is impractical, and I think it is, one griddle is sufficient. Use medium hot griddle, no grease. Drop freshly rolled tortilla and in 1-2 seconds when little bubbles appear turn it over, then wait until it has golden bubbles on the bottom side and turn one more time to finish cooking. This is when the torilla will puff up and gives it more flexibility. This works with both corn and flour. If they do not puff up it's probably the flour dough is too dense, didn't rest before rolling, was too cooked before the first turn or griddle was too hot or not hot enough. You can also use a folded kitchen towel to gently press down on the unpuffed spots to speed up cooking but watch for escaping steam. Use a thin spatula until you master using your fingers to turn. I also use a small rolling pin about 1 1/2 inches thick, one made from standard wooden closet rod, unused of course, works well for ease of rolling out flour tortillas into a nice round shape. My mom taught me this method when I was 4 or 5 and I haven't been able to improve on it. Unfortunately, I've gotten lazy and rarely make fresh unless I have extra eaters around who can appreciate them.

Ive been checking the packages in the grocery stores for tortillas, and all of them contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. I am really trying to stay away from that item; does anyone know of store brand tortillas that dont contain that?