Basic Corn Tortilla Dough
Masa para TortillasThis recipe details how to prepare dough to make corn tortillas from dried corn flour called masa harina. The dough is also used to make a number of masa-based snacks, such as sopes, gorditas, and chalupas. (See Appetizers and Snacks chapter.)If there is a tortilla factory near your home, you can buy prepared wet masa instead of making your own dough. Either way, the dough will work very well. (You don't have to worry about overworking masa dough because there's no gluten that can toughen as there is in wheat flour doughs.)
Ingredients
Makes about 1 pound masa dough for 12 (6-inch) tortillas
- 2 cups masa harina flour for corn tortillas
- 1 ⅓ cups warm water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix the masa, water, and salt together with your hands until combined.
- Knead the dough very well until moist and smooth, but not sticky, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- If the dough is at all crumbly or seems too dry, moisten hands with water, and knead some more.
- If the dough sticks to your hands, add masa harina, 1 tablespoon at a time, to achieve a moist, smooth dough.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rest about 20 minutes before using, or refrigerate for up to 3 days, or wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.