Homemade Corn Tortillas

    This week has been all about sharing with you some of my favorite Mexican recipes.  But wait, there's more!  Today I'm making homemade corn tortillas.  

    I understand that these can easily be purchased from the store, but I think items like this show the difference between someone who cooks and someone who likes to cook.  This recipe is not complicated.  It's straight off of the bag of Maseca Corn Flour that I purchased.  Not only will making my own tortillas save me money (a $2.99 bag will yield oodles of these delicious patties), but they also smell amazing cooking up, taste good, and don't contain any fillers.  I can't ask for much more.

    First, I purchased a tortilla press.  It's not 100% necessary but it was $12 and made the process go really fast.  It's also super lightweight and small which is pretty much a requirement in my ever-expanding collection of kitchen appliances and paraphernalia.    

    I made two batches of tortillas: one with water, one with beer.  I mixed up the dough in two separate bowls and got to work.  Here is sort of the play-by-play of how this is done with the tortilla press.

Maseca Corn Flour's Homemade Tortilla Recipe
2 cups Masa Flour
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 tsp salt

Combine flour, salt, and water.  Mix thoroughly for about two minutes until dough is combined and soft.  If dough feels dry add more water 1 tablespoon at a time (I had to add 3 extra tablespoons to get a good texture).  Divide dough into 16 equal dough balls.  Line a tortilla press with wax paper or plastic wrap.  Place each ball between plates of press and squeeze until tortillas measures 5-6 inches in diameter.  

Preheat an ungreased griddle or skillet to medium-high heat.  Cook each tortilla, about one minute per side.  Serve warm.

I have yet to see if the beer (Dos Equis to be exact) tortillas taste significantly different from the water ones.  They seem to be slightly thicker and darker.  The real taste test will come Sunday when we try these babies out for some carnitas tacos.  I plan to keep these wrapped in plastic in the fridge and throw them back on a hot skillet until toasty just before serving.  I will be sure to report back the results.  Happy Friday everyone!

*Update: I am shocked to report that I liked the water tortillas better than the beer ones.  Sometimes simple is better. Kevin said he couldn't really tell the difference.  Also storing them and warming them prior to serving was a breeze!