Hey Senorita - make your own corn tortilla!

This week I have been cooking a lot.  and not just the easy 30 minute dinners. 
real stuff.  probably because baby dumpling in my belly is hungry.

For some reason I decided to try my hand at making my own corn tortillas.

  

They are a great g-free option and the store bought ones are always rubbery and yuck.  

Despite my inexperienced and inadequate hands they turned out very tasty 

- not real pretty, but very tasty.  

I took pictures along the way in case you'd like to try your hand at it.

  

The cool thing about making things like this is the sense of connection you feel to women from the past.  I could imagine myself in a hut somewhere 300 years ago mixing the cornmeal with water to form one of the most basic doughs ever.  (of course I didn't have to grow the corn, or grind it up to make the flour, or haul the water from a well or stream... ;)

Here's what you'll need:

2 cups Corn Masa Flour

1 1/3 cups warm water (maybe more)

cast iron skillet or electric griddle

wax paper/rolling pin - or tortilla press

2 damp kitchen towels

Step 1: Mix the water and Masa together.  It should form a nice ball of dough - if it's too dry add some more water by the Tablespoon.

Step 2: Form 12 balls of dough and cover with a damp kitchen towel.

Step 3: Go ahead and heat up your skillet or griddle to medium heat.

Take one ball and place it between two sheets of wax paper.

Roll it out into a circle using the rolling pin - unless you are a master at this it won't be a perfect circle, but don't worry about that. 

Gently peel it off the wax paper and place it on a place.  

Cover it with the other damp kitchen towel.

Repeat with the remaining dough balls.

Step 4:  Do not put any oil or butter in the skillet!

Gently lay one tortilla onto the dry skillet and let it sit for about 20-30 seconds.  I used a rubber spatula for this part because my tortillas kept cracking as a laid them onto the skillet - so I just patted them back together again with the spatula, it worked great.  When one side is about done, you'll notice steam seeping from the edges of the tortilla, this means it's time to flip it.  Let it sit on the other side for the same amount of time.  They won't be brown, but they will look cooked.

Then you're ready to turn them into something delicious like...

the Pioneer Woman's Enchiladas.

Yum.

Happy tortilla making!

xoxo

jessica