WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Fresh corn tortillas have a lightly sweet flavor and a soft, springy texture unmatched by store-bought kinds. We rested the dough for 5 minutes before pressing the tortillas to ensure that the masa was fully hydrated. Vegetable oil, although nontraditional, made the dough soft, pliable, and easy to work with. Be sure to use masa harina or Maseca Brand Instant Masa Corn Flour.
Makes about 12 (6-inch) tortillas
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups (8 ounces) masa harina
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1¼ cups warm tap water, plus extra as needed
INSTRUCTIONS
- Mix masa, 1 teaspoon oil, and salt together in medium bowl, then fold in water with rubber spatula. Using your hands, knead mixture in bowl, adding additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed, until dough is soft and tacky but not sticky, and has texture of Play-Doh. Cover dough with damp dish towel and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Cut sides of 1-quart zipper-lock bag, leaving bottom seam intact. Line large plate with 2 damp dish towels. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces (1½ ounces each); keep covered. Working with 1 piece at a time, roll into ball, place on 1 side of zipper-lock bag, and fold other side over top. Press dough flat into 6½-inch-wide tortilla (about 1/16 inch thick) using tortilla press or pie plate; leave tortilla between plastic until skillet is hot.
- Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Using paper towel, wipe out skillet, leaving thin film of oil on bottom. Remove plastic on top of tortilla, flip tortilla onto your palm, then remove plastic on bottom and lay tortilla in skillet. Cook tortilla, without moving it, until it moves freely when pan is shaken and has shrunken slightly in size, about 45 seconds.
- Flip tortilla over and cook until edges curl and bottom is spotty brown, about 1 minute. Flip tortilla back over and continue to cook until first side is spotty brown and puffs up in center, 30 to 60 seconds. Lay toasted tortilla between damp dish towels. Repeat with remaining dough. (Tortillas can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.)
