Homemade Soft Mexican Tortillas (college, live, stores)

[rctsat]

More important than the mix is your cooking procedure. You really should use a cast iron skillet or comal for the best results. As someone mentioned previously you want a drop of water to skittle across the surface before you start to cook. I wipe a little shortening (manteca) on with a paper towel to test, if it smokes a lot then it's too hot, move it off the burner for a minute or two. When it's the right temperature then put the tortilla on for just a minute, when it just starts getting some little brown spots on the bottom flip it over and cook it on this side until you get some big brown eyes, my mother used to call them. Then flip it back to the side you started with take your spatula or I use my trusty paper towel and push down on it slightly and give it a quarter turn about every 20 or 30 seconds it should start to puff when it does leave it alone make sure it's not burning on the bottom and wait until it goes back down on it's own. If the temp is right it should work, just keep an eye on the bottom to make sure it's not going from brown to black.
Make sure your not using too much manteca I use 1/4 cup for 2 cups of flour (Pioneer El Viejo) and only about 1/2 of baking powder sometimes no baking powder one tsp of salt and about 2/3 cup of fairly warm water not too, too hot. Cover and let rest then make your little balls by pinching them off and folding under the torn off edges, you want it to be smooth on top then flatten slightly in your hands. I find the tortillas come out best are when I make the masa the night before and just let it sit covered,(I just turn the mixing bowl over it on the counter or cutting board) then make the balls and cook them in the morning.
Just as a test I have left the masa some in a baggie out for 4 or 5 days on the counter and it actually gets better, after too many days though got so soft I had to add more flour before I could roll them out, I think I may have made the first "sourdough tortillas" they were interesting. For that expirement I used milk instead of water, canned milk gives them a wonderful flavor. Good luck, have fun

[ranchodrive]

Originally Posted by rctsat

More important than the mix is your cooking procedure. You really should use a cast iron skillet or comal for the best results. As someone mentioned previously you want a drop of water to skittle across the surface before you start to cook. I wipe a little shortening (manteca) on with a paper towel to test, if it smokes a lot then it's too hot, move it off the burner for a minute or two. When it's the right temperature then put the tortilla on for just a minute, when it just starts getting some little brown spots on the bottom flip it over and cook it on this side until you get some big brown eyes, my mother used to call them. Then flip it back to the side you started with take your spatula or I use my trusty paper towel and push down on it slightly and give it a quarter turn about every 20 or 30 seconds it should start to puff when it does leave it alone make sure it's not burning on the bottom and wait until it goes back down on it's own. If the temp is right it should work, just keep an eye on the bottom to make sure it's not going from brown to black.
Make sure your not using too much manteca I use 1/4 cup for 2 cups of flour (Pioneer El Viejo) and only about 1/2 of baking powder sometimes no baking powder one tsp of salt and about 2/3 cup of fairly warm water not too, too hot. Cover and let rest then make your little balls by pinching them off and folding under the torn off edges, you want it to be smooth on top then flatten slightly in your hands. I find the tortillas come out best are when I make the masa the night before and just let it sit covered,(I just turn the mixing bowl over it on the counter or cutting board) then make the balls and cook them in the morning.
Just as a test I have left the masa some in a baggie out for 4 or 5 days on the counter and it actually gets better, after too many days though got so soft I had to add more flour before I could roll them out, I think I may have made the first "sourdough tortillas" they were interesting. For that expirement I used milk instead of water, canned milk gives them a wonderful flavor. Good luck, have fun

Thank You !
One more thing.....when you put all the ingredients in the bowl....how
long do you knead the dough before you let it rest ?

I'm not giving up until I get it right...my wife thinks I'm nuts...but then
she has never tasted good home made tortillas like you described.
I did... when I was a kid in Laredo.

[Chaka]

This is why I live in San Antonio, I can buy freshly made tortillas every day a few steps away


But I feel your pain. I've lived in places with no tortillas and had to make my own and they never come out just right. My grandmother was a lousy cook, but she made incredible tortillas (and menudo and tamales).

[Torpedos]

You guys making wanna get some good butter and slap it onto a tortilla. or some good cheese too.....

[carlitasway]

Originally Posted by Chaka

This is why I live in San Antonio, I can buy freshly made tortillas every day a few steps away


But I feel your pain. I've lived in places with no tortillas and had to make my own and they never come out just right. My grandmother was a lousy cook, but she made incredible tortillas (and menudo and tamales).

Mmmmm, menudo and tamales.......

[dpantle]

OK, it's officially lunchtime!!

[Lodestar 77]

Originally Posted by rctsat

More important than the mix is your cooking procedure. You really should use a cast iron skillet or comal for the best results. As someone mentioned previously you want a drop of water to skittle across the surface before you start to cook. I wipe a little shortening (manteca) on with a paper towel to test, if it smokes a lot then it's too hot, move it off the burner for a minute or two. When it's the right temperature then put the tortilla on for just a minute, when it just starts getting some little brown spots on the bottom flip it over and cook it on this side until you get some big brown eyes, my mother used to call them. Then flip it back to the side you started with take your spatula or I use my trusty paper towel and push down on it slightly and give it a quarter turn about every 20 or 30 seconds it should start to puff when it does leave it alone make sure it's not burning on the bottom and wait until it goes back down on it's own. If the temp is right it should work, just keep an eye on the bottom to make sure it's not going from brown to black.
Make sure your not using too much manteca I use 1/4 cup for 2 cups of flour (Pioneer El Viejo) and only about 1/2 of baking powder sometimes no baking powder one tsp of salt and about 2/3 cup of fairly warm water not too, too hot. Cover and let rest then make your little balls by pinching them off and folding under the torn off edges, you want it to be smooth on top then flatten slightly in your hands. I find the tortillas come out best are when I make the masa the night before and just let it sit covered,(I just turn the mixing bowl over it on the counter or cutting board) then make the balls and cook them in the morning.
Just as a test I have left the masa some in a baggie out for 4 or 5 days on the counter and it actually gets better, after too many days though got so soft I had to add more flour before I could roll them out, I think I may have made the first "sourdough tortillas" they were interesting. For that expirement I used milk instead of water, canned milk gives them a wonderful flavor. Good luck, have fun

I had NO IDEA the work that goes into making tortillas! I give all of you who make them, whether you are satisfied with the outcome or not, a lot of credit. I have got to get out more and try tortillas at the many Mexican food restaurants here in Texas, San Antonio in particular. BTW, yours sound "to die for". If there is ever a get together of C-D posters from the SA forum, I bet you could make a fortune selling your homemade tortillas. I know I would buy some!

[ranchodrive]

I would still like to know how much " time " is required
to knead the mixture until it becomes dough ?
I got the part about covering the dough with a damp towel
& letting it rest. Some suggest 15 minutes & some 30 minutes
while others say overnight.
The reason I ask this , is that even if I follow the instructions
on the exact amount of ingredients...they still come out hard.
Is it the amount time spent in kneading the dough ?
Or maybe in the way they are spread out with the
rolling pin ? Some suggested canola oil with milk instead of
warm water..but though they are soft...they taste like
bisquits .I recall my mother using old fashioned Pioneer
flour,baking powder,salt & lard. I just don't remember how
much time she spent kneading. Thanks.

[Merovee]

Follow the recipe regarding time required to knead.

When rolling them out be sure it is thin enough that you can kind of see light passing through them.

Follow the advice already given about medium heat, yours might be too low.

You ideally want them to begin bubbling up as your cue to flip right before they are done.

Add butter to the first one and eat it plain.

[Hedgehog_Mom]

Kneading too long can make dough tough. The idea of kneading yeast bread dough is that the wheat glutens form chains that give the bread its texture, but you don't want to make tortillas with the texture of bread.

I knead with the mixer so I can't give you an idea of time (about 1 min 30 seconds in the KA mixer) but my dough is done when it looks smooth and is not sticky.