Flour-Corn Tortillas
We've tried making corn tortillas at home but it's really, really hard. Oh sure, the recipe itself is easy - it's no trouble at all to get a good dough going. The problem, however, is when you try to press them in the tortilla press (which we splurged on when it went on sale at the local Hispanic market). They stick or they crack and on the rare occasion when they don't do either, they wait and do it in the pan. Or on the plate.
Frustrating. I know it can be done, but I think there's a lot of experience behind it. Honestly though, it can be so frustrating that we wind up picking up a batch from the market, like a pack of 36 blue corn tortillas. (Yum, by the way.)
So, when Suzanne over at Chickens in the Road posted about her flour-corn tortillas that fix all of those problems, I knew we had to try them since the gluten in the flour helps keep the tortilla soft and bendable.
Well, it's now our go-to recipe for tortillas. We actually like them a bit better than just plain flour or corn tortillas!
On Friday, I'll post how to make chips, tostadas and taco shells out of these guys - they're fantastic!
And, as with all tortillas, these can be easily frozen and used later. Don't be afraid to make a big batch if you're up to pressing a bunch out. Just toss them into the freezer in a freezer bag for later.
Flour-Corn Tortillas [printable recipe]
Lightly adapted from Suzanne's recipe on Farm Bell Recipes
Makes about 16 taco-sized tortillas
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups masa harina
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tbsp lard
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
Stir together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. With a fork or your fingers, work in the lard until fully incorporated. Add about one cup of water and continue to work the dough. Add only enough water to bring it together into a soft, pliable dough. Cover the bowl and allow it to rest for 20 minutes.
Sprinkle a bit of flour (either one) over the top and knead for a few minutes. If the dough is a bit wet, add more flour. It should not be sticky, but satiny. Turn out onto a floured board and cut into 16 pieces. (Easiest way to do this is divide the dough in half, then each ball in half, continuing until you have 16 little balls.)
Set a cast-iron skillet over high heat. While it heats, begin to press out some tortillas.
If you have a tortilla press: Lay some wax paper, parchment, plastic wrap or a cut-up freezer bag over the plates. Place a little dough ball somewhat off-center towards the hinge, then press. Open the press and carefully peel off the tortilla.
If you don't have a press: Roll out each dough ball on either a floured surface or a silicone sheet until it's quite thin and about 5"-6" / 12 - 15 cm across.
Place the raw tortilla on the hot skillet. Fry each side for about a minute - small brown patches should appear. If not, the skillet's not hot enough or you're not frying long enough.
While the first tortilla cooks, press the next. Don't get ahead on either step - you don't want the raw tortillas to dry out. Place the cooked tortillas on a plate and cover them with a towel or keep them in the oven on Warm.