Handmade corn tortillas have a pebbly texture and a definitive, earthy corn flavor. You can make corn tortillas yourself with the help of a tortilla press. Impress your friends with your Mexican-cooking, corn-tortilla-making expertise:
Combine 2 cups masa harina and a pinch of salt in a large mixing bowl.
Use a spoon to incorporate the salt into the masa.
Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water while stirring the ingredients.
Stir until the dough becomes slightly sticky and forms a ball when pressed together.
Divide the dough into 12 to 18 pieces.
The number you roll depends on the size you prefer for your tortillas.
Roll each piece into a ball.
Place the balls on a plate covered with a damp cloth towel.
Cut squares of plastic big enough to cover the plates of the tortilla press.
They should be about as thick as a sandwich bag.
Place a ball of dough on the bottom plate.
Flatten the ball slightly with your palm.
Gently close the top plate, then firmly close the handle.
Make sure the handle is fully closed.
Open the press, turn the tortilla 180 degrees, and close the press again.
Make sure the tortilla is pressed evenly.
Open the press and carefully lift off the top plastic, then turn the bare tortilla onto your hand.
Lift off the second sheet of plastic after the tortilla is in your hand.
Repeat the pressing process with each of your masa dough balls, and you’ve just made yourself some homemade corn tortillas.