The ideal homemade tortillas recipe are an art and science. It is essential to find the ideal ratio in the ratio of water to masa in order to make the perfect dough, and then applying the correct amount of pressure on the tortilla press will require a lot of trial and trial. “Homemade tortillas taste much better than the store-bought ones. It’s worth the work,” says Rodrigo Zuloaga co-founder of SOMOS Foods, a food company that was founded in the year 2003 by three friends from Mexico who were looking to bring Mexican flavors from their kitchens back to the supermarket shelves across the U.S.
Rodrigo learned how to create tortillas with his chef, Emilia. He enjoys the flavor of the corn tortillas that are frequent within Guadalajara, Jalisco, where Rodrigo was born and raised. (Flour tortillas are typically located in the Northern Mexican States.) Whatever kind of tortillas you’d like to make at your home, Rodrigo says patience is the most important ingredient to achieving success. Finding the right equipment as well as locating the best masa, and making your method perfect will require time and perhaps some practice.
To help you get on the right path (or to boost your tortilla-making skills) We requested Rodrigo to give us his top tips and tricks to make one of the best tortillas in your home.
Find your Masa Just Right
If we inquired with Rodrigo what are the most common errors individuals make when making homemade tortillas recipe, he suggested it’s making masa (or dough) too moist or dry. Get your inner Goldilocks as you’ll have to create the masa to be just right. “The masa is of the right consistency when it doesn’t stick to your fingers,” says Rodrigo. After mixing let the masa rest for 10 minutes prior to making your tortillas into shapes and pressing them.
Do not roll your Masa before you get it Masa
In order to prepare the tortillas and bake them, you’ll have to roll them one by one. Making the masa ahead of time results in a dry dough that will break upon pressing it. Make your masa into a small-sized ball then press it into a hockey puck. When you’ve pressed your tortilla, measure how large the diameter is. If it’s not enough you can roll a larger ball to make the next. Too large? Useless.
Use Your Hands (or a Tortilla Press)
“If there are no tortilla presses at your home, you can make it the same thing that has been practiced over generations with only your fingers,” says Rodrigo. It is important to get your hands prior to handling masa. Roll the masa into your hands, spreading thin. “As it expands to the palm of your hand, you’ll begin to tear by flipping it from one hand, as if you’re clapping, changing the position of your hands in order to rotate the tortilla every time you sound.” This is a technique that you’ve witnessed at your local restaurant or tortilla. Making tortillas using your hands requires patience, so don’t get dismayed if you can’t succeed the first time around.
Prepare Your Tortilla Until the Color Alters
You can make your own tortillas using a frying pan or in a comal which is a circular cast iron griddle that can be set on the stovetop. Flip the tortilla as the color changes of the masa. If it doesn’t stick and expands, it’s time to be removed from the cooking surface and served.
Keep a Few Tortillas to play with
Rodrigo’s favorite method to make tortillas is to create vegan tacos (SOMOS’s assortment of taco kits makes it easy) He also likes to keep some dip in the salsa on the side, particularly when he cooks tortillas the traditional way. “When I prepare tortillas using my hands instead of using a press I love to snack on them for a snack. It’s great with SOMOS’ Peacadillo in Salsa Verde or Mexican Peccadillo.” The brand also offers four different flavors of salsa available in its line of products that make great dippers.
Find the right tools
We requested Rodrigo to share his top tortilla equipment and ingredients. Here are the essentials for making at homemade tortillas recipe as a professional.
