The BEST Corn Tortillas
Once you make these, you might not ever buy corn tortillas again. Seriously!
I know I’m not the only Celiac in the world who’s had some major difficulties with corn, because, over the years, I’ve met so many autoimmune-challenged individuals who’ve expressed their confusion with corn. From stomach aches, facial swelling, sinus swelling, and constipation, to heartburn. It’s just corn, so why all the reactions after eating it? Once so many of us got over the harsh reality of realizing that we just couldn’t tolerate eating corn anymore, we decided to live a life of spending lots of money for those delicious Siete chips, cassava chips specifically. I don’t know about you, but I’ve fallen in love with the Vinegar & Salt, the Dairy-free Queso, the Churro Strips, and the Lime. Siete Foods created a worldwide phenomenon with their corn-less, light, crispy, tasty tortilla chips, and I’ll be forever grateful for the substitutes they provided.
So now, you might be asking. “Where’s she going with this?” Well, I’m sharing my newfound love for corn. Lol, what? You see, my Friends, I’ve found a corn flour so wonderful, that I have ZERO reactions. I’ve just purchased my fourth (2lb) bag, (yeah….eighth pound), and not so much as a sneeze has happened. It’s not a new product, it’s just that I was so physically traumatized by the after-effects of anything corn, that I just lived my life as if it didn’t exist. It’s a wonder that I found a corn flour I took an interest in. What piqued my interest in reuniting with corn? Last spring, I read an Instagram post from Weston Price. They posted about their recipe for corn tortillas, using nixtamalized masa harina, which is corn flour that’s traditionally treated with lime (calcium hydroxide). Corn gets cooked, dried, and ground to produce the flour (resulting in the masa harina), the type of flour used to make tortillas in Mexico and Central America. I found out that King Arthur makes an ORGANIC, finely ground white corn flour, which of course, got me all curious, so I bought some. I made the Weston Price recipe, which was very nice, but I needed more flavor and softness to get the corn tortilla satisfaction I’ve lived without, for over ten years. I revamped my Nana Lupe’s recipe from childhood and got those torts to taste perfect!
Are you wondering why this corn flour hasn’t yet tortured me with any excruciating heartburn or swollen sinuses? I don’t have a solid answer, but I think it could be because the flour is organic (no glyphosate). Also, I’m making my tortillas with organic, grass-fed beef tallow (you can swap tallow with coconut oil or avocado oil), and this moisturizing fat could help with preventing a dry tortilla going down my hatch. I’m just so pleased with the results, since they’re soft and pliable, yet strong. You’ll be able to make impressive tacos, loaded tostadas, and flavorful tortilla chips!
Alrighty Friends, my recipe is down below. I use a cast iron tortilla press, but don’t worry if you don’t have one. You can easily roll out the torts (between wax/parchment paper, even a zip lock bag cut in half), and with a rolling pin. I hope you’ll try making these, sometime soon. I’m really looking forward to your feedback. Do not hesitate to connect with me if you have any questions!
Thank you so much for reading!
~Lori
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Makes: 8 balls = large tortillas / 12 balls = medium tortillas / 16 balls = small street size tortillas (as pictured)
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Ingredients
300g (3 cups) of corn flour (I use this one)
420g (2 cups) of warm water
3 tablespoons of oil (I use beef tallow, but you can also use olive oil, lard, coconut oil, or avocado oil)
1 teaspoon of baking powder (optional)
1 teaspoon of garlic powder (optional)
½ teaspoon of sea salt
YOU WILL ALSO NEED: two pieces of wax paper or parchment paper to press out your tortilla. I use two individual 8x8 inch pieces. One for top and bottom.
Instructions
Use your clean hands to mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
Divide dough into the desired amount of balls. Keep dough balls moist by covering them with a kitchen towel.
Warm up a cast iron griddle or cast iron skillet over medium heat.
Using tortilla press: Place one piece of cut paper on top of your tortilla press. Arrange the dough ball in the center. Place the other piece of paper on top. Lower down the heavy lid on top. Press the lever down on the lid, flattening the dough. Peel tortilla from the paper. Transfer the uncooked tortilla to the hot skillet/griddle. Cook each tortilla, for about 2 minutes on each side. Keep tortillas warm by covering with kitchen towel or placing them in tortilla warmer.
Using a rolling pin and cutting board: Place one piece of cut paper on cutting board. Arrange dough ball in the center. Place the other piece of paper on top. With the rolling pin, roll out over the dough ball, until you have the size of tortilla you want. Peel the tortilla from the paper. Transfer the uncooked tortilla to the hot skillet/griddle. Cook each tortilla, for about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer cooked tortillas to a plate and keep warm by covering with kitchen towel, or place them in tortilla warmer.
Tips
USE your tortillas to make tacos, quesadillas, tostadas, nacho chips, tortilla soup, etc…
IF you actually do have any leftovers you can store them in an air-tight container for 2-3 days on kitchen counter, or freeze the dough balls for up to 3 months. Wrap individual dough balls in saran or parchment paper, storing in a large freezer bag. Defrost and press out when needed.
WHEN making these during the summer put prepared, rolled-out dough balls in the refrigerator to chill for about 15 minutes. This will harden the oil a bit, helping to prevent dough from sticking to the paper, thus making it easier for you to press out the dough balls.
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