As with, well, everything, food made from scratch at home is almost always superior to the store-bought kind. Homemade corn tortillasare no exception.Astoundingly simple to make (yet a little tricky to master), these flat rounds of scrumptiousness are superior in every way to what's commercially available. For one thing, you control the amount and quality of the ingredients. For another, tortilla dough (along with the finished product) is so much better fresh. As you learn this process of tortilla-making, you'll almost certainly encounter the bugbear of all taco enthusiasts: cracking. While there are many reasons why tortillas crack, the home cook wishing to prevent it needs only remember two things: maintaining proper moisture and temperature.Simply put, the tortilla dough should be room temperature (or ideally warmed by a recent knead), and never allowed to dry out.
Here are the down-and-dirty rules for preventing tortillas from cracking: Make sure the dough is at room temperature. Keep it moist at all times but not sticky (experts say it should have the smooth, pliant consistency of Play-Doh). Cover the bowl of unrolled dough balls with a damp towel and have a bowl of water handy to moisten your hands when rolling. Now that you know the hows of preventing cracked tortillas, let's get into why it even happens in the first place.
So, what do moisture and temperature have to do with cracked tortillas? The temperature part is pretty simple. If you've made your tortilla dough earlier in the day and are storing it in the fridge, the cold dough will be drier and stiffer — two surefire issues that will lead to cracking. Even non-glutinous doughs get stretchier as they warm. Proper temperature also matters in another way, at least if you're frying the tortillas. If your oil is too hot, the outside will cook more rapidly than the inside, creating a hard exterior that will inevitably rupture and crack.
Dry tortillas crack and break. Hydrated ones don't. Therefore, maintaining propermoisture applies to cooked tortillas as much as it does uncooked — at least with respect to keeping them fresh. Covering cooked tortillas in a wet paper towel and wrapping tightly in aluminum foil will preserve them for a day or two (although honestly, these guys are meant to be enjoyed immediately).Using a ceramic tortilla warmer or steaming them before serving will keep them pliable. Once you get the hang of keeping your tortilla dough the right temperature and moisture, making them at home will become second nature.
Here are the down-and-dirty rules for preventing tortillas from cracking: Make sure the dough is at room temperature.Keep it moist at all times but not sticky (experts say it should have the smooth, pliant consistency of Play-Doh).
If your oil is too hot, the outside will cook more rapidly than the inside, creating a hard exterior that will inevitably rupture and crack. Dry tortillas crack and break. Hydrated ones don't.
If your squished masa doesn't crack at the edges, then its properly hydrated. If it does crack, keep adding water little by little until it passes the test.
You can prevent cracked tortillas by pressing a test tortilla before you roll the rest of the dough into balls. If your test tortilla is indeed cracked (read: dry), simply add more water a tablespoon at a time, testing between each addition until the dough produces tortillas with smooth, even edges.
You want a hot pan on high enough heat that the tortillas cook quickly. The longer they are in the pan, the more they will dry out, making dry and brittle tortillas. The last tip is to stack the hot tortillas on a plate after cooking and keep them covered with a cloth towel to steam while they cool.
Baking powder: Baking powder acts as a leavener, giving the tortillas a slightly pillowy texture. Salt: Salt enhances the overall flavor of the flour tortillas. Lard: Lard, a common baking ingredient in Mexican cuisine, adds flavor and helps create the perfect flour tortilla texture.
The dough's texture should feel springy and firm, similar to Play-Doh. If the dough feels too wet and is sticking to your hands, add in a few extra tablespoons of flour. If it feels too dry and crackly, add in an extra tablespoon or two of hot water.
If you over knead it, you might run the risk of it becoming gummy. Get the pan hot– When you start to cook of your tortillas, make sure your pan is heated. When you place your tortilla down you'll want to hear it sizzle right away.
You need ample moisture that can react with the heat in order for it to ultimately convert to steam and puff. If your masa has too little moisture, the tortilla in development will dry out before it can ever puff. A proper mixing/kneading process is critical to ensuring well-distributed and even moisture.
The traditional way, use a hot skillet to heat corn tortillas they taste better when the skillet is drizzled with some cooking oil. Please heat them n a skillet, or directly over a low fire in your stove. Never, please never, heat them in a microwave oven! The tortillas will get get soggy and taste awful!
You don't have to worry about overworking masa for tamales the same way you would with wheat flour, but you still don't want to overdo it. Wheat flour is easy to overwork because wheat gluten will activate and create a gummy, sticky texture.
Maseca is the mass-produced form of masa harina from Mexican multinational masa flour and tortilla manufacturing company, Gruma, which was introduced to the Mexican food marketplace in 1949 before launching in the United States in 1977.
We got our's from Winco, but this one is great too. You can cook your tortillas in the afternoon and they are still warm at dinner! To store the tortillas, place a paper towel in a ziploc bag, add the tortillas and place another on top before sealing shut.
Finally, using a large offset spatula, carefully peel each tortilla layer away, placing on parchment paper to cool. Either use tortillas right away or refrigerate in the original plastic wrapper with parchment between each tortilla to prevent sticking.
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