Making Corn Tortillas? Don't Leave Out This Crucial Step

Light and airy tortillas are (literally) the foundation for burritos, tacos, fajitas, chimichangas, and countless other crowd-pleasing Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes. While the humble wrapping may get lost amongst all the spicy savory flavors generally loaded on top, the ancient flatbread has quite a bit of character of its own, which stems from the specialized flour used to make it. 

That flour, masa harina, is made from specially processed corn kernels and is responsible for the lightly sweet, nutty flavor that tortillas ought to have. In fact, a fresh homemade tortilla is tasty enough that simply pairing it with just about any type of beans, charred veggies, and stewed meat can make for a delicious, hearty snack. 

Executive Chef Miguel Gomez of the Andaz Mayakoba resort on the lush Mexican Caribbean coast, gave us insights on the steps that shouldn't be missed when making tortillas at home. It all comes down to getting the moisture levels right and using the right flour, which is made not from raw corn but from kernels that are washed and cooked using an ancient process.

Considering how basic corn tortillas are, it's crucial to nail the attention to process and proper ingredients. Concerning the latter, Chef Gomez told us, "Using the right flour and taking care of the moisture in the [tortilla] dough are key," when prepping. Not any corn flour will do when it comes to making these iconic flatbreads, and the one you should use for homemade tortillas is nixtamalized corn flour. 

The key difference, he explains, is in how the corn is prepared before it's turned into flour. "[N]ixtamalization is a centuries-old process used in Central America, in which dried kernels are soaked and cooked in water or lime high in alkali. After that, the corn is drained and rinsed to remove the outer covering of the grain and ground to produce a dough that forms the base of numerous food products, including tortillas and tamales." Therefore, look specifically for nixtamalized corn flour for your homemade tortillas. You can easily find masa harina online, or in the international section of most grocery stores.

To get the right moisture level, use a little less than a cup of water for every two cups of flour. Add it in gradually till you have a workable dough that's not too sticky but also doesn't show signs of dry flour. You can add unsalted butter or butter substitutes to make your flatbreads even softer. And, since you're putting in the work, you might as well make a large batch since corn tortillas have a long shelf life.