I would love to try a meal prepared by Magdalena in her outdoor kitchen. How wonderful!

Honestly, although it's much, much easier with the press, which I recommend getting, making corn tortillas from masa harina is very easy. Making flour tortillas, which you need to roll out very thin, seems like more of a pain. The biggest difficulty is getting the dough to the right moisture level so that they hold together properly, but even that's not really that hard - it should be smooth but not sticky.

Here's the trick to make it easy: line the press by cutting a large ziploc bag into two rounds of plastic. Put one down, put the ball of dough on top, put down the next, press. Then just peel off the top sheet, flip it over and carefully peel off the bottom. I wipe the rounds of plastic clean when I'm done and reuse them.

I would love to see some recommendations for presses. I'm having a difficult time deciding between an aluminum and cast iron press.

Thanks!

My grandmother has been making tortillas for as long as I can remember, usually flour. She uses lard or manteca as we call it, and would roll them out by hand with a rolling pin. She would always separate some of the masa for my cousin and I to play with/make our own tortillas with. My cousins grandmother (huge mexican family here) would separate the rolled out tortillas with sheets of plastic wrap and layer them in the fridge or freeze them so we could just take them out/fire up the comal and have a fresh tortilla.

Go with the Lard - much better. I use the press and then roll them out a little thinner.

The one thing you need to make tortillas---is a grandmother who knows how to make tortillas :)

Fresh tortillas are worth the extra effort, they are so much tastier than the store bought! We found our press at a local Mexican market for about $25 and because we eat so much Mexican food, it's worth both the cost and the real estate it takes up in the kitchen. (It is one uni-tasker I can't part with.)

For about 8-10 corn tortillas, we use 160g of corn flour to 200g of warm water (make sure it's warm!) and a pinch of salt. Mix together with hands for 5 min., roll into a ball and cover with plastic wrap and wait at least 10 min. Along with Emily's suggestion above about zip lock bags for the press, we use freezer paper - we could never get the plastic to work for us. And make sure the comal or cooking surface is hot (~400F). Then I do 20-30 sec. on each side twice. Place in plastic bag when done cooking and let them steam for a couple minutes.

I haven't been successful with flour tortillas yet. I think it's because we didn't roll them out, we just tried to press them.

Handmade would be wonderful but I don't have the time, nor the skill to do them justice. I use this one which has worked well for me. Plus, I have better control over the thickness of the tortillas. I usually make only 6inch tortillas, but I also can go larger with this press. Also, cast iron is usually preferred, at least by Rick Bayless. I also recommend getting a warm tortilla keeper.

I find corn tortillas quite easy and fun to make, especially when you have a press (I have the Norpro Cast Aluminum one, which I bought on Amazon for $15 and would recommend). They take just a minute or so to cook and soften up nicely when you stack them inside a damp towel. Now that I make them homemade though, I will say this: I am a huevos rancheros addict. I could eat that dish every.single.day.

On the other hand, I find making Indian chapati (which is simply whole wheat flour, water, and salt--and maybe a spoonful of oil or ghee) MUCH more difficult. I've been trying for years to get them as soft, thin, and supple as the ones I've had in India, and will probably be trying for years to come. But I now own an iron tawa (the traditional sloped pan, similar to the one in that video) and have learned to roll my dough very thin (rolling out from the center and turning the dough at quarter intervals). I've heard it's also important to leave the center a teeny bit thicker, and to hold them over a open flame at the very end of cooking to get them to puff up like pita bread. It was only the other that I finally accomplished this feat on my gas stove. Oh, and it also helps when you sprinkle your rolling surface with rice flour rather than wheat--keeps the dough from getting too dry.

I am sure making tortillas from all-purpose is much easier, but I sort like the challenge--and of course the end result. Good luck!

I use the pasta roller attachement on my Kitchen Aid mixer to roll mine. . .

I am a Mexican food-loving American living in Zimbabwe, where Mexican food is a DIY affair for obvious reasons. We make tortillas at least once a week in my house. I've tried lots of recipes (lard, veg shortening, margarine, canola oil; self-rising flour, baking powder and salt, salt only; letting the dough rest in the fridge, on the counter or not at all; etc) and this is my favorite recipe: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/handmade-flour-tortillas.aspx

I use vegetable shortening - the hard stuff used for making pie crust - and usually increases the amount slightly because it makes them easier to work with and keeps them softer in the fridge longer. I use a cast iron pan made for cooking chapatis (the east African version of a tortilla) and the cast iron lid of my Dutch oven on the gas stove. Cast iron works the best. Gas is great for getting the temperature just right - high at first and then turned down once the spots get brown too fast. As soon as they get a few bubbles I flip them; don't wait too long because they get crispy fast, especially if you've gone lean on the fat. To keep them both warm and soft, as soon as one is done I put it in a dish towel-lined glass serving dish that has a lid. Every few tortillas in I flip the stack so that none of them get soggy and the moisture is evenly distributed from the new hot ones to the earlier ones. Oh, and I often use bread flour instead of all purpose flour.

Dont be intimidated, it's actually pretty easy. And once you get the hang of it you'll never go back (I tried to serve my 3 year old store-bought tortillas when we visited the States earlier this year; she thought I was trying to poison her and confidently told me that they were not real tortillas.).

Sorry, forgot one thing - I use boiling water, not warm water, and eye ball the amount which gets adjusted until the dough is the right consistency - anywhere between 2/3 cup and 1+ cup.

In lieu of a tortilla press, you can use a flat bottom pyrex pie dish. Works just as well as a press and it probably easier than rolling out with a rolling pin. I've seen people wine bottles (labels removed) to roll out tortillas. But definitely sandwich the dough between 2 pieces of plastic (I used used the Ziploc freezer bags). Corn tortillas are worth the hassle. However, if you can't get the stuff together to make your own masa, Maseca Masa mix is easy to work with. The flavor of fresh masa is better, but the Maseca ain't too shabby and still better tasting than the packaged tortillas in the supermarkets.

I like making both corn and flour tortillas; I can't say I'm an expert at it, but they usually turn out at least decently!

For flour tortillas, one technique I've found really helpful is to roll out each tortilla in stages. For example, if I ultimately want to make 8" tortillas, I divide the dough and roll each little ball into a 4" circle, then go back to the first one I rolled out. Rolling, resting and rolling again seems to help the dough stay stretched out.

I always refer people to Rick Bayless' recipes for both corn and flour tortillas - his detailed instructions are great. http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/view?recipeID=207

I grew up in Mexico. My nanny always made fresh corn tortillas... and I do now as well. I use a metal press, with a ziploc bag cut open. I also use 2/3 corn flour, 1/3 a.p. flour and some salt, water to achieve the consistency I know I want. The wheat flour makes my tortillas smoother and thinner. The comal (the pan I use to cook them) has to be hot enough that when you put a few drops of water in it they "dance". I cook about a minute on each side, then flip and another minute or so more. If you're doing it right, the tortilla should inflate after the last flip, once it inflates fully it'll then deflate, then it's ready.

I've made flour tortillas several times and they're pretty easy! I usually use white whole wheat flour (prefer the taste). I don't use a press, so theyre a little thick but I like them that way. I've used Bittman's recipe from the Food Matters Cookbook as well as the flour tortilla recipe from Homesick Texan. Both are awesome, easy and don't require weird ingredients. Mmm tortillas! Good luck1

I second the Homesick Texan's flour tortilla recipe. AMAAAZING.

Thanks for posting, Maifarai! I'm moving to Africa next year and the lack of Mexican food in Guinea was making me nervous. Now I don't feel so bad about wanting to buy a tortilla press before we leave!

I always add at least a tablespoon of white vinegar (depends on how many I am making). I find it help to keep the flour tortillas soft. And a cast iron skillet cranked on high for less than a minute a side.

I grew up with handmade flour and corn tortillas as well. Solid shortening works better than liquid in flour tortilla--but I've made wheat flour tortillas with both.I've used whole wheat flour--they aren't the same obviously but they were fine.
Patting out corn tortillas by hand is an art--the masa sticks to your fingers unless you know what you are doing--presses are the way to go with corn--and you need some kind of plastic or wax or other paper so the corn does not stick to itself. I've used aluminum and a mesquite wood one that I bought a long time ago. I don't think it matters--just as long as the press presses the masa evenly and thin enough.

My grandmother showed me how to make nixtamal--the base used for tortillas, tamales, and other foods. One thing the video doesn't mention is that the skin of the corn is removed before they grind the cooked, soaked corn. Also the corn they soak is dried corn--white it superior to yellow. The cooked, soaked corn is the same as hominy--it's very nutritious and creates a complete protein when paired with beans.

For flour tortillas--the dough needs to be kneaded and allowed to rest just like bread dough--the dough should be nice and smooth--although not kneaded as long. Also I don't know how you would use a press for flour tortillas unless you don't mind them being thick. Once the dough has rested you break off 2" or so balls from the dough until all the dough is used. Then roll the balls in your hand, then flatten them, sort of like they are a biscuit--you kind of work them, turning them around and around. Spread flour on the rolling surface--in an area larger than your tortilla will be. Put your flattened ball down and get to rolling. We used a fat dowel--oiled--you can flour it also--for a rolling pin and turned the tortilla as we rolled it out from the center (as someone above mentioned), away from then toward ourselves, then turn--and repeat--until the tortilla is thin--sometimes you need to add more flour to the surface or top of the tortilla. What's fun about this is you can really get a rhythm going.

Roberto's recipe for a corn tortilla with wheat flour added to it--it kind of the texture that many commercial tortilla makers are going for--a softer, more pliable corn tortilla--many of them add dough conditioners like bread manufacturers do. Not trying to diss Roberto--just sayin'.

Message to Baked and anyone else--Corn Flour is not the same as Masa--you can make a flat corn bread out of corn flour or corn meal for that matter--but it's not the same as a tortilla.

I'd say a minute tops for the overall cooking. Overcooking flour tortillas is what makes them hard.
I always roll them out thin and cook them about 20-25 seconds per side on a smoking hot cast iron skillet or comal. I live in Central Mexico where flour tortillas not very good so I have to make my own and they turn out perfect, like flour tortillas from Northwestern Mexico which are the best.

I make my own flour and corn tortillas. For corn I use Maseca, the only massa that is easy to find here in Toronto and my tortilla press. They aren't quite as good as when I pick them up at a mexican market but they are pretty close.

Even easier are flour tortillas. I use Rick Bayless' recipe and they are a HUGE hit with the hubs.

http://www.rickbayless.com/recipe/view?recipeID=207

Both are seriously super easy. They will add about 30 minutes onto any meal but if you make them when you have the time they will keep almost a week in the fridge with just a quick reheat in a skillet they are perfect.

Good Luck!

I make both corn and flour tortillas. For flour tortillas I use just flour and warm water until it makes a kneedable dough. Kneed until smooth and then let sit for 1/2 an hour in a covered bowl to prevent drying. Divide into balls and roll out using quarter turns to desired thickness - the dough should be rested enough to make these paper thin. Dry fry in a skillet/fry pan till brown speckles appear, flip and repeat.

I would love to make corn tortillas but here in the UK I just can't get hold of masa harina anywhere - at least not without paying a fortune to buy it online from an importer.

We have taco night at least once a month in my house, and we're slowly transitioned to making everything from scratch. I have a cast iron tortilla press from amazon that works great for corn tortillas. All you need is that, some salt, masa harina and water. I barely even bother with a recipe- masa, hefty pinch of salt, and enough water to make it hold together in a not sticky ball (go slow- you can always add more water).

As for flour, homesick texan is the way to go- they're so simple, it's unbelievable. Be forewarned, if you want to make whole wheat tortillas, the homesick texan is a good start, but you'll need to add more milk/oil.

I make them by hand (without a press), and I cook them on a comal. My biggest tip is to not overwork the dough so they don't get tough.

@Deerskin Yes you are correct, I mis-typed. I use Masa - not corn flour.

Canola oil is reeeally bad for you. The idea that polyunsaturated cooking oil is good for you is a myth. Most mass-produced polyunsaturated cooking oil is processed with heat and is rancid, bleached and deodorized before it even goes in the bottle. This rancidity and oxidation is terrible for your blood and your body. And even if you somehow were to obtained refrigerated fresh polyunsaturated cooking oil (which is difficult to obtain), the polyunsaturates are so fragile that they would oxidize in your body — likely resulting in disease-causing inflammation. It's no coincidence that the rise of heart disease coincided with the introduction of mass-produced polyunsaturated cooking oils. Saturated fats — contrary to popular belief — are more stable and protect your body from oxidation (and have actually never been proven to cause heart disease). Be healthy... Eat Paleo or Primal.