Nothing better...homemade corn tortillas...simply delicious!

Most of us would agree that homemade is usually better than anything you could buy in the store right? That also goes for corn tortillas. Sound too difficult to tackle on your own? That's just what I thought, until I saw a corn tortilla mix in the grocery store several years ago and decided to be adventurous. As far as ingredients go, it couldn't be simpler. Do you have water? How about a hot pan, griddle or skillet? Of course you do, now all you need is the corn tortilla flour called Masa or a mix. I've used both, either way you can't go wrong.

My favorite is the Masa flour that Bob's Red Mill sells, but any corn tortilla mix will work. Make sure you check your labels for gluten. I haven't seen any that contain gluten, but you can't be too careful. Some of the mixes are infused with lime, this adds a wonderful flavor, but not an overwhelming lime flavor. This hint of lime is a perfect pairing with the corn flour of the tortilla.

So, you have your tortilla ingredients and you are ready to go. Mix the tortillas according to the package instructions. Once you have made them a few times and get used to the consistency you are looking for, you can forgo the measuring and just mix them up. You are not looking for an overly wet dough, but you also don't want it dry either. If it's too wet, your dough will stick to everything and not be easy to work with at all. Too dry and your tortillas will just fall apart when you go to press them.

Pressing tortillas does not require any special equipment. I happen to have a tortilla press that I purchased on line. Many retailers sell them and they are not overly expensive, but are not required to make great tortillas. You can make tortillas with just your hands, waxed paper and two cutting boards of similar size. When I make tortillas, my goal is to make them about six inches in diameter. I will admit though, that they are often smaller than that when I'm just getting going. Especially if it's been a while since I have made them and I'm not remembering how much dough is needed to make the perfect sized tortilla. My kids happen to like the smaller ones, so nothing is wasted!

Now that you have your dough mixed and your equipment ready, it's time to get your pan heating. I like to use a griddle, even an electric griddle will work well. No oil or fat is needed on the griddle, just turn your burner on medium to medium high. Too hot and your tortillas will burn before they are cooked through. If you don't get the pan hot enough, the tortillas will dry out before they are cooked. So play with it a bit and adjust your burner accordingly.

Now the fun begins! Take a small ball of dough in your hand, about the size of a small apple. Roll it in your hands to shape it into a ball. Place it on a sheet of waxed paper on one of your cutting boards, or just on the counter top if you don't have an extra. Put a sheet of waxed paper on top of the dough and top that with the cutting board. Now press evenly in the center of the dough to press it flat. One tip is to take the two cutting boards and place them both on the floor with the dough between them. Then you can stand or kneel onto the cutting board to get them good and flat. I have found that either technique gives you the same result. Incidentally, a tortilla press gives you similar results, but I have found that the tortillas are more evenly pressed with the cutting board technique.

If you press your tortillas as you cook them and don't get too far ahead of your cooking, the dough will stay pretty moist. The tortillas will dry out if you press them all out before you start cooking. That is not to say you can't do it that way, you will just want to place a moistened paper towel over the tortillas that are waiting for their turn on the griddle. Also, if you are making a large amount of tortillas, you may want to cover the bowl of dough with a moistened paper towel to keep it moist while you work.

One thing to keep in mind, these tortillas are not going to be as thin as the store bought variety. They will be thicker, heartier and more filling. My family doesn't eat nearly as many homemade tortillas as they do store bought, though they do request them more often. If you have any leftover tortillas, which I rarely do by the way, you can store them in a zipper bag in the refrigerator. They will keep for several days. To use, simply reheat them in the microwave or on a skillet. I have found that if I do reheat them on the stove, I need to add a little oil to the pan. Not much, just enough to make the pan shine.

These tortillas work wonderfully in enchilada recipes, though are not as easy to wrap as commercially made ones, you can layer like lasagna to make a casserole quick and easily. I typically don't roll my enchiladas anyway, too much work and this busy mom is all about making things easy on myself when I can get away with it!

So, do you need an idea for what to serve with these wonderful tortillas you have just made? Check out my blog on pulled pork tacos. It's the perfect dinner and the perfect way to show off your new tortilla making skills! Don't stop with pulled pork tacos though, see what you can come up with and let me know what you create with your homemade tortillas, we can all use a few more ideas up or sleeves for those days when we just don't know what to make!