Patience Is A Virtue When It Comes To Homemade Corn Tortillas

Just like no sandwich is truly great without good bread, no taco is the best it can be without fresh corn tortillas. There are plenty of foods where the fresh version is superior, but even within that framework, fresh corn tortillas blow the prepackaged stuff out of the water. Where many store-bought tortillas are gummy, easily tear, lack flavor, and are loaded with preservatives, fresh tortillas have a heavenly, distinct corn flavor that adds to your taco instead of just acting as a transit system for fillings. Yet despite the simple ingredients of classic corn tortillas – water, masa harina, and salt — they are tricky to make, requiring practice to get a feel for the perfect texture and timing. And, one problem you'll probably face in the learning process is that tortillas are too sticky to handle. But that can be solved with just a little patience.

Kneading your masa when you first add water may result in you finding it wet in your hand, which can tempt you to hold off on the water next time. But not so fast. Masa harina, a type of corn flour, takes longer to hydrate than wheat, which means that even though you've already added your liquid, the water takes time to actually be absorbed into the corn granules. This gives your masa the appearance of being too sticky, even though it's not. Instead, you need to wait. Give it time as you knead the masa, and then let it rest afterward.

Kneading your masa helps hydrate the dough by aerating it and forcing the water and corn together. It can take 5-10 minutes of kneading before your masa is ready, so don't rush to start pressing it into tortillas. During that process, it should go from wet and sticky to smooth and pliable. The big thing you don't want is for your masa to crack from being too dry. When you press down on a ball of your kneaded masa, it should have a texture similar to Play-Doh. If your masa is dry and cracking, add only a tablespoon or two of water at a time so you don't over-hydrate it by accident. If it stays too wet, do the same with a little masa harina. But with each addition, know that you'll need several minutes more to see the texture change.

Once your masa is kneaded and at the proper texture, you need to let it rest so it can continue evenly hydrating; 20-30 minutes covered in a bowl should be enough for your masa to fully absorb the water and be ready to press. If you nailed the hydration, they should stay perfectly shaped when they cook and end up soft and tender. Make one taco recipe with a perfect homemade corn tortilla and you'll agree they're worth the wait.