Make Your Own Tortillas Without a Tortillas Press

The ingredient list on most tortillas isn't pretty and I've been on a quest to remove processed foods from my diets.  I read quite a few books that pointed out the health benefits of nixtamalization and how the discovery of nixtamalization coincided with the rise of the Mayan and Aztec civilizations and I put it on my list of things I should try, but from what I read it didn't seem like a very simple process.  Then I discovered I could buy corn flour that was already nixtamalized.  Perfect!  Granted the likelihood is that the corn used is GMO corn-- you can never win. :(  


Anyway I bought a bag of Maseca, which you probably can find at most Mexican grocers, but I was lucky to find it at Central Market, the fancy shmancy grocery store that not only is wonderful, but is close to my home.  Once you have nixtamalized corn flour making tortillas becomes as simple as adding salt and water to create a dough.  Rolling out the tortillas and frying it in a pan with butter, like a pancake.  It took a bit of practice in getting them rolled out correctly and onto the frying pan without breaking, but once I did they take a couple minutes per tortillas and they taste delicious!  


Recipe - (Makes 4 taco sized tortillas)
1 cup Maseca
2/3 cup of water
1/2tsp - 1 tsp of salt (depending on preference)
1-2 tbsp of butter (depending on preference)

• Mix Maseca, salt and water into a dough ball
• Split dough into 4 balls
• Roll dough between two pieces of wax paper, or silicone baking sheet, or silicone baking sheet and waxed paper (If I was cool I would have a tortilla press and then it would make the tortillas the perfect shape, but I don't and it is kind of cool to have the organically formed shape)
• Warm skillet to med heat
• Put butter on skillet
• Use spatula to move dough to skillet
• Wait until golden (about 1 min)
• Flip like a pancake
• Wait until golden
• Fill with yummy stuff and eat