Perfect Corn Tortillas

[SNewman004]

I've been making basic corn tortillas with masa, water, and salt. I give them a little kneading after the dough is formed. I double press them on the tortilla press and through them on the flattop grill. Sometimes they puff, sometimes they don't. Is this puff necessary to the texture? I've noticed a slight difference. What can I do about the grill temperature, water content, etc to make sure they come out perfect? Thanks!

[Chris Hennes]

I assume by "masa" you mean "masa harina"? I typically find that the puffing is most useful as an indicator that you've got everything right, I don't know that it is itself a critical factor. The puffing happens when you've got the hydration and griddle temperature right for the thickness of the tortilla you are making.

[pastrygirl]

1 hour ago, Chris Hennes said:

The puffing happens when you've got the hydration and griddle temperature right for the thickness of the tortilla you are making.

 

I believe there is an element of timing as well - flipping the tortilla once the first side is cooked but not cooked through past the middle.

[Chris Hennes]

In my experience, if you've got the hydration and temperature right your tortilla will puff under a very wide range of timings, including timings that I don't think give a very good end result.

[KennethT]

@Chris Hennes and @SNewman004 In my (extremely) limited experience, I agree that hydration and temp are the most important factors.  I've found that kneading the dough isn't necessary, but I think it is necessary to wait like 20-30 minutes to allow the masa flour to absorb all the liquid before trying to form the tortillas.