Fresh Handmade Corn Tortillas

This past weekend, I took a cooking class at Sur la Table to learn to make street tacos. In the class, we learned how to make homemade tortillas, al pastor, cilantro and shrimp, and rajas tacos. The class did not disappoint, so here I present fresh handmade corn tortillas.

Fresh Handmade Corn Tortillas

Ingredients

1.5 cups masa harina (see Note 1)

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

2 tbsp butter or vegetable oil

1 cup hot water

How to Make It

1. Place masa and salt in a bowl, add butter. Mix with hands. Slowly add water while mixing with hands until dough comes together into a ball. Knead until smooth. Divide dough into 12 portions and form into a smooth ball. Place balls on a baking sheet, cover with plastic, and rest for 30 minutes.
2. After dough has rested, heat a large skillet over medium heat.
3. Place dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and place into center of tortilla press. Press down firmly until tortilla is evenly 1/8 inch thick.
4. Transfer tortilla to hot skillet. Cook tortilla until brown spots appear on the bottom, about 1 minute. Flip and repeat. Transfer tortilla to a baking sheet and cover with a dampened towel to trap in the heat. Repeat for remaining dough balls until 12 tortillas have been made.
5. When ready to serve, reheat the tortillas, wrapped with foil, in the oven at 350°F for 10 minutes. Tortillas can also be stored in plastic in the refrigerator for 2 days.

Note 1: Masa harina can be found at most grocery stores. I get mine from Ralphs.