| Author | Post |
|---|
dhughes
Co-op Coordinator
|
Posted: Wed Oct 5th, 2005 02:49 pm |
|
Hi,
I have a question about making corn tortillas.
I LOVE my tortilla maker and my family LOVES the flour tortillas. 
I would like to make corn ones from time to time and when I tried it(without using an actual recipe mind you) they did NOT turn out. Stuck to the tortilla maker 
Does anyone have a good recipe? And the 'how to make them' part as well? I would be grateful. I looked in the cookbook from B'beckers and was surprised there wasn't one in there.. any idea why not?
Thanks for your help!
IN HIM, Dawn Hughes<><
|
Tina White
Co-op Coordinator
|
Posted: Sat Jul 15th, 2006 10:00 pm |
|
That's a tough one. I remember making these back when I first got my tortilla maker. That was years ago. I left some regular wheat and began adding cornmeal to the mix a little at a time. I think I ended up modifying the BB recipe to 1/2 wheat flour and 1/2 corn flour.
I'm sorry if that's not much help, but maybe it will give you some ideas to play around with.
|
Gigmaster
Member
|
Posted: Tue Feb 20th, 2007 12:53 am |
|
To make corn tortillas, you need a tortilla press (available at Bread Beckers), White or Yellow corn, water and Slaked Lime, known chemically as Calcium Hydroxide. I get mine from http://www.sciencelab.com/search.php?q=calcium+hydroxide. It is cheap and lasts forever.
First, you have to make Nixtamal, which is the slaked lime/corn mixture used to make the dough.
4 quarts water
2 qts. dried corn
5 tblsps. slaked lime
1. Mix Lime and Water in a NON-REACTIVE (this is important) pot, preferably enamel or stainless steel. Place pot on high heat and stir until all the lime is disolved.
2. Add corn and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. If you're making nixtamal for masa to make tortillas with, then boil for a few minutes and allow to soak overnight. If making for tamales, boil for 15 minutes and let soak for a few hours. If making for pozole, boil 15 minutes, then let it soak for another 15 miniutes.
3. After soaking, rinse corn completely in a collander to remove all traces of the lime, then gently rub the kernals to remove the softened hulls.
4. Once cleaned, the nixtamal can be ground into masa for tortillas, tamales or simmered for hominey or pozole. For tortillas, allow it to dry before running thorugh an electric grinder, or you can use a hand mill such as a Corona, and grind it immedeatly.
To make tortillas.
1 lb. fresh masa
1 to 1-1/2 cups water
1 tsp salt
1. Work water and salt into the freshly ground masa to make a smooth medium-soft dough. It should not be too sticky. Knead it for 3-5 minutes until a good consistency is obtained.
2. Heat a flat grill or iron skillet over high heat, or plug in the electric tortilla press. If using an electric press, follow the manufacturers directions for cooking tortillas. Otherwise, pull off a golf-ball sized piece of dough and place it between 2 pieces of wax paper. Roll out thin with a roller or use tortilla press. Peel the paper off both sides (if the dough is the righ consistency, the paper will peel easily. If not, the dough is too wet. If the tortilla cracks at the edge, the dough is too dry).
2. Place tortilla on the ungreased grill or hot skillet and cook until the edges start to dry (about 30 seconds). Flip and cook for another 30 seconds. Flip again and cook until blisters begin to form, then flip once more and cook until blisters form on that side.
3. Place in a tortilla basket wrapped in towels, or between 2 heavy plates. Repeat for the rest of the tortillas.
Enjoy!!!!!!!!!
If I can be of any further assistance, please let me know.
Last edited on Tue Jan 29th, 2008 12:11 pm by Gigmaster
|
Stembridge Family
Member
|
Posted: Fri Aug 10th, 2007 10:04 pm |
|
Does the tortilli maker just press the, into the flat surface for cooking, or does the one from BB cook it also?
Thanks for the clear instructions... you should make an instructional video!
|
Gigmaster
Member
|
Posted: Sat Aug 11th, 2007 04:15 am |
|
| The electric ones cook them.
|
kellrae
Member
| Joined: | Wed Dec 5th, 2007 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 6 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Sat Dec 8th, 2007 02:04 pm |
|
A couple of questions-
Isn't pickling lime the same as slaked lime (because I have that already!)?
Also, Could you do this with popcorn? (I have that already, too!!)
|
Gigmaster
Member
|
Posted: Sat Dec 8th, 2007 09:27 pm |
|
No. Slaked lime is Calcium Hydroxide. It is different than pickling lime. Popcorn may work. I've never tried it, but I don't see why it wouild'nt work.
Good Luck.
|
denise rogers
Moderator
| Joined: | Thu Jul 19th, 2007 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 9 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Fri Dec 14th, 2007 06:56 pm |
|
Sue has mentioned that even she has not had great success with corn tortillas. The primary issue is the corn flour; authentic corn tortillas are made with cooked cornmeal (called mesa, I think) and we are trying to use our fresh milled corn flour. While our fresh corn meal makes the most delicious corn bread, it is difficult to get a corn tortilla that won't crack and stick.
|
kellrae
Member
| Joined: | Wed Dec 5th, 2007 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 6 |
| Status: |
Offline
|
|
Posted: Fri Dec 14th, 2007 07:36 pm |
|
| Any recipes for corn tortillas with cooked masa?
|
Gigmaster
Member
|
Posted: Sat Dec 15th, 2007 07:57 pm |
|
kellrae wrote: Any recipes for corn tortillas with cooked masa?
2 cups Masa Harina (available at most grocery stores)
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/8 cup water (or just enough to form a smooth ball)
Mix Masa and salt in a mixing bowl. Add water a little at a time, and mix until a smooth ball can be formed.
Separate into 16 small balls. Allow dough to rest for 10 miniuutes.
Follow the directions on your tortilla press to press and cook.
Bon Apetite!
|
Gigmaster
Member
|
Posted: Sun Jan 6th, 2008 03:11 am |
|
denise rogers wrote: Sue has mentioned that even she has not had great success with corn tortillas. The primary issue is the corn flour; authentic corn tortillas are made with cooked cornmeal (called mesa, I think) and we are trying to use our fresh milled corn flour. While our fresh corn meal makes the most delicious corn bread, it is difficult to get a corn tortilla that won't crack and stick.
Corn tortillas are not made from ground corn, but ground hominey, called nixtamel, or Masa Harina. You will need to cook your corn in Slaked Lime (Calcium Hydroxide), rinse it, remove the hulls, dry it and then grind it to get flour to make corn tortillas from. Or you can just buy a bag of Masa Harina at most grocery stores.
Question: Is there any way the Bread Beckers could get dried Hominey, for such use?
Bon Apetit.
|
Gigmaster
Member
|
Posted: Mon Jan 28th, 2008 06:32 am |
|
Good news everybody. I have found a supplier in Cleveland, Tn. that carries dried hominey (called pozele). You can simply grind it in your mill, and follow my recipe. It works perfect!
This is a Mexican grocery store. He gets his pozole from Atlanta, so I will find out who the distributor is. He says it is organic. Maybe Bread Beckers can start carrying it.
In the meantime, check out your local Mexican Markets and see if they have dried hominey (pozole).
If you can't find a Mexican Market that carries it near you, you can get dried Amish hominy at this EBay Store very reasonable.
http://search.stores.ebay.com/AMISH-ALLEY_hominy_W0QQfcdZ2QQfciZ10QQfclZ4QQfromZR10QQfsnZAMISHQ20ALLEYQQfsooZ2QQfsopZ2QQfsubZ4QQsaselZ86417718QQsofpZ0
I am cooking tortillas as we speak. Gotta go grab another one.......
Bon apetit!
Last edited on Tue Jan 29th, 2008 12:09 pm by Gigmaster
|
Gigmaster
Member
|
Posted: Mon Jan 28th, 2008 06:46 am |
|
kellrae wrote: A couple of questions-
Isn't pickling lime the same as slaked lime (because I have that already!)?
Also, Could you do this with popcorn? (I have that already, too!!)
Please accept my most profuse apologies. I have given you incorrect information
Pickling Lime and Slaked Lime are both Calcium Hydroxide, with one minor difference.
Slaked Lime must be Food Grade to be used for making Nixtamel. Horticultural Lime, found in feed stores, is not purified and may contain lead. Your Pickling Lime will work just fine, as will the popcorn.
Again, I am very sorry for giving you incorrect information before.
Good Luck and Bon apetit!
|
Gigmaster
Member
|
Posted: Mon Jan 28th, 2008 07:33 am |
|
I left out one detail. When using dried hominey, you'll want to either run it through a hand-operated mill, or a coffe grinder, before ruinning it through your electric mill. The kernals are too big to feed, even on the 'course' setting, so you need to break them up a bit first. If nothing else, you can put them in a cloth bag and whack them a bit with a hammer or rolling pin just to bust them in smaller pieces. Let the children do it, so they will feel like they are participating (and work-off some destructive energy at the same time).
It's worth the little extra trouble. You will never want to buy tortillas again, once you taste fresh ones. The difference is like day and night!
Bon Apetit!
|
Current time is 12:31 am | |
|
