This recipe and process is similar to making regular corn tortillas. The main difference is that some of the water has been substituted with red chile sauce. For an exciting treat, use hot chile and then serve these with a drizzle of honey. So good!
"*"See Kitchen Notes for more information.
Cut off the top of the ziplock just below the locking strip. Open the bag by cutting down both side seams. Open the bag and place one side of the bag on the press.
Place one of the balls of dough on the press and fold the other side of the ziplock over the ball of dough. With your hand, flatten a little bit.
Close the press and press down to flatten the ball, but don't press hard. Open the press and turn the tortilla with plastic 90° and press again, a little firmer this time.
Carefully roll up the top side of the plastic bag. Flip the tortilla over and carefully remove the other side of the bag by rolling from the open end. Flip over onto the palm of your hand.
Flip the tortilla onto the hotter part of the griddle. Let cook for 30 seconds, then flip. Cook for 1 -2 minutes then flip again. The tortilla should start to puff up. If it doesn’t, tap the center gently with the spatula. Once puffed (it doesn’t have to puff much) move onto cooler side of the griddle for another 60 seconds.
Continue adding other tortillas to the griddle. You'll get your timing down to where you can be cooking 3 or more at a time.
Place a paper towel in a tortilla warmer. As the tortillas finish cooking, transfer to the tortilla warmer and cover. The tortillas will continue to steam and soften.
Continue until all of the tortillas are cooked.
Two Burner Griddle - Great for tortillas, pancakes, quesadilla, French toast and many, many more.
Kneading the dough – For those who don’t like to use their hands to mix, use a spatula to initially combine the wet and dry ingredients. However, at some point you’re going to have to jump in there and use your hands. That’s the only way you’ll be able to really get a feel for the dough. Always go for smooth and not sticky or wet. If it’s too wet, just sprinkle in some more masa.
Tortilla Size – With corn tortillas I usually get 8 tortillas, but with the red chile tortillas, I get 10 tortillas. The tortillas do start out being about 6″ in diameter, but shrink to around 5″ while cooking. If you want larger tortillas, buy an 8″ press. Make the dough balls about 2″ in diameter for the larger press.
Doubling the Batch – To make a double batch, increase the masa to 2 cups, the liquid to 1 ½ cups (3/4 cups water and 3/4 cups red chile) and baking powder to 1 tsp., and the salt to ½ teaspoon. A double batch usually doesn't need the full 1 1/2 cups liquid, so I initially work in 1 cup, then add more liquid a little at a time until I get the right consistency.
Masa Harina – There are several brands of Masa Harina, and different brands yield a little difference in texture and color. For tortillas for soft tacos, I use a white corn masa flour like Torti Masa. It is a finer masa than most other brands, yielding a softer, tender, and more moist tortilla. For enchiladas or tostadas, I use brands like Bob’s Red Mill, Meseca or Quakers. These brands yield a little thicker, firmer tortilla that holds up better in enchiladas.
Red Chile Tortillas – Because of the thickness of the red chile, a little more liquid is needed. I usually end up using the full cup. You’ll probably be able to get 8 – 10 tortillas from this size batch.
Red Chile Sauce – The red chile you use can be made from pods or made from powder.
Water – The water you use should be hot water.
Salt – Many tortillas recipes omit the salt all together. I’ve tried that and didn’t enjoy the flavor as much. It didn’t seem to affect the cooking process so the salt is really for taste.
Recipe author: MJ of MJ's Kitchen