Corn Tortillas
also called tortillas de maíz · tortilla taquera
Three ways to read this recipe
The table
| 1 lb(450 g; dent or cacahuazintle)dried field corn | bring to a boil | simmer 20 min, then steep 8 hr | drain, rub off the hulls | grind to a smooth stiff masa | knead | press into 5-in rounds and cook on a dry comal 1 min per side |
| 2 qt(2 L)water | ||||||
| 2 tsp(4.5 g; slaked lime, 1% of the corn's weight)cal | ||||||
| 1 tsp(5 g)fine sea salt | ||||||
| 1/4 cup(60 mL)warm water | ||||||
What to lay out
Everything the recipe asks for, sitting under the step that eats it. Tick each one as you measure it.6 things to get out.
Pans and tools
1bring to a boil
4grind to a smooth stiff masa
goes in with what step 3 made
5knead
goes in with what step 4 made
Cooking it
Tap a step when it is done; the next one lights up.
The clock
- Start to finish
- at least 8 hr 21 mintwo waits that overlap count once
- Needs you
- 1 minof the steps that give a time
4 of the 6 steps never say how long they take, so both numbers are floors. Nothing here says whether you can walk away, so all 1 min of it is counted as time you are standing over it. The recipe itself says 12 hr.
bring to a boil
not timedfrom the start
simmer 20 min, then steep 8 hr
8 hr 20 minwalk away(read off the step)from the start
drain, rub off the hulls
not timed8 hr 20 min in
grind to a smooth stiff masa
not timed8 hr 20 min in
knead
not timed8 hr 20 min in
press into 5-in rounds and cook on a dry comal 1 min per side
1 minneeds you(assumed)8 hr 20 min in
- needs you
- you can walk away
- never timed
Drawn to scale, so a long wait really does take up the room it takes. The shortest stretches keep a sliver so they stay visible; their times are printed beside them. The minutes are always the recipe’s own; a dashed edge means we worked out from the step whether you have to be there, and a dotted one means nothing was said, so we assumed you are standing over it.
You'll need comal
Goes with
See how it is written
>> title: Corn Tortillas
>> category: Flatbreads & Pancakes
>> tags: corn, masa, mexican, griddle, vegan
>> counters: Taquería, Panadería
>> aka: tortillas de maíz, tortilla taquera
>> servings: 24
>> time: 12 hr
>> step.2: simmer 20 min, then steep 8 hr
>> step.3: drain, rub off the hulls
Bring @dried field corn{1%lb}(450 g; dent or cacahuazintle), @water{2%qt}(2 L), and @cal{2%tsp}(4.5 g; slaked lime, 1% of the corn's weight) to a boil.
Simmer @&(~1)corn{} ~{20%min}, then steep off the heat ~{8%hr}.
Drain @&(~1)nixtamal{} and rub off the loosened hulls under running water.
Grind @&(~1)nixtamal{} to a smooth stiff masa with @fine sea salt{1%tsp}(5 g).
Knead @&(~1)masa{} with @warm water{1/4%cup}(60 mL).
Press @&(~1)masa{} into 5-in rounds and cook on a dry #comal{} ~{1%min} per side.