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 Post subject: Best way to make tortillas without a press?
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 12:19 pm 
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Joined: Thu Dec 18, 2008 1:03 am
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Location: Portland, OR
Folks,

I wanted to have one try at making my own tortillas before I commit to buying (and, more importantly, storing) a tortilla press. Anyone have a recommend on the best way to make tortillas without? Two cutting boards? Rolling pin? Hands?

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 Post subject: Re: Best way to make tortillas without a press?
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 1:30 pm 
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Location: Near Toronto, Ontario, Canada
I've only ever made them once (flour ones) and used a rolling pin. Was pretty easy, although rolling thinly and evenly is not my forte.


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 Post subject: Re: Best way to make tortillas without a press?
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 2:00 pm 
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Oh, yeah ... should have specified: corn tortillas.

Flour tortillas are normally done with a rolling pin, of course.

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 Post subject: Re: Best way to make tortillas without a press?
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 2:22 pm 
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Location: Northeast Louisiana
If you cut open a ziploc bag, and put the masa between the sheets, you should be able to make do with two cutting boards.

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 Post subject: Re: Best way to make tortillas without a press?
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 6:36 pm 
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I was going to suggest a cutting board on the bottom, and a skillet on the top. You could press down firmly on the centre of the skillet, especially if you use cast iron.

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 Post subject: Re: Best way to make tortillas without a press?
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 7:01 pm 
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I did these with a rolling pin before the press, and it was easy, though it took longer than when I finally got the press. I also did it between heavy plastic like ziplocs, and eventually got it downpat as to the shape to make the balls of dough - oval, and a little less rounded on the part away from me - so that I could roll it into a near circle in one swipe. I also used two thin - about 3/32" - strips of wood (I keep a batch of these, of all different thicknesses) on the counter, to roll them evenly. Fairly easy, but, like a rice cooker, I wondered how I lived w/ o that press when I got it.

When you get a press, beware of many I have seen that make the tortillas too thin. They are not adjustable (at least they weren't back then), and the dough would be so thin it couldn't be peeled from the plastic. Hopefully they've gotten better.

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 Post subject: Re: Best way to make tortillas without a press?
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 8:41 pm 
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Location: Telluride, CO
I love my tortilla press, but I second Dave's concern about making sure the one you buy doesn't press the dough too thin. (Assuming of course you end up getting a press.) I scale my dough so the balls are all of equal size and also have found the perfect technique (for me) in getting perfectly round tortillas of pretty much exactly the same diameter.

Presses are pretty easy to find storage space for...even in your kitchen. You've gotten pretty creative on utilizing space. What's one more culinary necessity?

Amy


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 Post subject: Re: Best way to make tortillas without a press?
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 10:06 pm 
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Amy,

Well, it's only a culinary necessity if I find that homemade tortillas are 200% better than bought ones.

I started with pasta the same way; my first homemade pasta was from a rolling pin. Once I found my own pasta to be really good, I went and bought a power pasta roller.

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 Post subject: Re: Best way to make tortillas without a press?
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 10:16 pm 
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Agreed...I have found that.

Amy


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 Post subject: Re: Best way to make tortillas without a press?
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2012 11:29 pm 
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The Mexican grocers here have such good tortillas, and there is such a turnover, that I almost never make tortillas any more, unless I want them for guajillos, or something else I have to seal up. However, a friend bought some at a walmart before coming to one dinner, and they were definitely lower quality - thicker, dryer, and almost like they were made with a different corn.

As for making them myself, when I used to do that was about the only time I can think of when I would have ALL 6 of the burners on my range going at once. I always liked Diana Kennedy's method of placing the tortilla in a lower heat pan for about 15 sec., when it would sort of float around on a cushion of steam, then flip it into a hotter pan, cook about 30 sec., or until slightly speckled, then flip it in the same pan, and the tortilla, ideally, would puff up (something you never get, even with good store bought). I would have the one medium heat pan, and 5 hot pans. A friend and I would have a contest, and he would press out the dough, and I would cook, and we would turn out a large number in no time! Doing it in just one pan takes WAY too long.

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