DOUGH (MASA HARINA)

1. Place cornflour and salt in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add 360 ml / 1½ cups of water and mix well, with a spoon first and then with your hands. Knead for a bit to distribute the moisture evenly, then gather everything into a ball and allow it to rest for 15 minutes under a damp kitchen towel. After the resting time, the dough should be supple and soft, not dry, but not sticky either. If the dough feels too dry, add a tiny bit more water and a bit more flour if too sticky.
3. Divide the dough into 10-14 (depending on how big you want your tortillas) even portions and roll each into a ball. Using scales is the best way to do this, of course.
4. Place the balls in a bowl underneath a damp kitchen towel.

PRESSING

1. To press the dough balls, you will need a piece of foil or greaseproof paper. The best thing to use is a large zipper bag with the zip and bottom cut off and one of the sides split open. You can clean, dry and reuse this bag many times to minimise waste. Otherwise a piece of greaseproof paper also works, not as well as it tends to absorb some of the moisture out of the tortillas and its surface gets a bit crumpled in the process, but it does work. The size of this lining material depends on the size of your press – you don’t want it to get caught in the hinges, but equally, you don’t want it too small as the dough will spill out – I use a piece that when folded in the middle gives me a 19 cm / 7.5″ square.
2. TORTILLA PRESS
   Line the tortilla press with your plastic or paper lining, place a dough ball a little off centre – closer to the main hinge than to the handle, put the second layer of your lining material down, close the press and the gently press down. You may want to rotate the tortilla 180 degrees, to ensure that it is evenly pressed as usually the part close to the handle gets a little flatter.
3. NO TORTILLA PRESS
   Place a dough ball in the middle of the two layers of foil or paper and gently squash it with a heavy skillet or pan. Then use a rolling pin, through the lining material, to gently roll it out thinner if needed. Apply very delicate, even pressure with the rolling pin for best results.

COOKING

1. Have your tortilla warmer handy or prepare a contraption for keeping your tortillas warm and supple. A clean kitchen towel to wrap cooked tortillas in and something to lock the warmth in is what’s needed – a small insulated cool bag, a dutch oven with a lid lined with bubble wrap etc., get creative.
2. Heat up a comal or a heavy cast iron pan / skillet on a medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes.
3. Once the pan is hot, grab the first tortilla together with the lining foil / paper. Peel one layer of the lining foil off and place the tortilla flat in the palm of your hand, then peel the other side of the lining material off very slowly and gently.
4. Lower your tortilla holding hand into the pan, flip your hand and allow the tortilla to fall flat onto the pan’s surface.
5. Leave the tortilla undisturbed for about 60 seconds so that the bottom side gets sealed – do that even if your tortilla doesn’t quite land flat, it will be easier to take it off the pan cleanly.
6. While your first tortilla is cooking, press another one and have it ready to place in the pan as soon as the first one is done.
7. After 60 seconds, slide a spatula underneath the tortilla and flip it. Press it down with the spatula for a few seconds, at this point you may or may not have bubbles forming underneath the surface. Don’t panic if they don’t form, they don’t always. Cook for 30-60 seconds. Then flip again and cook for another 30-60 seconds. As a rule of thumb, cook each tortilla for 2-3 minutes in total and while it’s tempting to get it nicely charred, don’t push it too much as your tortillas will end up dry and brittle.
8. Once off the pan, place the cooked tortillas in a tortilla warmer (or your homemade equivalent). They will soften from the steam and remain warm and supple.
9. Consume straight away, or store, wrapped tightly, for one 1-2 days. You can also freeze them separated by squares of baking paper and locked away in a freezer bag or an airtight container. Reheat in a steamer once thawed.