Corn TortillasRecipe

1. 1.Whisk masa harina and salt in a bowl. Add the warm water and stir with your hands until a uniform dough forms.
2. 2.Knead briefly in the bowl — 30 seconds — until smooth. The dough should feel like soft play-dough: holds a ball, doesn't crack at the edges when pressed, doesn't leave residue on your fingers. Too dry? Sprinkle in water a teaspoon at a time. Too wet? Add masa a tablespoon at a time.

1. 1.Cover with a damp towel and rest. The masa fully hydrates and the dough becomes more pliable.

1. 1.Divide the dough into 12 equal balls (~30g each). Cover with the damp towel so they don't dry out.
2. 2.Press one ball at a time between two sheets of parchment or plastic wrap in a tortilla press, or roll with a pin to ~5 inches across, 1/16-inch thick.

A gallon zip-top bag, sliced open along the sides, makes an excellent press liner — non-stick and reusable.

1. 1.Heat a dry cast-iron skillet or comal over medium-high until very hot. Test: a drop of water should evaporate in about 1 second.
2. 2.Peel the pressed tortilla off the parchment and lay it in the dry pan. Cook 30 seconds until the edges start to lift. Flip; cook another 45–60 seconds — the tortilla may puff up like a balloon (that's perfect). Flip one more time, cook 10 seconds.
3. 3.Stack the finished tortillas in a clean towel-lined bowl, covered — the trapped steam softens any crispness and keeps them pliable.

Best eaten warm, same day. Refrigerate leftovers and revive on a dry pan for 15 seconds per side.