draft25 tortillas

Yellow Corn Tortillas

Soft yellow corn tortillas for tacos, about 25 tortillas at 12–14 cm across. Start with a slightly drier masa, adjust after resting, and keep the cooked stack wrapped so the tortillas soften before serving.

Instructions

Combine 375 g yellow masa harina with 6 g fine salt.
Gradually add 495 g warm water, mixing thoroughly. Knead for about 2 minutes until evenly hydrated.
Cover the masa and rest for 15 minutes so the masa harina can fully absorb the water.
After resting, roll a small test ball and flatten it gently. The masa should feel like soft Play-Doh: cohesive and supple but not tacky. Tiny hairline edge cracks are acceptable. If there are large or deep cracks, knead in 10 g warm water and test again, repeating only as needed up to about 30 g additional water. Err slightly dry rather than wet.
Portion the hydrated masa into approximately 34–35 g balls and keep them covered while working.
Heat the flat side of the reversible cast-iron griddle over medium-high heat. Do not oil the griddle.
Place each 34–35 g masa ball between plastic sheets and press to approximately 12–14 cm diameter. Peel off the top sheet, turn the tortilla onto an open palm, and peel the remaining sheet backward away from the tortilla. The tortilla should release easily without sticking or stretching.
Cook each tortilla on the dry hot griddle for 40–50 seconds on the first side.
Flip and cook the second side for 45–60 seconds.
Flip once more and cook for 20–40 seconds. The tortilla may puff; gently pressing around the edges can encourage the steam pocket.
Immediately transfer each cooked tortilla into a folded clean kitchen towel and keep the stack wrapped. Rest the wrapped tortillas for at least 10 minutes before serving so trapped steam softens them.

Success cues

After the 15-minute rest, the masa is soft and cohesive like Play-Doh but not tacky.
Flattened masa shows at most tiny hairline edge cracks rather than large or deep cracks.
Pressed tortillas release cleanly from the plastic without sticking or stretching.
Cooked tortillas develop scattered toasted spots without becoming crisp.
Some tortillas puff on the final flip.
After resting wrapped for at least 10 minutes, tortillas are soft and flexible.

Scaling notes

Scale masa harina and salt proportionally. Use the water quantities as starting guidance and adjust only after the masa has rested; add extra water in small increments according to the dough's texture. Keep the dough balls around 34–35 g for the same tortilla size. The yield is approximate.

Development notes

An earlier wetter dough stuck to parchment; a subsequent drier batch was reported as perfect. This batch retains that hydration approach at a larger size.
This 375 g masa harina batch remains draft because it has not yet been cooked. Next time, record total water, tortilla count, release from the press, and flexibility after the wrapped rest.