Ingredients
Tortilla Ingredients:
300g BakeryBits White Masa Flour OR BakeryBits Blue Masa Flour
350g water
Tortillas Made with Nixtamalised Maize Flour or Masa Harina
I like a tortilla as much as the next person, probably more, but what’s this "nixtamalised" business? Maize (corn) is traditionally used to make a flour for tortillas called masa harina. However, unprocessed corn has a tough outer skin, making it tricky to mill into flour and harder for us to digest. Thousands of years ago, the process of nixtamalisation was developed using a readily available alkali: wood ash. The maize was soaked to soften the outer skin (pericarp), then rinsed to remove both the skins and the alkaline solution. The pulp was then boiled to soften the kernels and release essential nutrients, resulting in a highly nutritious staple food. Today, an alkali is still used, but it’s now a rigorously controlled food-grade calcium hydroxide. After cooking, the pulp is milled and can be used fresh or dried to make tortillas, as well as various other dishes like tostadas, tacos, tamales, nachos, arepas, and empanadas.
Here in the UK, there seems to be some confusion about the difference between a tortilla and a taco.
Tortillas are a type of flatbread made from either corn or wheat flour. They are a foundational part of many Mexican dishes and serve as a vessel or base. Tortillas can be used in dishes like burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, and tacos, but on their own, they’re simply a type of bread.
Tacos on the other hand, are a dish that uses a tortilla as its base, but it’s not just the tortilla itself. A taco includes the tortilla filled with a variety of ingredients such as vegetables, meat, beans, cheese, lettuce, salsa, and other toppings. Tacos can be made with either soft or hard tortillas, but without the filling, it’s just a tortilla, not a taco.
In short – a tortilla is the flatbread, while a taco is a complete dish made by folding or wrapping a tortilla around fillings.
So, if you take a tortilla made from maize flour, add some tasty ingredients, and fold it, then you’ve just made a traditional South American taco! Now go grab a napkin and enjoy.
Masa Harina or Nixtamalised Maize Flour Tortillas
Tacos are incredibly popular in Central and South America, widely beloved in North America, and quickly gaining popularity in Europe. They’re easy to make, but you do need the right flour (masa harina) and a press to shape the dough before cooking.
Make tortillas effortlessly using one of our Victoria tortilla presses, paired with a choice of naturally white or blue masa flour. The blue tortillas look especially exotic, particularly when paired with a vibrant green tomatillo salsa. The Victoria range of tortilla presses is a solid choice in a world of wobbly imitators. I first came across these presses while working in Copenhagen, where a renowned Mexican chef, who started her own chain of taquerias, recommended this product from Colombia. For a Mexican to endorse a Colombian product really speaks to its exceptional quality.
Makes about 20x 6”, 13x 8” or 11x 10” tortillas using a Victoria tortilla press.
Method:
- Mix the white masa flour or the more exotic blue masa flour and water with your hands or a dough whisk for about 2 minutes to form a soft dough. Add a little water if the dough is dry.
- Divide the dough into portions suitable for the size of your Tortilla press about 30g for the 6.5” press, 45g for the 8” press and 65g for the 10” press.
- Place a ball of dough between two pieces of baking parchment cut to the size of your press, positioning it in the centre of the press.
- Press the tortilla until it fills the press plate turning and pressing again if necessary.
- Carefully peel off the tortilla and cook on a medium-hot griddle (or large skillet), turning 2 or 3 times until it begins to take on colour.
- Keep your cooked tortillas covered with a clean tea towel in order to keep them warm and soft until serving.
