Why the tortilla I made tastes so hard?

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espanolpez

Assistant Cook
Joined
Jan 23, 2010
Messages
12
Hi. I've made some Tortilla by myself. But I don't know why it tastes not crisp but hard to chew. I've added salt, warm water, saleratus powder and corn oil in the dough(wheat powder) and stir together, after stirring for about half an hour, I started to let it rest for 20 minutes.

Then I pressed the dough small ball into a round piece then I heat the grill for a while. Then I put the round piece onto the skillet and heat for 30 seconds then it is done. But it doesn't taste good. I don't know what's wrong. Do you guys have any idea? Thanks.
smile.gif
 
You stirred it for half an hour? That seems like an awfully long time to me.

:huh:Barbara
Yes, because if didn't stir it for such a long time, the small dough ball will be crumbly and cannot be pressed into a big round piece. But what kind of ingredientes you use? The same?
 
Truthfully I have only made tortillas once, and I used a flour tortilla mix. From the very little I know of bread making, I think you mixed it too long. I'm definitely not an expert though, and many here are, so I'm sure someone will be able to answer your question soon.

:)Barbara
 
I agree with the others, you mixed it too long. You full developed the glutton, making it tough.

My daughter-in-law, a Mexican national, hand makes fresh tortillas every morning (flour, water, oil, salt and a pinch of baking powder) hand mixes (no spoon or any utensils - just her hand - in a way that reminds me of making biscuits), forms them into a small ball about the size of a golf ball, and then pats and rolls it out into a tortilla just before dry frying. The entire process for a dozen tortillas takes less than 20 minutes, and that includes dry frying for about 1 minute per side in an iron skillet.

Just by watching her, I would say the most important part is getting the texture right while mixing. She adjusted the final dough by drizzling in a tiny amount of additional oil until she was satisfied and had a very nice soft and pliable dough.

Good luck to you.
 
I agree with the others, you mixed it too long. You full developed the glutton, making it tough.

My daughter-in-law, a Mexican national, hand makes fresh tortillas every morning (flour, water, oil, salt and a pinch of baking powder) hand mixes (no spoon or any utensils - just her hand - in a way that reminds me of making biscuits), forms them into a small ball about the size of a golf ball, and then pats and rolls it out into a tortilla just before dry frying. The entire process for a dozen tortillas takes less than 20 minutes, and that includes dry frying for about 1 minute per side in an iron skillet.

Just by watching her, I would say the most important part is getting the texture right while mixing. She adjusted the final dough by drizzling in a tiny amount of additional oil until she was satisfied and had a very nice soft and pliable dough.

Good luck to you.
Thanks for such detailed description. I really appreciate for that.

By the way, before your daughter-in-law dry fry the tortilla, she will spread some oil on the iron skillet? And is the skillet flat-bottomed?
 
The skillet is flat bottomed, but uses no frying oil. She dry-fries them because she wants them lightly browned but soft enough to roll with sausage, salsa and scambled egg inside.

Crispy tortillas that have been fried in oil are made into chips, either with salt, or with cinnamon-sugar. :)
 
I found this recipe that includes tips. I would definately use lard, and cut it in with a fork or a pastry cutter. I would not use milk. I would use the luke-warm water. I don't know wheat poweder does to the ingredients.

Flour Tortilla Recipe

Here is wheat tortilla recipe, too

Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas.

My Mexican cook book calls for
1 + 3/4 Cup Masa Harina
I Cup plus 2 Tablespoons hot tap water

thoroughly mix and turn out to kneed. The finished dough should be soft and pliable, but smooth. Cover with plastic and let rest 30 mintues.

Uncover. Any adjustment to the dough is made now. IF it is sticky kneed in a little masa harina. It it is too dry, kneed in a little hot water. Easy does it. When you are satisfied, form into balls. Roll out the first tortilla. Put it in the skillet and start the second, etc.. Stack it on waxed paper.

Masa Harina never goes to waste as it is also used for Tamales. All the Mexican cooks I know use this product. .
 
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Linicx, thanks for your help.

Usually what kind of flour you will use, corn powder or wheat powder?The powder we can buy from the stores is unbleached powder or bleached powder?;)
 
Masa Harina is "dough flour", essentially powdered hominy (slake lime treated corn and then ground into a flour. You use Masa Harina if you want to make corn tortillas. Otherwise, use regular flour to make flour tortillas.

Do not substitute corn meal or regular corn flour, however; they're produced from different types of corn and are processed differently. They will not produce the same results.

Corn flour and Masa Harina have no glutton. The so-called "wheat powder" is "wheat glutton", and gives the tortillas the texture to stay together and not fall apart.

While lard can be used (and part of the reason to have to let them rest - soaking the Masa Harina into a softness is the other part), oil seems to give them a silkier texture and allows you to continue the making of them without interruption.
 
The skillet is flat bottomed, but uses no frying oil. She dry-fries them because she wants them lightly browned but soft enough to roll with sausage, salsa and scambled egg inside.

Crispy tortillas that have been fried in oil are made into chips, either with salt, or with cinnamon-sugar. :)

She is such a good cook. What kind of flour she uses? Whole wheat powder or corn powder or?
 
She is such a good cook. What kind of flour she uses? Whole wheat powder or corn powder or?

She uses regular all purpose flour. Her mother, who lives in Mexico, uses something else I think, but I'll ask the next time I talk to her.
 
Masa Harina is "dough flour", essentially powdered hominy (slake lime treated corn and then ground into a flour. You use Masa Harina if you want to make corn tortillas. Otherwise, use regular flour to make flour tortillas.

Do not substitute corn meal or regular corn flour, however; they're produced from different types of corn and are processed differently. They will not produce the same results.

Corn flour and Masa Harina have no glutton. The so-called "wheat powder" is "wheat glutton", and gives the tortillas the texture to stay together and not fall apart.

While lard can be used (and part of the reason to have to let them rest - soaking the Masa Harina into a softness is the other part), oil seems to give them a silkier texture and allows you to continue the making of them without interruption.
I tried to use the corn flour before, however, after stirring it cannot form a apliable dough but scattered mass of powder. You mean if I mix the corn flour and the lard, it can form a apliable dough?
 
Actually, in that post I was responding to Linicx's suggestion to use Masa Harina and that particular recipe.

Just use regular flour for white flour tortillas, or if you want to try to make corn tortillas (stiffer, more of a corn flavor and more coarse than flour tortillas) use Masa Harina, corn flour and wheat glutton (which can be purchased separately in some supermarkets or health food stores).
 
She uses regular all purpose flour. Her mother, who lives in Mexico, uses something else I think, but I'll ask the next time I talk to her.
Thanks. It is very nice of you. Look forward to your good news.
All the very best:chef:
 
Actually, in that post I was responding to Linicx's suggestion to use Masa Harina and that particular recipe.

Just use regular flour for white flour tortillas, or if you want to try to make corn tortillas (stiffer, more of a corn flavor and more coarse than flour tortillas) use Masa Harina, corn flour and wheat glutton (which can be purchased separately in some supermarkets or health food stores).

Wheat glutton or wheat gluten? It is used for giving texture for the corn flour so as to form a dough rather than scattered mass of powder?;)
 
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