Flatbreads and sticking

[Suthseaxa]

I've recently been making a lot of flat breads and tortillas and I have trouble with sticking. I have a seasoned cast iron griddle which I use to make them. How do you suggest to stop them sticking when dry-griddling them? Low temperature or high temperature?

An example recipe I am using is 1 cup masa harina and 1-1.5 cups of water (mix and let sit for 20mins) for tortillas. I think the heat is the problem; I can't decide which to use! I must defer to your experience

 

[CWS4322]

I've recently been making a lot of flat breads and tortillas and I have trouble with sticking. I have a seasoned cast iron griddle which I use to make them. How do you suggest to stop them sticking when dry-griddling them? Low temperature or high temperature?

An example recipe I am using is 1 cup masa harina and 1-1.5 cups of water (mix and let sit for 20mins) for tortillas. I think the heat is the problem; I can't decide which to use! I must defer to your experience

My only experience is that I have a dedicated lefse/tortilla griddle (electric) (https://www.amazon.com/HERITAGE-SIL...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00024WN54). Nothing else gets cooked on it--everything is cooked on it dry (no oil)--but it heats to 500 degrees F. And that is the start point for both. Never have had a problem with sticking. My suggestion is that you re-season the heck out of your CI griddle and don't use it for anything else.

 

[dragnlaw]

Perhaps your griddle needs a little help in the oil department. Dampen a paper towel (or a cloth) with oil and just wipe it over the iron.

Like in pancakes or crepes - droplets of water should 'dance' across the iron, not vapourize nor just sit there. so you are looking for a fairly hot pan, but not screaming hot.
Perhaps every 3 or 4 tortillas you may want to wipe the pan again, again thou only if they are sticking.

Also be sure when you take off the last one there is no residue stuck on. The next one will stick to that for sure.

Good luck - let us know how it goes.

 

[GotGarlic]

Tortilla dough is extremely lean, so oiling the pan shouldn't be necessary. The pan should be well-seasoned, though. Also, make sure you're not trying to flip the tortilla too soon. Like meat in a skillet, it should release on its own when it's ready.

 

[Suthseaxa]

Thanks for the advice Tuesday is my planned tortilla re-try day, so I'll let you know!

 

[Suthseaxa]

So hotter griddle and longer time yielded tortillas which stuck, but a lot less. They had that nice char on them, too. It's getting there, but I think I now need to re-season my griddle....best get the scourer and the oil out!

Some parts unstuck themselves, other parts stayed stuck. The parts which unstuck themselves were getting charred, so I wanted to flip before they burnt. I think the air bubbles which form between griddle and tortilla do not help.

 

[dragnlaw]

Just scour enough to smooth anything stuck or making the surface rough.

A sheen of oil heated up and wiped off. As mentioned before - after several tortilla's if you notice a bit of sticking then wipe with damp cloth again.

Your getting there!!

 

[CWS4322]

When I make lefse or tortillas, I wipe any flour off the griddle with a paper towel.

 

[skilletlicker]

When I make lefse or tortillas, I wipe any flour off the griddle with a paper towel.

Had to google lefse. Boy, that sounds good.
I've used Teflon electric griddles. Recently bought this 9" non-stick pan which is perfect for 7" whole wheat tortillas. Trick for scorched bubble bottoms is to pop the bubble. Hate to scour my cast iron.

 

[CWS4322]

Had to google lefse. Boy, that sounds good.
I've used Teflon electric griddles. Recently bought this 9" non-stick pan which is perfect for 7" whole wheat tortillas. Trick for scorched bubble bottoms is to pop the bubble. Hate to scour my cast iron.

It is lefse "season" now. The Sons of Norway did lefse on a Saturday after Halloween, the local church is doing a lefse day early December. We usually do ours after Thanksgiving--make enough mashed potatoes to rice for the lefse on Black Friday. Traditionally, lefse is what one did with leftover potatoes. We always eat it with butter and brown sugar. A friend's family would use it to make pigs in a blanket.

 

[Suthseaxa]

I completed stripped down and re-seasoned my griddle today, so I hope that works better No plans for tortillas for a while yet, though!