Tasty RV Eats -> Home-Made Tortillas
I’ve been thinking about introducing a cooking section to our blog for ages. Those of you who know us, already know we are massive foodies and pretty serious about what we eat. Paul is a gifted cook (yes, I’m a lucky, lucky gal) and actually makes the majority of our food on the road although I’ve got a special talent for baking & veggies. We home-cook 95% of the time and almost always use fresh, local ingredients.
We firmly believe that you can make anything in an RV that you can in a regular kitchen, despite the smaller space and we think it’s a fun challenge to figure out how. RV cooking is one of our passions! I’m not sure how far we’ll go with this series, but I’m going to give it a try and see where it takes us.
So, as an introduction today I’m going to talk about home-made tortillas. Now, I can already see half of you out there shaking your heads and wondering WHY we’d go through the trouble of making tortillas when you can buy them for peanuts at the supermarket.
There’s really only one reason -> they taste frikkin’ AMAZING. I mean like absolutely mind-blowing amazing. They are aromatic, melt-in-you-mouth corn scrumptious yet they’re super flexible/strong and can handle ANY level of topping (seriously, you can pile them high). Lastly they’re ridiculously easy to make needing only 3 ingredients. Having now eaten them 4-5 times I can never see any reason why we’d ever buy supermarket tortillas again. So, here you go…
Home-Made Tortillas (makes 8)
Total time ~30 mins
Ingredients
4 oz Masa Harina (we like Bob’s Red Mill
~2/3 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
Equipment Needed
- Mixing Bowl
- Digital Scale
- Cast Iron Pan or Skillet
- Tortilla Press (optional -> you can also use a plate)
We have an antique cast iron pan that we bough on eBay for $20, although THESE MODERN LODGE
Instructions
- Weigh out the Masa Harina using your digital scale into a mixing bowl. Add salt.
- Start with 1/2 cup water and mix/knead the dough with your hands. Keep adding water (up to ~2/3 cup) and mixing until the dough comes together. It should form a solid ball with just a touch of tackiness, but should not be gooey or stick to your hands. If you accidentally add to much water, just add a bit more of the masa. If the ball breaks apart and doesn’t stick together, add more water. In moist environments (e.g. the PNW) you might need less water, in dry environments (e.g. the desert) you might need a tad more, so play around until it feels right.
- Let dough sit for ~5-10 mins to completely absorb the water.
- Roll dough into a log and cut into 4, then cut those 4 pieces in half (so, 8 pieces in total). Roll these pieces into mini-balls.
- Pre-heat your cast iron on med heat. Give it a few minutes to get hot. You’ll be using the pan DRY (so, no oil)
- Press the first ball in your tortilla press (or use a plate). We use two halves of a cut open zip-lock bag inside the press (one 1/2 on top and one 1/2 on bottom) to keep the dough from sticking to the sides and make it easier to take out. Once pressed we just take the tortilla out of the press on the plastic & peel it off the ziplock into the pan.
- Cook the tortilla on the dry, hot pan for ~1 min, then turn it and cook it for ~1 min on the other side. You can “press down” on the tortilla with your spatula to get it to fluff up a bit.
- Put your tortilla in a cloth-covered container to keep warm while you cook the next one. Repeat until done!
- Use the finished tortillas in taco’s, enchillada’s, tostada’s or just dip the soft, warm, tantalizing creations in your favorite salsa and eat ’em straight. !A COMER, EAT!!!!
Putting Together The Dough (Steps 1-3)
Pressing & Cooking The Tortillas (Steps 4-8)
Great idea… love the idea of a food section. Thanks to you I’ve been following Elana’s Pantry and enjoying her recipes. So I look forward to more of your food posts 🙂
Elena’s Pantry is my FAVORITE!!! I’m sure a few of her recipe’s will end up in my food section too.
Nina
Oh my — and I thought we were foodies! Those tortillas look absolutely delicious, and actually not too difficult to make. I’ve long been thinking to add recipes to our blog. It’s fun to see what other people are eating — gives me good ideas. Yummy….
They’re super easy…and honestly I can’t tell you how good they taste. Nothing at all like supermarket tortillas. The difference is amazing!
Nina
The food/cooking entries will be a nice change of pace. Keep it up! 🙂
Cool! Looks like food is a popular choice of topic 🙂
Nina
According to my research, bob’s is also non gmo masa harina. You’ve got the attention of my taste buds….hubby loves Mexican.
I just might give this a whirl. They have gluten free version also.
Yup, Bob’s is non-GMO. Also all Masa Harina is wheat-gluten-free since it’s 100% corn-base. I don’t know why some of their packages are marketed as “gluten-free” specifically (maybe just for the name? or perhaps they mill their “gluten-free” version in specific gluten-free mills?), but should all be inherently gluten-free.
Nina
P.S. We are gluten-free too 🙂
AH! I got the details on the “gluten-free” versus “regular” from their website. The “regular” versions of Bob’s Red Mill has a little notice at the bottom that says
“*Manufactured in a facility that also uses tree nuts, soy, wheat, and milk.”
So, even though Masa Harina is inherently wheat-gluten-free this means there could be trace amounts of wheat in the package (because of the manufacturing process). If you are HIGHLY sensitive to wheat gluten then it’s worth getting the gluten-free version. Otherwise the regular version is fine too.
Nina
Looks really good. Is that the Paleo / organic way to go. Thanks for sharing
Yeah, we are mostly paleo/organic. We eat lots of fresh veggies, meat, fish, fruit etc. and try to keep our foods as “whole” as possible. Tortillas are not something we eat everyday, but when we do we try to make them as fresh/healthy as possible.
Nina
I’m trying to get work done, solar tilt bracket supports while AT work. Now you have made me hungry. I wasn’t planning on breaking for lunch. Thanks a LOT. 🙂
Wait til Sharon sees this recipe. Yum Yum !
Hunger is a good sign my food photography was successful 🙂 Enjoy the recipe!!
Nina
Hand pat works if you don’t have a press. The broken pieces also make great chips for the guacamole.
Indeed. I think just about any “flattening” technique will work. The tortilla press makes it super easy, but a plate, or the bottom of a pan, or a brick or something similar would work too.
Nina
I roll my tortillas with a short piece (about 8-10″ long) of 3/4″ dowel I bought really cheap, I think in the craft section of a super store. I find this works much better than a heavy rolling pin, and stores in a small space.
Great tip! I can totally see how a lighter dowel would be easier to control than a rolling pin.
Nina
Hi Nina,
The reason the smaller diameter rolling pin is better than a regular rolling pin is the diameter is small enough to push into the dough. The diameter of the regular rolling pins is too great to push into the dough and it’s a lot more work to roll out.
I always wondered why the Italian older ladies always used a closet type dowel to do the job and finally learned the reason when I first started making tortillas. The big rollers just can’t be pressed into the dough to cause it to spread out without a lot of extra work. In fact all that rolling causes the dough to become rubbery, which takes even more work to roll out.
Also, I’m allergic to all corn stuff, so I have to avoid the stuff in all it’s variations.
I do believe from all my studies, that corn also has gluten in it, although that’s not a problem for me. The corn problem is way worse than the gluten problem, in my opinion, of course.
Good article,
Bob
Makes sense on the dowel.
Regarding corn gluten, although the term is commonly used it is not equivalent to the gluten that affects celiac patients (and thus the “gluten-free” diets that most folks talk about). Corn contains corn zein (prolamin) which are crucially different from the protein sequences of wheat gliadin (prolamin). It is the proteins in wheat, rye, barley etc. that give rise to the peptides in digestion that trigger celiac. Corn zein does not operate the same way. So, when people talk about going “gluten-free”, corn is typically not part of the exclusion.
Here’s more for those interested:
http://www.celiac.com/articles/186/1/Corn-Gluten—Is-it-Safe-for-a-People-with-Celiac-Disease-Who-are-on-a-Gluten-Free-Diet/Page1.html
Nina
P.S. This is kind of why I specifically mentioned “wheat-gluten-free” in my comment above. People easily get confused when talking about “gluten-free” diets.
Hey, this is great! Like everyone else, I love your posts, they are informative and fun to read, and this addition is the frosting on the cake, so to speak… Looking forward to future foody posts. 🙂
Cool! I think we’ve got a “hot & tasty” topic, so to speak 🙂
Nina
I am glad to hear that you are going to add a recipe section to your blog. I have also wanted to start making my own tortillas for some time so you have given me the push I needed. Thanks! 🙂
I’ll be doing the special “balls” that you introduced us to in a future post. So, you’ll feature too, my dear!
Nina
We have made the flour totillas and used the same press! Post some thi foods you guys make and ill do the same! Maybe we can share recipies! We love fish tacos!
We’re starting an RV food revolution!! 🙂
Nina
Lisa and I love your blog. We hope to be on the road soon with dog Pepper. We like to eat healthy and look forward to learn what you prepare while fulltiming. I’m very interested how to store fresh food with limited fridge space. I’ve stopped eating sugar, gluten, dairy so I don’t eat out very often. I’m excited about your foodie posts.
Funny you should mention this, but I JUST (a few days ago) wrote a 1200 word blog-post about buying and storing fresh food in the RV. It’ll be coming out soon….
Nina
Hi,
You have a real talent for putting recipes together and presenting them in a way that screams ‘yummy!’, especially your pictures. Love your tastefully place affiliate links, too.
Keep it going, promise?
Allan
Thanks! I used to be a food photographer (in my former life) and although I don’t have all my equipment anymore, I still have some “tricks” that I use. Glad the photos turned out yummy!
Nina
I dislike cooking so feel free to drop by and cook here anytime.
LOL…you never know. If we cross paths we’ll definitely do some cooking.
Nina
We were blessed enough to be invited into the beta testing round on this tortilla making, and we can 110% attest to the ‘they taste frikkin’ AMAZING.’ claim. 🙂
Thank you again for completely spoiling us guys.
It was totally fun to have you part of beta-testing. You even participated in the “making of”!!
Nina
Fantastic.
We’ll give it a try.
Excellent story.
I guess I need to try these since you make it sound so simple. We enjoy tortillas but many have so much sodium that I struggle when trying to purchase the in the store. This will allow me to control the salt. Thanks for posting.
I like the idea of sharing your recipes:)
This recipe is super easy and allows you to totally control the amount of salt. I think once you try it, you’ll be hooked!
Nina
The main reason to make your own tortillas, in my opinion, is that it is very difficult to find tortillas in the store without a bunch of preservatives, and if you do, they are very expensive. Thank you for sharing your recipe – you have inspired me to dig out my tortilla press and give is a whirl (my first attempt resulted in not-so-firm and fillable tortillas, but maybe your detailed instructions will help).
This is very true too. The processed food in supermarkets tend to contain a bunch of extra stuff (salt, preservatives etc.) which I don’t like at all. We stay away from processed foods in general, although previous to our press we did buy tortilla’s on occasion. Now, we never have to do that again!
Nina
As a young girl in SoCal, my friend, Silvia and I would stand in her kitchen and eat fresh flour torillas off of the stove with butter and sugar…unfortunately, they are still a fav as i try to transition to RVing and a healthier way of eating. BUT…TORTILLAS remain a mainstay of our family’s historical food staple and just maybe can withstand a paleo upgrade. Very good addition to an already outstanding blog. BRAVO, NINA!!
Oh I can totally see pigging out on freshly-made tortillas that way!! Last time we made this recipe we actually cut it in half specifically to prevent this ‘coz they are sooooo good you want to eat them all in one sitting.
Nina
Mmmmm…. the taco at the top of the page looks and sounds fantastic! I haven’t made tortillas (yet) but do buy the more “special” ones when I can find them (more hand made grainy corn type without additional ingredients) at the store. I’m sure yours are just that much better.
Was just thinking of you as I am on 395 and camped in the June Lake area. The aspens are gorgeous! I first drove this route thanks to your blog, but it was late spring and/or summer. As pretty as it was then, I always remembered your amazing fall color shots — now I’ve finally came back in fall. Thanks!
Oh June Lake!!! {{sigh}} I so love that area. Glad you’re enjoying it!!
Nina
Those look great and I’m sure will taste great. I’m very interested in the upcoming storing food in the RV and also how and where you decide to shop in a new town. We are starting our full time adventure early next year so I’m reading a lot of blogs and looking for tips. Thanks
Cool! Sounds like the food post I’m working on will be popular. It’s getting so long it may become a 2-part series!!
Nina
Thanks for including the cooking section. Like Paul, I do most of the cooking with my better half also looking after the veggies, salads and fruits. I’m always looking for new ideas.
Thanks again!
Barrie
You sound very similar to us! Paul is the “magic man” when it comes to meat, fish & poultry. Plus he’s very creative in the kitchen. I’m more science-based (thus my love of baking), but I can be creative in my own way too. It’s a great mix.
Nina
Great…can’t wait to try it….love the idea of recipes and the possibility of sharing…i have one question….how would you measure if you don’t have a scale, digital or otherwise?
No scale??? Buy yourself a slim-sized scale my dear! The staple of any good RV cook.
I don’t have an exact weight/volume conversion for masa harina, but I’m guesstimating 4oz is a tad under 1 cup. So, you could start with a “small” cup and just work in the water until the dough feels right.
Nina
But if I buy a scale what will I haveto get rid of to make room for it 🙂
Practically nothing! You can store the slim-scales vertically so they take up less than an inch in width.
But I know what you mean…:)
Nina
Thanks for sharing. We still have a couple of years of house bound living. But I am beginning to think of what we have and what we might need for on the road living. This will give us something to practice in now for on the road time later.
I have a general question for you. Do you use software to track the locations you’ve visited so that you can look them up at a later date (i.e. see what site you liked best or what you didn’t like about a certain location?
Errmmmm..I have the blog? Seriously the blog is how I keep track of the places and memories we’ve had on the road. We search our own blog! Plus I have all my campground reviews here too.
Nina
Nina, again another great post.
Tortillas over tires, water that is not black or grey, tacos over toad hook-ups and lucky gal over… lighthouses, oops those are one in the same. lol.
Could you entertain us with a post identifying inventory of your kitchen, everything except the food. Especially items that are most helpful, unusual, loved and just about worn out from over use.
I love the pics, arrows, instructions and tips of where to purchase. absolutely wonderful.
Lisa
Wow…that’s another big blog post idea. Kitchen Inventory. I’ve actually written a few posts about our favorite items. For example this one:
Our 5 Favorite Kitchen Items for RV Cooking
I’ll see if I can rustle up the space to do a more thorough post. It’s a great idea!
Nina
Now you’ve got me excited about making tortillas again. I used to make my own, but they didn’t look anything like store bought. Loved em anyway. Now I think I’m going back to making them again!
Robyn (Mrs. D) http://www.mrsdshomestead.com
This past month was our very first attempt making tortillas, and now that we’ve done it I wonder why we never did before. It’s so easy…and so tasty.
Nina
Shhhhh, don’t tell David the scale and the Tortilla press just went on his Christmas list. I can taste the tortillas already. Fabulous pictures of just how. I think I’ll make up a little card to go with the package and inside will be a link to this post. LOL! Hope he doesn’t read this and give me a set too.
Coooool!!! You guys are going to love them!!
Nina