On Wed, 23 Feb 2005 19:14:36 GMT, "Kathy" > wrote:

> "Maverick" > wrote in message
> ...

> > Making tortillas, at least for us since we don't have much counter space, is
> > a real pain in the ass and we wind up getting flour all over the place.

> We must be doing this wrong. Tortilla-making isn't messy and floury for us,
> just easier to do with a him-and-me assembly line. We make the dough (which
> involves flour but doesn't require throwing it around, like yeast bread
> does!), let it rest, and divide it into 12 pieces.

I must be doing it wrong too -- I never throw flour around while making either
one.

> We put plastic - half a baggie - on each plate of the tortilla press. Then
> he squashes out tortillas between the plastic and hands them to me to toast
> in the skillet and drop on the plate. Do you do them differently?

For wheat tortillas, I divide the dough as you do, and shape the pieces into
good-sized 'baseballs'. After these sit, covered, for about a half hour, they're
ready for the rolling pin. The press is used solely for corn tortillas, since
we like our wheat tortillas to be ~12" in diameter.

WRT the press, it was almost impossible for me to get the corn masa to the point
where it was cohesive w/o being too mushy or too crumbly -- usually couldn't get
the entire tortilla mass to leave the plastic and land on the griddle in one
piece (damned embarrassing for a native Tucsonan). When Siobhan mentioned a
tortilla *maker* (presses and cooks in one step) a couple of years ago, I wasted
no time getting one. Works like a charm, and I don't need to enlist the spouse
for any pressing/toasting duty.

> (I love having a tortilla press! The difference between rubbery storebought
> tortillas and brand fresh is like the difference between wonderbread and
> good homemade bread.)

Yep.

______________

Don't drink and drive. You might spill your drink.