If you had no idea, la tortillas de harina is from the region of Sonora. It can even be argued that the creation of the burrito as well. These aren't bold claims, it's just most have forgotten in the past centuries. That is why we are here folks. With that said, we have a new comer to Souther California, a 85 year old wheat mill called Molino La Fama, based in city of Hermosillo, the capitol of Sonora.
Using their recipe and their product you will get an authentic taste. The shape and thickness are all up to you though. This is a skillset many do not bare, not even in Sonora. With a little help with old tech, you to can achieve the perfect tortilla de harina, eventually. Thickness and size vary from taco to taco, burrito to burrito. Depending the experience you're looking for. So don't worry, no one can judge. I used a hand press for this recipe. Using a heated hand press is even better as the tortilla will hold its size and will not shrink as much. Frankly, the harina is part of the taco and should be major part of the experience. What I aimed for was a 6 inch but got about -5+ inch tortilla. I did get smaller ones that didn't make cut. Your first time will not be a 100% success so don't stress out. Your results will be a thick for two reason, you're not an expert and second, this variation of their harina is for general purpose and tends to be more for breads and some pastries They have a specific brand for only tortillas that is not yet available in the states. This is a secret most master tortilleros hold.
Let's get started!
List of Ingredients :
- 1-pack of Harina La Fama (2.227 kilograms) available at Food 4 Less or El Super
- 450 grams shortening
- 50 grams table salt
- 1.1 liters of water
List of hardware needed :
- Comal, a flat grilling surface.
- Tortillera hand press
Tips: Use warm water. You may want to add some more salt than stated. I felt it wasn't enough and I personally don't eat much salt.
Step 1: Mix the harina and salt in a bowl. Do this with the same bowl used with the mixer. Once you got it well mixed, add your shortening. Attach the dough hook as its the closest to hand mixing. If you don't have a mixer or want to become a expert even faster, use your hands and follow the same steps. Start to mix all three ingredients until the you get a consistent mix. If you're using a mixer, you equate to something like a soft ice cream easily scooped. (Image 7).
Step 2: Add water slowing, very, very slowing. By hand you will have to pour and mix about 10-15 times for this recipe. Now with the mixer do this in a low setting and add water gradually in the span of 6-8 minutes until you get the texture needed to proceed. See "image 10/11". The dough will stick to the hook versus the side wall of the mixing bowl. That's a good indication it's ready. If you're doing this by hand, make a ball out of it and roll it side-to-side on the surface of your work area. If you get a similar texture and reaction, then you're good. Note, you're doing this by hand, you will need to insert those fingers deep enough to get through this.
Step 3: At this point you should have a defined working area for this next step. I would recommend a large baking sheet to place the balls of dough you're about to make. Add some harina to the tray to prevent the balls sticking. Grab and pinch about a 30 gram ball. Hold it between both palms and softly massage in a circular motion into a smooth finish. Do not smash it. Just imagine you are holding a fresh egg doing the same thing to it but without breaking it. Reference "image 16" above to compare a ball that is not smooth (right) to one that is (left).
Step 4: Before you start pressing, turn on the stove and place your comal and set it to a medium heat. The weight of the ball is important so you can maintain a consistence finished sized of the tortillas. This way you can use the same pressure throughout the tortillas pressing process. Press and hold for about 5-8 long seconds and you should get what you see in "image 20" above. I used wax paper to line the press. You can also use a sandwich size plastic bag cut on both edges. Place the raw tortillas QUICKLY on the comal and hold it down with the spatula for about 5 seconds. This will reduce the shrinkag. Flip it to the opposite side and REPEAT. Then flip it back to the original side and cook to your preference.
Since this recipe yields a boat load of tortillas, I recommend cooking to 65-75%, cool down, package and store for up to 5-7 days. You'll even have extras to give away. When you feel like having a freshly cooked tortilla, just preheat the comal and cook the remainder of the 25-35%. How can you tell it's cooked 100%? Easy, if it looks "wet" just like "image 22/23" it's not done. Usually, you get a soft white surface to the tortillas indicating its ready to be eaten. Note: in some cases you will not achieve 100% as there are so many uncontrolled variables like flame strength, heat distribution, thickness of the comal. Not to mention ambient temperature. There is a reason why tortillas de harina come from Sonora, THE DESERT HEAT.
Step 5: Enjoy.
A reminder, this will take some time to perfect. Get a heated press if you want more control and consistency of the end result. Here is a hidden cookie for those you actually read the whole post. Set your room temperature to 78-82 degree (85 if you can tolerate it) about 3-4 hours before and let all the ingredients set to that ambient temprature. Just like in color theory, color is affected by its surrounding color. Wheat is affected by ambient temperature. This differs throughout the whole world– especially a desert region.