Fresh tortillas on a dry comal
A fresh tortilla cooks on a hot, dry comal with no oil. The surface sets fast, and water in the dough turns to steam inside. When the steam pushes the layers apart, the tortilla puffs.
Wrap them to keep them soft
Stack the cooked tortillas in a clean towel right away. The trapped steam rehydrates them and keeps them pliable. Unwrapped or overcooked ones dry out and turn stiff. The dough should feel like soft play dough, with no cracks at the edges.
Test yourself
Questions from the interactive lesson, with the answer and the why.
Why does a tortilla puff on the comal?
Water in the dough turns to steam inside. Steam pushes the layers apart once the outside has set.
True or false: A comal should be oiled so tortillas don't stick.
False. Tortillas cook on a dry hot surface, and oil would fry them instead.
What went wrong? You leave tortillas on the comal until they're crisp and brown, then stack them uncovered. They turn stiff and brittle.
They dried out, with no towel to hold in steam. Overcooking drives off water, and an uncovered stack loses the rest.
Fill the blank: Wrapped tortillas stay soft because trapped ___ rehydrates them.
Wrapped tortillas stay soft because trapped steam rehydrates them. Warm tortillas release steam, and the towel holds it in.
The edges of your pressed tortillas keep cracking. What's the likeliest fix?
Add a little water to the dough. Dry dough lacks the moisture to hold together.
True or false: A tortilla needs a hot comal so it sets quickly and traps steam to puff.
True. A fast-setting surface holds the steam inside, which puffs the tortilla.
