Corn tortilla calculator
Masa harina tortillas — water dosed per your masa brand, 40 g balls, pressed and cooked on a hot comal.
10 × 40 g · 135% hydration
Type how much flour you have — the portion weight recalculates.
Corn tortillas from masa harina — the first calculator here where the base is not wheat: masa harina is 100% and water is dosed against it. Two ingredients, one judgment call: hydration, which genuinely depends on your masa brand.
How it works
Water by brand, not by rule
The default 135% water matches Masienda’s own bulk ratio (their 50 lb bag to ~30 L). But Bayless’s conventional-masa recipe lands at 127%, and Masienda’s home recipe for their heirloom masa at a thirsty 167%. Start at the default and adjust — the dough, not the number, is the target.
The smush test
Mix warm water into the masa for a couple of minutes and rest 5–15 minutes covered. Right feels like Play-Doh: a ball pressed flat should show smooth edges. Cracking edges mean more water, a spoonful at a time; sticking to your hands means a dusting more masa.
Press and triple-flip
Roll 40 g balls, press between plastic sheets to about 15 cm, and cook on a very hot comal or skillet (230–260 °C): 30 seconds, flip, 30 seconds, flip back — and on that third side it should puff. Stack in a towel; they finish softening in their own steam.
FAQ
Does the dough need salt?
Bayless lists none; Masienda suggests an optional ~2.5% (half a teaspoon per 120 g of masa) “and/or spices”. Tradition says the taco seasons the tortilla — add it if you eat them plain.
Can I use cornmeal or polenta?
No — masa harina is nixtamalized corn, alkali-cooked before milling. Cornmeal never becomes dough, only porridge. There is no substitute; the ingredient is the technique.
Why don’t my tortillas puff?
Comal not hot enough, tortilla too thick, or dough too dry. The puff on the third turn is steam — it needs thinness, moisture and real heat all at once.