Corn tortilla calculator
Masa harina tortillas: 40 g balls, water dosed to your own masa, cooked on a hot comal.
Corn tortillas from masa harina, the one dough here whose base is not wheat: masa harina is 100% and the water is dosed against it. Two ingredients and one judgment call — hydration 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 for Masa Taquera (a 44 lb bag to 27–28 L; the 50 lb heirloom bag runs 132%). 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 hot comal or skillet over medium-high heat: 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.
Sources & methodology
Every percentage in this calculator traces to the published sources below — nothing is invented. Where respected sources disagree, the default sits inside the documented range.
- Masienda — corn tortillas from masa harina — Home and bulk ratios: water 132–167% of the masa harina depending on brand — the 135% default follows their taquera ratio.
- Rick Bayless — corn tortillas — Runs 127% — the drier end of a genuinely brand-dependent range.
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.
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.
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