I have intermittent success with the puff. I’ve gotten better results using Masienda over Maseca, both in taste and texture. I only use masa harina, salt and warm water.
What I do that seems to work is cook on one side for 10-20 seconds. Then flip and cook for about 60 seconds and then flip back to the first side. Then it should start puffing but you can help it a bit by using a spatula on one side.
Large Big Green Egg, Weber Performer Deluxe, Weber Smokey Joe Silver, Fireboard Drive, 3 DigiQs, lots of Thermapens, and too much other stuff to mention.
That title... Haha! I'm laughing with you, Dave, because I just thought that same thing the other day when making them. They taste great whether they rise or not but getting a little rise out of the tortilla shouldn't be so difficult to attain. I am NOT a pro and this is more of observations than anything else. I hope a real pro chimes in because I really want to nail this.
I've had mixed results in my puff but I do find I can get it more consistently when I make them every week. In any given batch, which is usually around 12-16, I'd say at least half don't puff at all. Nothing. The majority of the rest will have minor puffing, like half of it will puff to varying degrees. Every once in awhile I get the perfect puff, and those are the shots I post here😉. What's odd is that the variety of puff within the same batch. Some are awesome and others are duds, same temp, same hydration, same time of the cook. Which leads me to believe the thickness of the tortilla and the cooking method is creating the variability.
I think I pretty well have the feel of the dough down so I don't consider hydration a problem but it certainly could be. After all you need the moisture for the puff.
The press is doing something too which causes some tortillas to have half of it puff and the other half doesnt, but in a very distinct line like this.
I haven't quite figured that one out yet but I tend to do one press, rotate, then press just a little to try to make it uniform thickness so I'm thinking it has something to do with that, as in maybe over pressing one side As you've probably seen it's pretty easy to over squeeze it where the handle hits the top of the plate.
I need to temp my CI next time I'm cooking but I've found 4.5 works well which is around 450F, maybe 500. I usually do 30 sec, flip, 30 sec, flip, then a gentle press and wait for the puff. I've been trying to keep the time splits even using my phone to eliminate a variable but I think what I need to do is put that all away and focus on what it looks like as it's cooking. If thickness isn't consistent on every tortilla then cooking it for the same time doesn't make any sense. I need to pay better attention to what it's doing on the CI and let the tortilla tell me when it's ready to be flipped.
Not sure I helped any other than talking theory but I like the discussion. Let's figure this out!
A difference in terms of what?
There probably is a texture difference given how a puffed one cooks vs a non puffed one, maybe taste too. Honestly by the time you load it with all the good stuff those subtle nuances might get lost, so I don't cry over not getting the puff. It's more so a personal attempt at perfection than something I need to do to produce a tasty tortilla.
Cooking gadgets
Weber Summit Charcoal Grill Center
Weber Summit Platinum D6
Blue Rhino Razor
Dyna-Glo XL Premium Dual Chamber
Camp Chef Somerset IV along with their Artisan Pizza Oven 90
Anova WiFi
Thermometers
Thermapen Mk4 - ThermaQ High Temp Kit - ThermaQ Meathead Kit - ThermaQ WiFi - ThermoWorks IR-GUN-S - ThermoWorks Signals & Billows - ThermoPop -ThermoWorks ProNeedle - ThermoWorks TimeStick Trio x2 - and a Christopher Kimball timer - NO, I do not work for ThermoWorks...I just like their products.
Other useful bits...
KitchenAid 7-qt Pro Line stand mixer
A Black & Decker food processor that I can't seem to murder
A couple of immersion blenders, one a "consumer" model & the other a "high end" Italian thing. Yes, the Italian one is a bit better, but only marginally
Instant Pot Duo Evo Plus 8-qt + accessories like egg-bite & egg holders
All-Clad pots & pans, along with some cast iron...everything from 7" Skookie pans to 8.5qt Dutch ovens
Weber GBS griddle, pizza stone, and wok
Knives range from Mercer to F. Dick to "You spent how much for one knife? One knife?!" LOL
Not enough moisture. They’re cooking before the moisture can convert to steam. That’s it.
Nothing magic, just increase the moisture content slightly.
I’d suggest adding no more than a teaspoon at a time to your mix and see what happens. The exact amount will obviously depend on local humidity as well as the flour used. Time for some serious research. LOL
Hydration and heat, basically. Like surfdog said, if your masa is too dry you won't get a puff, and if your heat is too high the tortilla will cook too fast and you won't get a puff.
Hydration wise it's better to start a bit dry because it's easier and faster to knead in more water than more masa harina. You want the masa to not crack around the edge when you press out a little bit between your hands, you also don't want it to stick to your hands. Just add water slowly after the initial mix, sometimes all you need to do is wet your hands and knead some more. It's very much a feel thing, and I still mess it up all the time.
For heat you're looking about 350-400. Hot but not screaming hot. If the comal is too hot the tortilla will cook through before you can flip it, too cold and you won't generate enough steam to get a puff. It's also a timing thing, you need to flip when you need to flip. There's a rhythm to making tortillas that gets easier the more you do it. Plus it's fun.
But, really, don't worry too much about the puff, the tortillas will still be better than anything you get in a gringo grocery store.
I do 1.4:1 water to masa harina by weight. This is for Masienda masa harina. I tend to get a better puff with blue masa harina than anything else. A very hot comal, 450 or so, and fast flipping, with the occasional spatula press, seems to work best for me.
The lack of puffing is my goal when I make tortillas. I don’t want mine to delaminate. The more water added the masa gets stickier and unmanageable (it also causes the air bubbles/puff). If you want to be able to form a tortilla with your hands and not use a press you may need to use less water than is needed for puffing. Not judging but don't let others make you think that is the correct way to make a tortilla. 🔥🔥🐿️
The Mexican lady that used to make them for me always put in a bit of baking powder. She made great flour and corn tortillas. With hers you could through the flour ones in hot oil and get enough puff to have good sopapillas.
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