Are you looking for tips on how to make thinner tortillas? In this article we share all of our best tips on how to make thinner tortillas. We cover both techniques and tools that can be used to make thinner tortillas every time. We give tips for making flour tortillas as well as corn tortillas.
Don’t have enough time to read the full article? If you are making corn tortillas then make sure that you are using a proper tortilla press (this is the one we recommend) to make your tortillas. Add a little extra water to your dough and experiment with using smaller balls of dough. If you are making flour tortillas, use a rolling pin and make sure to rest the dough before you roll the tortillas out.
How to make thinner corn tortillas
- Use a tortilla press. If you are not using a tortilla press to make your tortillas then you should pick up a tortilla press (this is the one we recommend). You can make tortillas by pressing balls of masa dough with a large flat object such as a cutting board, but it is hard to make thin tortillas using this method. This method is best suited for recipes that call for thicker tortillas such as chalupas or gorditas.
- Press the tortillas inside a ziplock bag. When you are using a tortilla press, you need to line the tortilla press or the dough you are pressing with a nonstick covering. Some recipes recommend using saran wrap, but if you are trying to make extra thin tortillas you should use thicker plastic such as a ziplock bag instead. This is because thin, clingy plastic such as saran wrap develops folds and crinkles easily. If you press thin tortillas using saran wrap with crinkles then the crinkles will cut the tortillas in half as they get thinner.
- Rotate the tortilla 90 degrees and press again. Here is another handy trick for making your tortillas come out thinner. Press your tortillas using your tortilla press then rotate the tortillas 90 degrees and press them again. This will allow you to get a different angle on the tortillas and might help to make the tortillas even more thin.
- Use smaller balls of masa. If you want to make thinner tortillas then you should experiment with using smaller balls of dough. If you use smaller balls of dough then there will be less resistance from the dough when you press on it with your tortilla press. This will make it easier to press your dough into thin tortillas.
- Increase the amount of water in the dough. Increasing the amount of water in your dough can make it easier to make thin tortillas. Loose dough that has a lot of water in it will provide less resistance when you press down on it with your tortilla press. Your dough should be dry enough that you can still shape it and roll it into balls without the dough sticking to your hands and becoming difficult to work with. I recommend starting out by making overly watery dough then adding a little masa at a time until the dough becomes just workable.
How to make thinner flour tortillas
- Roll the tortillas with a rolling pin. Unlike corn tortillas. flour tortillas are not generally made with a tortilla press. You should roll flour tortillas out with a rolling pin.
- Line the dough with parchment paper. Generally, when you roll flour tortillas you should flour your rolling pin well so that it does not stick to the dough. When you are making very thin tortillas, rolling the tortillas out can get a little tricky because the tortillas become more delicate the thinner they get. If you put a sheet of parchment paper between your rolling pin and your dough then it will make it impossible for the tortillas to stick to the rolling pin and tear.
- Rest the dough before rolling your tortillas. Have you ever rolled out thin tortillas just to have them shrink back to thicker patties after you are done rolling them out. This can happen when you make flour tortillas. If you leave your dough to rest for 20 – 30 minutes after you make it then the dough will relax and you will be less likely to experience this phenomenon.
- Use smaller balls of dough. This is a tip that works for both corn tortillas and flour tortillas. If you use a smaller ball of dough then it will be easier to get the dough to spread out more so that you get nice, thin tortillas.
Recipes that use fresh tortillas
Do you have some fresh tortillas you are looking to use up? How about making some of these baked vegetarian taquitos with vegetarian refried beans and cheese? Thinner tortillas work best for making taquitos because the tortillas need to be rolled tightly into small tubes.
Other articles on making homemade tortillas
- Is a tortilla press worth it? In this article we discuss everything you need to know before deciding whether to buy a tortilla press. We discuss methods you can use to make tortillas without a tortilla press as well as the benefits that tortilla presses provide over these other methods.
- How to choose a tortilla press. Are you wondering how to choose the tortilla press that is best for you? In this article we discuss all the different materials and sizes that tortilla presses come in as well as the pros and cons of each. We also give recommendations for our favorite tortilla press brands.
- Where to buy a tortilla press. Are you looking to buy a tortilla press but unsure where you can find one? In this articles we discuss the pros of and cons of buying a tortilla press online vs in person. We also discuss which retailers carry tortilla presses online and in stores.
