Greetings, dear readers of my blog!
Today I want to tell you how to make cornmeal tortillas in the oven!
This dish is popular in many countries of the world; for example, it is included in the diet of all centenarians of the Nicoya Peninsula, located in Costa Rica. There they eat this dish for almost every meal, they eat it for breakfast, and take it with them when they work in the field, and they also eat it in the evening!
By the way, Costa Rica is among the top 6 countries with the most favorable climate, which I wrote about in this article:
The recipe is so simple that it seems to me that even a person far from cooking can prepare it :) After all, the traditional composition contains only corn flour, water and soda. And then, the last ingredient is in question. I don’t understand whether it has such a strong influence. The rest you can add at your discretion. These could be your favorite spices, poppy seeds or sesame seeds. For example, I added salt and dried basil. In my opinion, it turned out well, although perhaps some hot pepper would have been nice!
So, let's move on to cooking.
We will need:
- 0.5 kg. corn flour
- 400 ml. hot water
- 0.5 teaspoon soda
- 1 heaped tablespoon of basil
- 2 small pinches of salt
All we need is to mix the dry ingredients and pour hot water over them. It is important that the dough is not too liquid, but not dry. After thoroughly kneading the dough, cover it with cling film and leave for 5 minutes for additional swelling of the flour.
Next, we cover the baking sheet with parchment and generously grease it with vegetable oil (this will make it easier to remove the finished cakes from it. It is worth noting that a silicone mat would be nice here!) Then, we pinch off the following buns from the dough:
And knead them into small cakes right on the sheet.
This is better because cornmeal has a specific texture and if you form the cakes on the table and then transfer them to a sheet, there is a chance that they will simply fall apart. When all the cakes are laid out, put them in an oven preheated to 200 degrees. They are prepared, one might say, instantly - 5 minutes is enough!
I recommend eating them fresh and still warm (at least heat them in the microwave before serving), it’s much tastier! The tortillas will appeal to corn flake lovers. They remind me a lot of them :)
I also thought that these flatbreads would be good to dip in some interesting sauce, it would be very tasty! Therefore, I even decided to write a separate article dedicated to delicious and healthy sauces! So, friends, subscribe to blog updates and don’t miss new recipes and other useful articles!
Bye everyone and bon appetit!
Step-by-step recipes for making corn cakes in a frying pan and in the oven: options for thin and fluffy corn flour cakes with and without fillings
2018-06-02 Oleg MikhailovGrade
recipe
Time
(min)
Portions
(persons)
In 100 grams of the finished dish
5 gr.
18 gr.
Carbohydrates
43 gr.354 kcal.
Option 1: “Tortilla” - a classic recipe for thin corn tortillas in a frying pan
It is quite possible to grate butter into the dough, but if you strictly follow the recipe, it is better to choose margarine specially designed for baking. The subtlety of working with corn dough lies in the duration of frying; if you miss a little time, you will not get flatbreads that allow you to roll rolls or simply fold them with the filling. If you are planning for this use, leave the tortillas a little pale, warming them up with the filling, you will provide the tortillas with a crispy crust.
Ingredients:
- high-quality margarine - a quarter of a package;
- half a glass of warm water;
- corn flour - three hundred grams;
- evaporation salt, fine.
Step-by-step recipe for cornmeal tortillas
Keep a slice of margarine in the freezer for at least half an hour; we will need shavings, and making them from soft cooking fat is problematic. Sift the flour at least twice, grate the margarine, using the largest mesh of a grater.
Add the chips and mix with flour. We warm up the water, however, not too much, it should be very warm, but not burn your fingers placed in the bowl. Add it little by little, stirring with a spoon, transfer it to the table and manually bring the dough to sufficient density.
The number of servings is no more than a dozen, even if you had to add some flour. Divide the dough into balls, according to the number of flatbreads, cover with a cloth and leave for up to half an hour. Roll out one of the portions into a piece with a diameter of about ten centimeters. After heating the pan quite hot, brown it on both sides.
It turns out lumpy, not only the first pancake, everything is exactly the same with flatbreads. Using the first sample, we adjust the baking temperature and the thickness of subsequent cakes. You can also experiment a little with the duration. So, thin and heavily fried flatbreads will crunch, and by making them a little thicker and removing them from the pan earlier, you will get blanks in which you can wrap the filling and get the so-called Burritos.
Option 2: Quick recipe for thick cornmeal cakes
Offer hot flatbreads with mayonnaise sauce with grated garlic and cheese. Any hard variety will do, as will mayonnaise of varying caloric content.
Ingredients:
- four hundred grams of good corn flour;
- spoon of salt;
- oil, corn - three full spoons.
How to quickly cook corn tortillas in a frying pan
Scooping by the handful, sift the flour into a large, low bowl and return it back to the sieve. Immediately add salt, scattering it all over the flour, and sift the products together at least two more times. The flatbreads are really so simple to prepare that it won’t be difficult to work a little with flour to make them more fluffy.
We adjust the amount of salt by eye; if the flatbreads are served with sweet sauce, reduce the amount of salt by three times; if they are served with dishes instead of bread, add more salt. A pinch of pepper and aromatic herbs, ground in a mortar to a powder, will also not harm lean flatbreads.
Let the recently boiled kettle cool slightly, pour in water, measuring it using the same containers that you used to collect the flour. The volume of products should be the same; for a couple of glasses of flour - the corresponding amount of hot water. Pour it in half a glass at a time, immediately stirring the dough with a spoon. Place a large fork nearby, in case dense lumps form; they need to be kneaded immediately.
Even though the dough will still be hot, you need to work with it quickly, without letting it cool. Divide the lump into five equal parts, without wasting time, turn on high heat under a massive frying pan and pour out the oil. Flatten the pieces slightly and round the edges, sealing any cracks that form in the dough. While kneading on the table, bring the flatbreads to a thickness of no more than a couple of centimeters and place them in boiling oil.
Option 3: Corn cakes with kefir in the oven
Leave some sesame seeds or add more than the amount specified in the recipe. In the middle of the last stage, when checking readiness, sprinkle it on the flatbreads. The contrast in the taste of the seeds, heated for different times, is quite pleasant.
Ingredients:
- kefir, one percent fat - half a glass;
- 130 grams of corn flour;
- a spoonful of baking powder and the same amount of pure oil;
- salt;
- sesame seed;
- large fresh egg.
How to cook
After making sure the egg is fresh, which is easy to do by first releasing it into a cup, pour it into the sifted flour. Add salt and sprinkle with ripening agent, stirring and gradually pour in kefir.
Having made a rather thick dough, we transfer it to the table and divide it into six flat cakes, placing them on a thin silicone baking mat. Pour oil over sesame seeds, mix and generously grease the top of the flatbreads.
We bake them at standard one hundred and eighty degrees, exactly twenty minutes. Flatbreads are good with sour cream, salted and mixed with grated garlic.
Option 4: Corn tortillas with cheese in a frying pan (in mineral water)
Table water should be used in the dough; do not expect to add nutrition to the flatbreads by kneading with medicinal mineral water. Cheese - any cheese that melts easily; the one that is sold already grated is also suitable for making pizza.
Ingredients:
- highly carbonated mineral water - a full glass;
- selected egg - one piece;
- two or three tablespoons of oil and another quarter glass for frying;
- cheese - two hundred grams;
- three hundred grams of dry corn flour;
- one and a half spoons of factory-made ripper (not soda!).
Step by step recipe
The easiest way to mix baking powder with flour is before sifting. Returning the flour to the sieve twice, sift it and immediately add mineral water. Knead the dough enough elastic, and let it rest for no more than a quarter of an hour.
We rub the cheese with long shavings, and the garlic, on the contrary, as finely as possible. Drop the egg into the cheese, add a little salt, add vegetable oil. Mix together first, then add the cheese into the dough in pinches, kneading until smooth. Heat the frying pan very hot, pour no more than a spoonful of oil.
You can fry the flatbreads completely without oil, or by adding it in small portions. Don't rush to do this a second or third time if the surface of the pan remains at least a little greasy from the previous flatbreads.
Option 5: Stuffed corn tortillas
According to the author of the recipe, there is enough filling for two pairs of flatbreads, which will be made from this amount of dough. Just in case, slightly increase the amount of sausage and ketchup; you can simply bake the excess on a slice of bread. If you still fold the tortillas, as is often done in Mexican eateries, then there should be no filling left at all.
Ingredients:
- a quarter spoon of ready-made ripper;
- 70 grams of wheat and 120 grams of corn flour;
- butter, “Farmer” - forty grams;
- half a glass of hot water;
- a little salt.
Hearty filling:
- large, ripe tomato;
- bell pepper - large fruit, red;
- three hundred grams of soft cheese and a little less boiled sausage;
- a handful of greens;
- ketchup.
How to cook
Place a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl and pour the baking powder, salt and both types of flour into it. Sift a couple of times and rub or cut into thin slices, a slice of butter. Put spirals or beaters on the mixer to work with the dough, mix the flour and butter at low speed until they turn into fine crumbs.
Add hot water without stopping stirring. Putting the mixer aside, use a spoon and, as it cools, use your hands to knead into a soft, slightly shiny lump. We divide it into large parts, the calculation of the products was for four flatbreads. Having rolled out the dough, cut it along the contour of the plate, fry the flatbreads in a very hot massive frying pan, without fat or oil. Set them aside if you intend to fold them in pairs, with the filling inside, or immediately bend them in half and cover with a towel.
We wash the greens and finely chop them, grate the cheese, cut the peppers, sausage and tomatoes into smaller cubes. Do not mix all the products yet. Regardless of how you fold the tortillas, start and end the layers of filling with cheese. Melting from the heat, it reliably holds the flatbreads together with the filling.
Let's assume that you will assemble the appetizer by placing the filling between a pair of flatbreads. Spread half the cheese among two tortillas, and divide all the sausage equally. Next come vegetables and herbs; this layer should be seasoned with salt and pepper. We also pour ketchup into it, and you can choose the variety at your discretion. Cover with the second part of the cheese, place and press the top flatbread.
Keep the pan dry, heat it up to the previous temperature, if it has cooled down, add the corn tortilla and press it with a spatula. Heat until the cheese melts.
Corn tortillas are very easy and fairly quick to make. It should be noted that today there are many different recipes for this dish. In this article we will look at only a few of them.
general information
The healthiest and most wholesome food can rightfully be considered the one that is prepared using natural and simple ingredients. It should be noted that sometimes you really want to make some simple dish using long-forgotten products. In our article, we decided to tell you how to make corn tortillas at home. By the way, corn is a very useful and quite common cereal crop in our country, which came to us from afar, from the United States of America. It was this flour product that served instead of bread in pre-Columbian American civilizations. After several hundred years, corn cakes came to the taste of other peoples of the world.
A simple and quick recipe for flour products
Few people know how to make corn tortillas, because in our country such products are not very popular. Once you try cornbread, you will never want to go back to pure wheat bread again. However, it should be noted that even classic corn tortillas cannot do without the addition of light flour. Of course, you can bake them without it, but the dough mixed with the addition of wheat flour will be much more elastic.
How to make classic corn tortillas? The recipe requires the use of the following components:
Kneading dough
Corn tortillas with cheese are incredibly tasty and aromatic. But before frying them in a frying pan, you should thoroughly replace the thick base. To do this, you need to pour corn flour into a bowl, pour a little boiling water into it, stir, cover with cling film and leave for about 20 minutes. During this time, the main product should swell well.
After the specified time has passed, you need to add a pinch of medium-sized salt to the corn flour, as well as a large spoon of sunflower oil. While mixing the ingredients together, gradually add wheat flour to them. Next, you need to add a little cold water to the resulting mass. As a result of all the steps described, you should get a fairly stiff and homogeneous dough.
Formation process
Once the dough is kneaded, divide it into pieces and roll each generously in cornmeal. Next, the balls need to be rolled out into small round layers. Their thickness should not exceed 5-6 millimeters.
As you can see, corn grits are quite easy to form. After all the products are prepared, you can begin their heat treatment.
Cooking in a frying pan
Oven-baked corn tortillas are softer and fluffier. But for such heat treatment, only kefir dough should be used. For this reason, we decided to bake our products in a frying pan. It needs to be heated as much as possible, and then greased with a piece of unsalted lard. If you add sunflower oil, the tortillas will be fried, but we don’t need that - real corn products should be baked. Only in this case will they turn out unusually aromatic and tasty.
How to Serve Baked Goods for Lunch
The corn tortillas, the recipe for which we reviewed above, should be served at the dinner table immediately after they are cooked in a frying pan. Additionally, it is recommended to make a special spicy cheese sauce. It is made as follows: the cheese must be finely chopped or grated, combined with sour cream, seasoned with ground red pepper, chopped herbs and grated garlic. You can also serve this dish with a little dry white wine.
Kefir cakes made from corn flour: step-by-step recipe
These products turn out thicker and softer than those that we “prepared” above. To prepare them we will need:
- corn flour - 2 cups;
- light wheat flour - ½ cup;
- unsalted lard - a small piece;
- Thick kefir with a high percentage of fat content - use at discretion;
- large country eggs - 2 pcs.;
- medium-sized table salt - 1 pinch;
- table soda - on the tip of a dessert spoon;
- hard cheese - use to taste;
- salted butter - about 50 g.
Dough preparation process
Corn cakes made with kefir are not only fluffy and soft, but also quite filling. That is why they can be consumed during lunch or dinner instead of the usual wheat bread.
To prepare, beat chicken eggs with a whisk or fork, then pour thick, fatty kefir into them, add baking soda, salt, wheat and corn flour. After mixing the ingredients with a spoon, cover them with cling film and leave aside for half an hour. During this time, the flour should partially swell. To knead a fairly stiff dough, you need to add a small amount of chopped corn to the ingredients. In this form, the base should be wrapped in cling film and left to rest for an hour.
How to form correctly?
Flatbreads made from corn grits and kefir are formed as easily and simply as in the previous recipe. The finished dough must be divided into medium pieces, and then rolled each in wheat flour. After this, the balls need to be rolled into round layers using a rolling pin. The thickness of the cakes should not exceed 6-8 millimeters, otherwise you will end up with too thick cakes.
Heat treatment
How to properly bake cornmeal tortillas in the oven? The recipe for this dish recommends using a large baking sheet. It must be heated strongly in the oven, and then thoroughly greased with lard. Next, you need to place some of the rolled products on the sheet, and it is advisable to lay them out so that they do not touch each other, since during heat treatment they can increase in size and stick. It is recommended to sprinkle the finished baked goods with coarse corn grits and grated hard cheese.
It is advisable to bake the cakes in the oven for about half an hour. During this time, they should be completely cooked and covered with a red-brown cap.
How should you serve baked goods to guests?
After the cakes are completely baked, remove them from the oven and immediately coat them with salted butter. Next, the products must be placed on a plate and served to guests along with tea, the first or second course. Bon appetit!
Let's prepare mchadi together
Georgian corn flatbread or the so-called mchadi is especially popular with those who love and appreciate the cuisine of the mentioned people. It should be noted that there is nothing complicated in their preparation. That is why even the most inexperienced cook can make them on their own. For this we need:
- coarse corn flour - 2 cups;
- fresh fat milk - ½ cup;
- filtered water - ½ cup;
- granulated sugar - ½ dessert spoon;
- medium-sized salt - add to taste;
- salted butter - 60-80 g;
- Refined sunflower oil - optional (for frying).
Kneading corn dough
To prepare mchadi, there is no need to stand at the stove for a long time, because they are made quickly and easily. To knead the dough, you need to pour coarse corn flour into a bowl, and then add granulated sugar and medium-sized salt to it. After mixing the ingredients with a spoon, you should start preparing the other part of the base. To do this, you need to mix full-fat country milk, salted butter and ordinary filtered water, and then heat them a little over the fire. Next, the liquid components need to be poured into the dry ones. Knead the mass with your hands for as long as possible - you should form a tight dough that can be easily rolled into a ball.
It should be noted that, despite its coolness, the base should be slightly damp. After all, if it is dry, then Georgian flatbreads made from corn flour may crack during heat treatment. That is why when kneading you should additionally add a little milk or drinking water.
We form products
Mchadi are Georgian corn flatbreads, which are distinguished not only by their special aroma and taste, but also by their rather large thickness, because according to the presented recipe there is no need to roll out such products with a rolling pin until thin. To form mchadi, you should divide the corn dough into many small pieces, roll each into a tight ball and squeeze it as if you were making regular minced meat cutlets. However, it is highly not recommended to additionally roll them in flour, otherwise the sunflower oil will burn very hot.
Pan frying process
To prepare delicious Georgian flatbreads, you need to put a deep frying pan on the fire and pour sunflower oil into it. Before laying out semi-finished products, it is recommended to calcinate the vegetable fat well. Next, place 3-4 tortillas on a heated frying pan. It is advisable to fry them on each side for no more than 6-8 minutes. If you keep the products a little longer, they will absorb a large amount of fat, and this is not very good for the dish.
When the Georgian flatbreads are browned on the bottom, they should be turned over and fried in the same way on the other side. It should be noted that some housewives cover the frying pan with a lid during heat treatment. We do not recommend doing this, since the condensation formed on it can cause a rather violent reaction in hot sunflower oil.
The final stage in creating mchadi
Once the cornmeal tortillas have browned, carefully remove them from the dish and place them on paper towels. This will allow you to get rid of excess fat, making the products even more tasty and less calorie.
In order for you to get real Georgian flatbreads, after frying, it is recommended to immediately cut them with a sharp knife in the shape of a book. Place a slice of any cheese you like inside the hot baked goods. By the way, suluguni is ideal for this, because this particular type of dairy product begins to melt immediately.
Correctly presenting Georgian corn flatbreads to the table
Now you know how you can simply and easily prepare delicious, aromatic and satisfying baked goods using corn flour, which is unusual for many. After all the described steps, the flatbreads with melted cheese should be served immediately to family members. Along with aromatic flatbreads, you can present any first or second course to the table, although some gourmets prefer to eat them only with sweet, freshly brewed black tea.
Bread, as popular wisdom says, is the head of everything. But, unfortunately, it often happens that it runs out quickly, and no one wants to run to the store for “refills.” This is exactly the problem we have today. Let’s not despair, but let’s prepare simple corn tortillas at home instead of bread.
Moreover, this process is not as labor-intensive as baking full-fledged yeast baked goods, and it takes much less time. But they can be eaten with soup and main courses, and if you sweeten them well, they can also be used instead of sweet pastries.
By themselves, only from corn flour they turn out to be slightly harsh. Therefore, we will still add some premium wheat flour to the ingredients. Then our dough will be more elastic, and the final product will be much softer and more tender.
These cornmeal tortillas can be fried in a pan or baked in the oven. We will focus on a less harmful method - after all, fried food is not healthy for everyone.
The ingredients in the recipe are designed to make 5 flat cakes with a diameter of about 12 cm. The total preparation time for this homemade cake is just under an hour.
Step-by-step photo recipe for making flatbreads from corn and wheat flour without yeast
Ingredients:
- wheat flour – 100 g;
- corn flour – 200 g;
- homemade baking powder – 10 g (store-bought baking powder is enough for 5 g);
- chicken egg;
- low-fat kefir (not important) – 180 ml;
- salt and granulated sugar - 6 g each;
- olive oil – 30 ml;
- semolina – 30 g.
As flavoring additives, if desired, the list of ingredients could be supplemented with seasonings, dried herbs or spices, but we decided to do without frills.
Cooking process:
Add baking powder to the kefir and mix well.
Immediately before our eyes, a very violent reaction of “communication” between the two ingredients occurs (this is if the quality of the baking powder is good).
While the fermented milk product is “fighting” with the leavening component, beat the egg with salt and sugar, then add the butter.
Combine bubbling kefir with the egg mixture and stir.
Pour both types of flour and semolina into a deep bowl.
Pour the liquid mass into the loose one, knead the dough not too tight. Let's give him a quarter of an hour to rest.
Meanwhile, turn on the oven and heat to 190 °C. Divide the entire dough into 5 parts, roll into balls, flatten, forming flat cakes approximately 7 mm thick.
Immediately place them on a Teflon mat spread on a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.
When the corn tortillas become more fluffy, covered with cracks and acquire a slightly golden hue, remove them from the oven and, if possible, immediately (before they cool) use them.
They are especially tasty with milk.
Bon appetit!
I offer one of the options for preparing Mexican corn tortillas - lean and without adding any oil to the dough itself, i.e. Vegetable oil is used only to lubricate hands when kneading dough.
There are recipes for tortillas made only from corn flour, but I have never come across corn flour that would make the dough elastic enough even when brewed with hot water... Therefore, for the “bundle,” I recommend adding any wheat flour to the corn dough: premium grade , first grade or whole grain. The flatbreads will not lose any taste!
The thickness of corn tortillas can vary depending on what dish and what serving they are intended for; more often they are thin.
Prepare the ingredients:
Combine corn and wheat flour with salt.
Pour in hot water.
Stir the mass.
Adjust the dough by adding a little flour or water so that it is quite dense and at the same time elastic. It is convenient to knead the dough with your hands greased with vegetable oil.
Divide the dough into 8-12 pieces, cover them from drying out.
Roll each piece of dough into a ball.
It is unlikely that those who do not live in Mexico have a press on their farm for forming Mexican tortillas, so either roll out the dough with a rolling pin, or make an improvised press like this - from a frying pan, cutting board, flat dish, etc., i.e. . something you can use to crush the dough into a flat cake of the desired thickness or whatever it turns out...
It is convenient to press the dough between sheets of baking paper or baking mats so that the cake blanks do not stick to the surface of the “press”.
Fry corn tortillas in hot frying pans without oil on both sides for 0.5-1 minutes, do not overdry!
Formed using a press, my cakes turned out to be a bit thick...
Still, it is much more convenient to roll out the dough with a rolling pin. Corn dough tends to crumble, so it is convenient to roll it out between baking paper or soft baking mats.
Thin flatbreads fry very quickly. Select a stove mode so that they do not burn or dry out.
Fry the thin corn tortillas on both sides.
Mexican corn tortillas are ready.
Serve them with any dishes as bread: soups, main meat, chicken or vegetable dishes, etc.
Bon appetit!