‪@rickbayless‬

[@michaeltres]

I get masa from a local grocery store with a good molino. I keep it in a plastic bag, and it easily lasts for 5 days without souring. Using a metate to finish the milled masa produces the best tortillas of all, especially for masa from a hand mill. Frozen masa works for atole, and I always keep little balls of frozen masa on hand for that purpose.

[@Masienda]

Good tips!

[@tycer7]

Great fun video guys. Thanks!

[@Masienda]

Thanks for watching!

[@markhaven5421]

After boiling 2 lbs. of dent corn in lime water and soaking overnight, I do 2 grinds. After washing and scrubbing the nixtamal, I do the first grind in the food processor. I grind in batches, 2 cups at a time and do not add water. It grinds quickly this way but it is a coarse grind. After that, I add around 1 1/4 cups of water and mix it well. The second grind is in my Corona hand grinder. I have done it all by hand and it works well but I have learned to adapt my hand drill and this makes it go much faster. This makes a really fine masa suitable for tortillas. Rick Bayless, you are my hero and I have learned so much from you about Mexican food which I have grown to love.

[@Masienda]

Love this idea! Do you add water with the hand grinder?

[@markhaven5421]

@@Masienda I add 1 1/4 cups of water after the 1st grind. After the 2nd grind in the hand grinder, I only add water if it feels too stiff.

[@Masienda]

Thanks - we're going to try this!

[@laiuppa]

Totally agree with you Mark about the blender step before hand grinding, I’ve tried that, it makes the next step a ton easier and more consistent. I used to use a wonder mill, curious about your experience on the corona, ever run a second hand grind through the mill?

[@markhaven5421]

@@laiuppa the first grind is in a food processor. I don’t think a blender would do the job. After adding water to the coarse grind, the 2nd grind in the Corona is enough to produce a superfine masa. You have to tighten down the plates of the Corona grinder to get the fine grind. It’s a matter of getting the feel for it. I screw a 5/16” shaft bolt with a 1/2” hex head into the place where the handle nut goes. The I use a 1/2” nut driver in my Ridgid battery powered drill to drive the grinder. I have been doing this for the past 5 years. The tortillas will poof if the hydration is right and the grind is fine enough.

[@dukeallen432]

Keeping it flowing with Rick. Digging modesty, made it work.

[@Masienda]

He's a pro!

[@celiarennie3164]

Great video guys! Plus it’s nice to have eye candy explaining it all 😊 Love Masienda masa harina, made some delicious tortillas for my chorizo con huevo this morning, I love the ease of whipping these tortillas up in minutes, but will let them rest like Rick said for a while next time.

[@Masienda]

Thanks for watching and let us know how the resting period works out!

[@CalimehChelonia]

Thank you. I really enjoyed this.

[@Masienda]

So glad! Thanks for watching.

[@helenjohnson7583]

Thanks for doing this! Every bit of information like this helps!!

[@Masienda]

Glad it was helpful, and thanks for watching!

[@scottbarnes9877]

Having practiced about ten times with a Victoria hand grinder (and Masienda heirloom corn), I've managed to produce tortillas that puff most of the time. However, compared with the silky-smooth feel of masa harina dough, the texture of hand-milled masa WILL be somewhat coarser. (I found this to be true even after grinding it three times with the grinding plates set tightly together.) The coarser texture doesn't bother me, though. The tortillas still puff up on the griddle, they're wonderfully tender, and the flavor is extraordinary!

[@Masienda]

Glad to hear the Victoria mill is getting you satisfactory results! We do make a smaller version of the huge electric mills that tortillerias use, if you ever decide to kick your production up a major notch - masienda.com/products/molinito

[@azuredivina]

dangit! I've used my victoria mill 4 different times, my tortillas still don't poof. i don't want to give up, but I'm so tempted to also acquire a good old metate 'cause putting the dough through the mill a few more times is such a pain.

[@katierodriguez7150]

has anyone experimented with using both the food processor first and then the mill - or vice versa?

[@RJ-tr2wu]

Great video! I have a chocolate melanger. Specifically for making wet curry pastes (not chocolate as advertised), but discovered it makes great masa. If you're not familiar with a melanger, it is a spinning granite base with two rotating granite wheels oriented perpendicular to the base. The motor is designed to run many hours on end. After a little preprocessing in the vitamix, I throw into the melanger for stone ground masa

[@Masienda]

Cool! We hadn't heard of this method before!

[@TheMantighoul]

I love this video and your book. It is the book I been waiting for, but never knew existed until last week. I am mostly looking forward to making sopes. I have gotten my tortillas to puff with masa I made with the Victoria grinder. It took practice. I also use corn I grew myself. I been trying to cross varieties of flour corn for a few years to make the ultimate tortilla corn suitable for growing in Illinois. The base corn in my project has been a variety that is cherokee and one that is haudenosuanee in origin. The varieties I tried to grow here from the SW, especially the Navajo varieties were susceptible to rust and did not grow well. The Mexican varieties were tricky but some were day length sensitive and it would take a few years to get them adapted to my region. Since I only have a yard, it is not enough room to play this game. Can any of you guys suggest some good varieties of flour corn to experiment growing in Illinois or Indiana? Or even ones with a good flavor profile for adding to the project, if only as the pollen donor? I been trying white flour corns mostly, and sometimes blue. I did have fun processing and eating the pink Tupelo corn I grew once.

[@Masienda]

Hi there! Thank you for sharing some of your wonderful corn journey with us. While our primary focus is on Mexican heirloom corn, we might recommend reaching out to US-based heirloom seed companies who sell flour corn seed. Most seed companies will have a customer support line where a representative can provide insights about which seeds perform well in your specific plant hardiness growing zone. Cheers!

[@claudiamccabe970]

Bought the book. Just got the masa package. So exciting

[@Masienda]

Thank you! Hope you enjoy!

[@CalimehChelonia]

I've been thinking for a while about constructing a stone mill differently, to grind my home grown corn.. A kind of modernized metate maybe.

[@Masienda]

Oh wow! Say more ...

[@78625amginE]

😮please do say more. That’s cray cray/amazing!!

[@CalimehChelonia]

@@78625amginE I don't want to say anything until I've built and tried it. If it works, I'll report about it here. Deal? 😊

[@williammcnerney1928]

Thank you

[@Masienda]

Thanks for watching!

[@laiuppa]

Hi, loved this video and the last one with Rick. I can confirm there are some hand grinders you can get with artificial stones, I still have my Wondermill junior with the masa auger. Works pretty well, although I had to dremel in some smaller channels into it before it would work the way I wanted. I skipped over the corona grinder when looking but it sounds like that is a good hand grind alternative Have to give a shout out to Masienda though - during COVID I got Molinito on the brain and pulled the trigger and got one. that has saved my arm a lot of work, and I make masa and tortillas a lot more than I used to. Also fun was having a neighbor ask my if the Lost Ark was in the crate when it arrived. 😊

[@Masienda]

Haha! Love to hear about how lockdown got people to fall way down the masa rabbit hole. Welcome to the Molinito Club!

[@scottboettcher1344]

Can you give us a temperature the pan should be (12" cast iron in my case)? Using an IR thermometer? I've watched every homemade tortilla video on the first two pages of EweTube, twice, and have made dozens tortillas over months of trying. I've gotten just one to puff. Just one. Can't understand it as all the videos vary a bit, too, and I've tried many different combinations. Thanks.

[@Masienda]

Hi! Great question. First, have you seen this part of our puff video? kzbin.info/www/bejne/qWKxmYuZobObZ9U Comals in Mexico over live fire reach surface temps around 650-700 degrees fahrenheit. I'd say at home, you're probably good to get a puff if you reach around 500-550 degrees fahrenheit. Don't forget to preheat it first! Another key is to not cook it for too long on the first side, so that you're sure to lock in moisture. Roughly 20 seconds on the first side, or until the edges just begin to change color/release from the comal/cast iron is our recommendation. Lastly, we just published a book on masa with very extensive instructions/puff troubleshooting tips: masienda.com/products/masa-book. May the puff be with you!

[@laiuppa]

you mention medium temp, what would that translate to? I had read previously that high temps were best, so I had been firing up mine to about 500, sounds like medium is lower, I would guess maybe 325-400? I have an infrared thermometer I measure with. I have also noticed when it’s that hot, I can get a “bubble” on the underside right after I lay it down, where it instantly lifts off the pan, and so doesn’t crust up. That spot never puffs.

[@Masienda]

Hi John, high heat is actually good, it's just not leaving it for so long on high heat that it dries out. Comals in Mexico over live fire reach surface temps around 650-700 degrees fahrenheit. At home, aim for around 500-550 degrees fahrenheit. Don't forget to preheat it first! Another key is to not cook it for too long on the first side, so that you're sure to lock in moisture. Roughly 20 seconds on the first side, or until the edges just begin to change color/release from the comal/cast iron is our recommendation. We just published a book on masa with very extensive instructions/puff troubleshooting tips: masienda.com/products/masa-book. May the puff be with you!

[@laiuppa]

Thanks for the reply, and the book. I have started reading it, it’s an amazing book! Maybe I’ll have to try Ricks back hand roll method, that might get better contact when I lay them down, avoid those bubbles

[@Masienda]

So glad you own a copy! Yes, the backhanded motion can be a bit tricky to master but its the best way to get your tortilla to lay down completely flat. Just takes practice.

[@rblongfellow]

Great info 👍

[@Masienda]

Thanks for watching!

[@abrammatthew756]

Can I cook in the cal solution and then freeze dry the kernels, then mail them through a grain mill? Would the final product be similar to masa harina?

[@Masienda]

Hi there! We haven't tried a freeze drier method, so we're not sure if it would work, but a simple home oven should do the trick.

[@abrammatthew756]

I did it over the weekend and it worked amazingly well. Thx!

[@azuredivina]

gorditas are life.

[@Masienda]

Wow! Impressive.

[@giselahirst1850]

I just received my press. It does not lay flat top on bottom. Is it supposed to be like that? The edge by the handle is 1/16 inch away from bottom surface.

[@Masienda]

Hi Gisela! The press is designed to have a gap (warp top plate) when lying flat with no tension. This allows for user to apply whatever tension they’d like to achieve their desired thickness. We also recommend flipping the masa and to press each tortilla twice to even out the thickness.

[@saammahakala]

Can I add creamed corn to the masa for tamales?

[@Masienda]

We haven't tried it before, but it sounds like a good hack for making sweet corn tamales!

[@saammahakala]

@@Masienda make that roasted garlic, kosher salt, red peppercorn and creamed corn😉✌️

[@Masienda]

YUM.

[@CarlosRamirez-pe7je]

In central Mexico we call the sope you made “picaditas”. Topped with some papas con chorizo and a raw salsa verde are soooo good.

[@Masienda]

Yes, yum!

[@jthepickle7]

30 seconds, first side - no longer! 90 seconds 2nd side - then finish as you wish.

[@liujinque5572]

is there any cheat version to convert corn flour into masa harina?

[@Masienda]

While there isn't a direct "cheat" version to convert corn flour into masa harina, you can create a substitute by mixing corn flour with lime (calcium hydroxide) and water. This process, known as nixtamalization, changes the flavor and texture of the corn flour, making it more similar to masa harina. However, it's important to note that the result won't be identical to authentic masa harina, but it can work as a substitute in some recipes.

[@RickWeberEcon]

I had fresh masa tortillas a long time ago and it was a Ratatouille moment. I tried with masa harina and it was like a good pancake mix after a lifetime of pop tarts. Until my mill arrives that fresh masa taste will be my Rosebud.

[@Masienda]

Love that explanation!

[@OWK000]

I have found that fresh made from dry kernels from scratch masa tastes wonderful when first made, but by the next day, it tastes dead and loses all the wonderful nutty corn flavor. I guess, make small batches if not planning a fiesta, or make tamales and steam them and then freeze them if you have to. I did have to plain water pre-soak one sorry-assed batch of floater kernels once, because the lime would fatally soak into the pockets in the dry kernels and I had to throw that batch out. Plain water pre-soaked overnight and limed the next day and that worked, but I wonder if that masa was more spoilage sensitive or if changed the flavor. The plain water pre-soaked batch tasted wonderful but did not keep that flavor overnight.

[@Masienda]

Hi Pia, it does sound like a corn quality issue. The fresh masa should hold its flavor for a day or two, but we don't recommend holding fresh masa any longer than that. If you make a larger batch of masa, you could cook off the tortillas and then store the cooked tortillas in the fridge or freezer to extend their flavor. Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@smaganas]

A Colombian and an American anglosplaining the oldest Mexican art form 😬 Pretty good job actually. Obviously Jorge has done his homework and probably learned from many masters over the years. Don’t be afraid to shout them out. The superiority of fresh masa over masa harina is huge. If you can get it of course. But please try, these small shops and family businesses….they are slowly disappearing. They just can’t compete with the behemoth multi nationals who sell you maseca. Buy local. Truly local. Oh and an FYI for viewers, In Mexico you can cook your corn and take it to the local Tortilleria and they will mill it for you. Kind of the best of both worlds.

[@Masienda]

agree, nothing beats fresh masa! FYI, Jorge's parents are from Mexico and Cuba, not Colombia.

[@doubtazul]

Can't wait to get my copy of "Masa". Also, a metate, why not! 😆🚫 😬 Amazing vid guys ❤️

[@Masienda]

Thank you!!

[@mortaljorgeguy]

Hand molinos are great and used by the best cooks that live in remote ranchos. You’ll never eat a better tortilla then from your abuelita en la sierra

[@c.garcia2363]

Why are Masienda products so expensive???

[@Masienda]

That's a great question. We’ve worked hard over eight years to build a supply chain where there wasn’t one, working directly with our network of over 2,000 farmers and manufacturers and preserving heirloom strains of ingredients like corn and beans along the way. Our prices are always set by our supplier partners - we never negotiate and always honor the price that they set. We also add value along the way, with logistics, educational content and customer service. While our products may not be the cheapest on the market, we stand by their high quality and equitable model that ensures fair wages are paid to our suppliers.

[@lameritacocinita8078]

❤ okay gentlemen Google Ocean answer I am 69 years old and my grandmother taught me how to prepare the raw corn into Easter model and make it into masa for her tortillas or for the tamales for tortillas you would have to mash it up a little longer in the Metate and then you could use it for the tortillas for Tamales you leave a a little coarser.. But when you buy them myself from a bakery where they make tortillas or where they make masa for tamales you still have to bring it home put it on your Metate and start smashing it down again to make it smoother and then you make your tortillas from your Matata as you're mashing it down with the with the longstone that comes with them at that thing I forget that word the name for the stone at the moment but that's what I do and as for making your own Masa.. From my kyleena wish I do I use Quaker Oats and I have to order it because they no longer sell it at the stores.. That's a shame... I still make my Massa and I still grind it on the Matata to give it a smoother and fluffier texture and Michael Diaz will rise when I leave it at two seconds or three on the Comal and then I turn it to the other side and I leave it for about one-and-a-half and that's when it starts to rise period. It starts to rise on the third turn thank you very much gentlemen you have to actually talk me a lot and yes you're smarter from the factory even myself from the messalina will sour🎉

[@VLinas]

Show us how to make tlayuda pizza

[@Masienda]

Keep an eye on our KZbin channel!

[@lancelewis1683]

ChefSteps does a blender version. After blending smooth with enough water to get it blended they do add a little Masienda masa harina to thicken to the desired texture.

[@Masienda]

That's great to know, thanks!

[@lancelewis1683]

@@Masienda Not that you didn't know that their ingredient list links both the corn and masa harina to your site, but someone needed to mention it. ;)

[@cholulahotsauce6166]

Smart.