Tortillas are a staple food in several Hispanic cuisines, dating back thousands of years. A tortilla press quickens the tortilla-making process and reduces messes. Understanding the proper way to use a tortilla press makes it easier to add tortillas to your restaurant menu by ensuring your tortillas are uniform in shape, size, and texture. Below, we cover how to use a tortilla press, allowing you to create amazing new homemade tortilla dishes for your restaurant.
Shop All Tortilla PressesUsing a Tortilla Press
Before using a tortilla press, you need to have the proper dough. Typically, tortilla dough is made with either flour or corn and mixed with salt and water. The dough is then rolled into a small ball around 1 to 2 inches in size. Once your dough balls are created, you’re ready to begin using your tortilla press.
How to Press Tortillas
To properly use your tortilla press, use the following steps:
- Cut two squares of butcher paper large enough to cover the base of the tortilla press, placing one on the bottom of your press.
- Place a ball of tortilla dough in the center of the press over the paper.
- Cover your ball of dough with the other square of butcher paper.
- Lower the top plate of your tortilla press onto the dough.
- Press down on the handle of the tortilla press.
- Lift the top plate and grab both squares of butcher paper, flipping the tortilla over.
- Press the tortilla a second time.
- Peel the tortilla away from the paper, and prepare for cooking on a tortilla grill.
How to Use a Tortilla Press Video
To learn how to properly use a tortilla press, watch the video below for a step-by-step guide on the process:
What Is a Tortilla Press?
A tortilla press is a tool designed to flatten dough into tortillas. Tortilla presses are an alternative to rolling dough out with a rolling pin, efficiently creating tortillas of a consistent size. These tools will also make cooking tortillas easier, as a press will make tortillas with uniform thickness and allow even cooking throughout. Tortilla presses are usually made out of cast iron, aluminum, or wood, but there are electric tortilla presses as well.
How Does a Tortilla Press Work?
A tortilla press uses force to flatten the dough into tortillas. Depending on what type of tortilla press you are using, different levels of force may be required to create an ideal tortilla. This works similarly to rolling tortilla dough with a rolling pin, but a lot less force is required, making the task easier.
Can You Use a Tortilla Press for Flour Tortillas?
Despite common belief, tortilla presses are great for flour tortillas. Not only do tortilla presses speed up the process, but they also eliminate the mess of flour that is usually associated with rolling tortillas out with a rolling pin. With a tortilla press, you also don’t have to worry about rolling one tortilla out while another is cooking, making it easier to multitask and prepare several tortillas at once.
How to Use a Tortilla Press for Flour Tortillas
When using a tortilla press for flour tortillas, you don’t need to deviate from the standard process. Flour tortillas tend to be a little softer than other types of tortillas, meaning you’ll worry less about tortillas breaking or snapping. Due to their larger size and increased flexibility, flour tortillas are great for wrapping large amounts of filling.
Can You Use a Tortilla Press for Corn Tortillas?
Tortillas are most traditionally made with corn and can absolutely be flattened using a press. Take your masa (dough made from ground nixtamalized corn) and combine it with water and salt before using your press. A tortilla press is great if you’re looking to create tasty corn tortillas of the perfect thickness and size.
How to Use a Tortilla Press for Corn Tortillas
When using a tortilla press to make corn tortillas, follow the same steps as you would when making any other type of tortilla. With corn tortillas you must ensure that the dough is kneaded thoroughly, otherwise, the dough will absorb water slowly and dry out. Also, corn tortillas tend to be more brittle than other types of tortillas, so use extra care when using a tortilla press.
Tortilla Press FAQ
Below we cover some of the most commonly asked questions regarding tortilla presses:
Manual vs Electric Tortilla Press
Unlike manual tortilla presses, electric tortilla presses don’t need to be pressed down by hand. Electric tortillas are great for saving time in busy commercial kitchens, as staff can simply power up the machine and place the ball of dough for pressing. Many of these machines can create hundreds of tortillas per hour, making them ideal for high-volume orders. Many electric tortilla presses will bake and press at the same time, adding even more efficiency to your operation.
Tortilla Press Uses
Outside of making tortillas, there are other ways you can use a tortilla press. Below, we cover some of the alternate uses for tortilla presses:
- Flattening doughs for flatbreads, pita bread, and thin-crust pizza bases
- Making patties out of certain meats for foods like hamburgers and salmon patties
- Crushing ingredients like garlic or nuts
How to Use a Tortilla Press Without Sticking
The best way to prevent tortillas from sticking to the press is by utilizing butcher paper or wax paper. Cut the wax paper into two squares, placing one of the squares over the base of your tortilla press. After placing your dough ball over the bottom wax paper, cover it with the other square. The two squares of wax paper will prevent your dough from sticking, making the process of using a tortilla press a lot easier.
No matter what type of restaurant you operate, using a tortilla press makes it easier for staff to produce high-quality, uniform tortillas. Understanding the proper way of using tortilla presses allows your business to handle high-volume orders while still maintaining quality and consistency. Although using a tortilla press isn’t the most complicated process, understanding how to avoid making common mistakes during use can provide a huge boost to the caliber of the food your business serves.
