How to Make a Homemade Tortilla Press

Tortillas are a must when preparing and eating Mexican food. Most often, people use store-bought tortillas. Although these are good, nothing compares to homemade corn tortillas made with a tortilla press. If you don't have a tortilla press, you can make one. Then you, too, can enjoy fresh, warm, homemade corn tortillas with your next Mexican meal.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 2 8-by-8 inch squares of Plexiglas, ½ inch thick
• 1 8-by-8 inch square of plywood, ½ inch thick
• 2 small door hinges with hardware
• 1 dowel rod, 10 inches long
• 2 conduit brackets
• 6 ¾-inch wood screws
• Screwdriver

Instructions

1. Have the hardware store cut the Plexiglas and plywood squares for you.

2. Attach a square of plywood to the top of one square of Plexiglas with a wood screw in each corner and one on each side.

3. 
   Hinge

   Lay the two squares of Plexiglas on top of each other, with the plywood facing the top. . Evenly space the door hinges on one side and attach them to the top and bottom pieces with the accompanying screws, connecting the two pieces together. This is the back side of the tortilla press.

4. 
   Conduit bracket

   Lay the dowel rod across the top of the plywood so that one end is lying approximately in the middle of the square and between the two hinges on the side. Line the edge of the dowel rod evenly against the edge of the plywood. You will have about 2 inches of dowel rod sticking out on the opposite side. This will be your handle at the front of the tortilla press.

5. Attach the dowel rod to the plywood with a conduit bracket in the back and one close to the front edge to hold the dowel in place.

6. Use the tortilla press by setting it on a countertop with the handle facing you. Open the tortilla press with the handle. Use plastic wrap over the inside surface of the tortilla press so your dough does not stick. Place a dough ball in the middle of the plastic wrap, and lay another piece of plastic wrap over the dough ball. Grab the dowel rod and close the top lid over the dough ball. It will take some practice to apply the correct amount of pressure for making a tortilla of the proper thickness.

Tips & Warnings

• Paint the plywood in desired designs and colors.

Resources

• Corn tortilla recipe with photos

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