Pati Jinich's Prep Step For Making Sure Your Tortillas Don't Stick To The Press

From mouthwatering tacos to sweet, crunchy sopapillas, there are countless reasons to keep fresh tortillas on hand — and the best way to do so is to make your own. Whether you're looking to craft a batch of restaurant-quality flour tortillas or make the classic corn variety using masa harina, a flour made from dried corn, using a tortilla press is hands-down the easiest way to minimize hassle during prep. And whether you're making one tortilla or 100, chef and TV personality Pati Jinich has the ultimate hack for keeping your dough from sticking to the press: plastic grocery bags.

"Put the plastic bag into a square, fold it twice, and you cut like a quarter circle," Jinich told Food & Wine in 2024. "It doesn't have to be a perfect round." While many folks swear by using cling wrap or parchment paper to line the plates of their tortilla press, Jinich advised against these techniques, noting that grocery bags' thinness keeps them from crinkling. "I don't recommend the parchment paper," she said. "It gets moist, and the wrinkles get impressed in the tortilla." Finally, we have a worthwhile way to reuse that pile of plastic bags under the sink!

Even though the process of making tortillas at home is fairly straightforward, there are a few tips and tricks worth knowing if you want to get perfect ones every time. One of the biggest mistakes commonly made with homemade tortillas is adding too much (or too little) water to the dough. When mixing, the dough should be just moist enough to hold together like a soft molding clay, but not so damp that it becomes paste-like. This is a crucial step, as overly wet dough will be impossible to form into balls, whereas dry dough will crumble easily.

You can also upgrade the texture of your homemade tortillas with one simple, traditional hack: mix the masa with tomatillo water. If you've got tomatillos on hand for making salsa verde, be sure to hold onto those husks — steeping them in hot water creates a uniquely acidic brew that can be used to relax the gluten in masa harina. The result is pliable, pillowy-soft corn tortillas that are still strong enough to be fully loaded with your favorite taco toppings.