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I received mixed reviews on the electric tortilla press. The results are
listed below as the ideas are creative and could help the frustrated
home baker. Thanks everyone!


Original message: My attempts have cooked before I could press the
dough out larger or thinner than a pancake. Looks like I will have to
pay to ship it back.

I use an old fashioned non electric press, then cook it on a hot iron
griddle.

I've had the same problem.  I've had to roll my dough out thinner to
begin with.  I still haven't found a great recipe.  Have you one to
share?  Thanks.


I have one, and we use it a fair amount. It takes practice!
However, it makes great crepes with no practice at all -- my 8-year-old
makes them all the time on it. So far we do better when we make a
thin dough and let it pour into shape, then just use the press a bit to
cook the top side.

I have one...  I've used it a few times and can get it to press quite flat!!
It is tedious but can be done.  You really have to be careful but if you
press lightly the first few presses, keep turning the ball of dough and
then each time press a little harder you should be able to get them
thin.  Also, you don't want to hold the press tight for any longer than a
couple seconds per press.  Otherwise it will bubble and then the
tortilla gets too done and cracks.  Basically, I use tongs to hold the ball
in place the first couple of presses then hand turn it after each press...
HTH!!

p.s.  i also use a little more oil than called for to help keep it a little
softer.  but i've also ended up just making "crackers" if i cook it a little
too long!

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I have not used a tortilla press, but I did make corn tortillas by rolling
out dough for individual tortillas between two layers of parchment
paper.
It worked well.  I then cooked the tortillas on a hot, ungreased cast iron
skillet (a minute or less per side).  They were not as cripsy as I had
hoped for, so I covered them with chopped up vegies and baked them
like a tostada.  They were excellent!
I have also made "flour" tortillas using a rolling pin and a cast iron
skillet.  (I did not need parchment paper for these -- the dough had a
nice pliable texture).

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I have the tortilla press by villaware and it works great! You have to
press it several times while switching the dough around after each
press.
What I do is roll the dough in a ball and put it towards the back of the
press and then press down quickly and hard. Then I keep lifting it and
pressing it until it is the desired thickness, which is almost as thin as
anormal flour tortilla.
Have you thought maybe to try a different tortilla mix? What do you
use? I use Bette Hagman's rice flour tortilla mix.

That is exactly what I finally ended up doing, making a thin pourable
batter and pan cooking it.
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Mix some masa flour with some xanthan gum (about 1 tsp) and
maybe some salt, add water until it makes a dough. Then form it into a
patty. Press a little, turn it, press a little more.

Which came out decent ... but not really better than commercial corn
tortillas! For softer "flour" tortillas I use the crepe recipe, and sorghum
flour. I'm told the "Made by Mona" mixes work good too. Probably any
bread mix would work ok.

Using a baked potato mashed and mixed with some flour makes
lefse, which is about the easiest thing to work with. Add some dried
onions and salt and it's pretty tasty. However, I kind of like the "poured
batter" idea thebest, which works great if you have eggs in the batter.
The only reason I can think of not to use it is if you are allergic to eggs.

Also, if you just want to make some good wraps for not much work, the
"spring roll" wrappers are easier. Just dip them in hot water for a few
seconds, lay them on a towel, and fill them with something yummy.
Last timeI filled them with some leftover lettuce salad (lettuce,
avacado, vinegar)and it was rather good. But you can fill them with
yam noodles and greens,or stir fry , or whatever.

-----
I used Karen Robertson's flour tortilla recipe, which is listed on the
celiac.com Web site.  I highly recommend this recipe.  Not only are the
taste and texture both excellent, but the recipe also provides an
opportunity to play with dough that "feels" ands "rolls out" like a gluten
dough -- it's a wonderful thing!

Go to http://www.celiac.com/ and scroll down the page until you see
the link for "Karen Robertson's Gluten-Free Cooking Class".  Click on
this linkand you'll see another link for "Homemade Flour Tortillas".

Alternatively, you can go to the following URL and scroll down the page
for the recipe
http://www.celiac.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/st_main.html?p_catid=70

(BTW, the recipe calls for a Kitchenaid mixer. I don't have one, so I
used the "manual" setting on my bread machine and stopped the
machine after the dough was well-blended.  Worked like a charm!)

------
I wish I had thought to send mine back when I got it - it is always a big
job and a bigger disappointment, even using the unchanged recipe
with masa harina (I can accept that making the adjustments for rice
flour could be difficult, but I can't even make standard corn tortillas
with it - and it is not consistent, either - you think you've figured out just
the right pressure and timing, and the next one goes all lacy and
crappy - RETURN IT!

I had a Villa Ware and had the same result that it sounds like you had.
I guess our dough is just more finicky.  What else is new, right.
hahaha  I really don't mind doing it all by hand though.  Have just
learned to act like a Pilgrim! hahaha

Possilby you need to press the dough out first with a cold press &
then put in & cook...

For a manual press, my son had a recipe book that suggested
opening a freezer bag (heavier plastic) on 3 sides putting the dough
inside to keep from sticking while pressing.

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I have an electric tortilla maker made by Rival.  I have tried to make all
manner of tortillas with it, none with success.  I have tried tradtional
masa harina tortillas, tortillas made with chebe mix, GF flour
tortillas...they all kind of hiss and squeak, sometimes pop apart, and
never, ever get browned.

I've had far better success rolling them out with either tapioca flour or
between sheets of greased plastic wrap, then cooking them in a
slightly oiled non-stick pan.

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