I cracked the code for great homemade tortillas

 Been a fan of Mexican cuisine for more than 50 years. Several times along the way I've bought bags of "Masa Harina" to try making my own corn tortillas. It never really worked out. I'll spare you the details because I've finally gotten the winning formula. It's not difficult, really!

What you'll need 

What follows is a description of what works for me. Experienced chefs will know how to adjust for the tools they have on hand. If you're a rank beginner, please follow these directions closely before you tell me they don't work. 

Here's the list: 

• The right kind of cornmeal. I stumbled onto this stuff and it seems to work much better, and taste much better, than the usual Masa Harina: https://pancorn.com/english/recipes.php. My personal choice was the whole grain option, but they have others.
• A good kitchen scale. Accurate digital scales have gotten so cheap that there's no excuse for not having one. (Side note: every recipe that specifies "cups" of anything needs to change to "grams".) 
• A tortilla press.  There are many options but most fail IMO because they don't ensure consistent thickness. I modified my press to fix this problem (I'm considering offering this mod as a service, so let me know if you're interested.)
  
• A hot, dry cooking surface. The "comal" is traditional, but not necessary. I have one, but find that a cast-iron skillet works just as well. 
• An induction cooking plate. Again, not necessary but works terrifically to maintain the right cooking temperature of 350–400°F. 

Procedure: 

• First, disregard the package directions. On my bag of whole-grain cornmeal, they specified 2.5 cups of water for 2 cups of meal. This results in a sticky dough that is difficult to work with. I found that 2.25 cups of water worked much better.  
• 1 cup of meal = 160 grams, and will make six 6" tortillas.
  
• Follow the package directions for kneading and resting. I rest it for at least 10 minutes. 
• Heat your cooking surface as described above. 
  
• Line your tortilla press with plastic wrap. 
• For my 6" press, it takes 65–70 grams of dough to make a tortilla. YMMV. The most important thing is to have consistent thickness. Use your hands to roll the dough into a sphere and place it near the hinge of your press. If you try to go too thin, you will probably have problems. 
• Carefully peel the tortilla from the plastic wrap and slap it hard onto the heated cooking surface. This is a satisfying move!
  
• From here, you're on your own. With a nicely hot pan, it should take less than a minute to cook the first side. Experience must be your guide. 
• Use a metal spatula to turn the tortilla, because you may have to scrape hard to undo any sticking. 
• Once the other side is done, you're good to go. Enjoy!