Overview
There are two types of tortillas, flour-based and corn-based. An example of the process used to produce each is below:
Flour Tortillas:
Ingredients are combined in a large mixer to create the dough. The dough is fed through a rounder, which creates small, round dough balls by weight. The tortillas may be pressed or hand shaped. If the press method of shaping is used, the tortillas are flattened by two hot plates. Otherwise, if the tortillas are hand stretched, the dough balls a fed through a roller that flattens the balls into an oblong shape. The tortillas are then manually stretched into a circular shape. The raw tortillas are cooked in an oven, and immediately cooled, before being packaged and sold. (Los Amigos Tortilla Mfg. Inc.)
Corn Tortillas:
Corn kernels are combined with water in a large vat and the mixture is heated by steam injection. After the corn is fully cooked, it is allowed to steep in the warm water for approximately eight hours. The corn is washed and coarsely ground to create a paste called masa. The masa is pressed, cut, and cooked in the three-tier oven. The tortillas are cooled to prevent over-baking, packaged, and sold. (Los Amigos Tortilla Mfg. Inc.)
Major Processes
Major Equipment
Natural Gas Technologies
More Information
US Government Census Data for the Tortilla Industry http://www.census.gov/prod/ec97/97m3118g.pdf
Source: Overview Text from http://www.sentech.org/CHP4foodprocessing/bakeries.htm#tortillas 4/2007; Overview photo from http://www.losamigos.com/index.htm 4/2007;