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Do you want to improve your restaurant’s house-made tortillas? Then consider the Tortilla Industry Association’s hands-on course for making corn and flour tortillas on December 3-5 in Los Angeles.
The course combines theoretical knowledge with a practical understanding of what gives tortillas their physical properties. Students receive theoretical instruction part of each day and then mix their own dough, including different variations, before feeding their dough into a restaurant-size combined press/tortilla oven to see the results. See the entire agenda below.
The event will be held at the Southern California Gas Company’s training center in Downey. Students will receive a diploma on completion, plus a USB stick with all class handouts and PowerPoints in both English and Spanish. The tuition is $795 per student.
The TIA has arranged special low rates at the Embassy Suites hotel in Downey within walking distance of the class. You can see a detailed Agenda and Syllabus, as well as register and book your hotel, all at this link HERE
These classes sell out quickly as space is limited so don’t miss out!
Day one - Tuesday, Dec 3
8:00 to 8:30 Orientation and course objectives
8:30 to 9:15 Defining tortilla quality:
- What makes a good product
- How do we measure and describe product defects?
9:15 to 10:15 Flour tortilla formulation:
- Common ranges of ingredients
- How to create and modify a formulation
10:15 to 10:30 Break
10:30 to 11:30 Wheat Milling and Flour:
- How flour is produced
- Why flour quality changes
- How to measure and adjust for quality variations to
produce consistent quality of dough and finishing product.
11:30 to Noon Preparations for hands-on activities
- Assign teams and responsibilities
- Orientation to kitchen
Noon to 1:00 Lunch break
1:00 to 5:00 Hands-on production of flour tortillas- Ingredient variations on
Hot-pressed tortillas
5:00 to 5:30 Post-lab comments and questions
5:30 PM Cocktail Reception
Day two - Wednesday, Dec 4
8:00 to 9:15 Application of Enzymes, Emulsifiers, and Gums in flour tortillas
- Definition and sources
- Benefits of using
- Labeling concerns
- Observe demonstrations
9:15 to 10:15 Chemical leavening:
- Understand the __magic-- of baking powder
- Understand options when using baking powders
- Observe demonstrations
10:15 to 10:30 Break
10:30 to Noon Score class:
- Teams present products made yesterday
- Understand causes and effects of variations
- How might changes in formulation and process improve?
Noon to 1:00 Lunch break
1:00 to 2:15 Control of the mixing process
- Objectives of mixing
- How to manage the process when flour changes
- How to control water temperature and dough temperature
- How to choose the right mixer for the job
2:15 to 2:30 Break
2:30 to 4:00 Traditional process of corn tortilla production
- Selection of corn
- Corn cooking, steeping, washing, and grinding
4:00 to 5:00 Use of pre-cooked corn flour (masa flour)
- How it is made
- Available options
- Advantages and disadvantages
5:00 to 5:30 Questions and answers
5:30 PM Adjourn
Day three - Thursday, Dec 5
8:00 to 9:00 Hands-on corn cooking
-- Participate in formulating and doing a corn cook
-- Observe demonstrations of differences in cooking temperature, steeping time, and formulation
9:00 to 10:00 Hands-on production of corn tortillas
- Wash, drain, and grind -- Divide and form -- Bake and observe
10:00 to 10:15 Break
10:15 to 10:30 Post-lab comments
10:30 to Noon Observe and discuss variations of controlled lab tests
- Ingredient variations
- Process variations
- Impact on shelf life
Noon to 1:00 Lunch break
1:00 to 2:30 Flour Tortilla Production after mixing
- Hot-press, die cut, and hand stretch options
- Equipment available
- Controlling the process
2:30 to 2:45 Break
2:45 to 4:00 Flour tortilla troubleshooting
4:00 to 5:00 Corn tortilla troubleshooting
5:00 to 5:30 Questions and Answers
5:30 PM Awarding of Certificates / End of program / GROUP PHOTOS
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