Measure masa into a bowl. Add salt. Start with 1 1/4 cups water, adding more a tablespoon at a time until you get to a workable consistency where you can ball up a piece with your fingers that will stick together and not crumble back apart. Add water until it is NOT crumbly at all, but try to not add too much or your tortillas will be sticky and hard to work with. Divide into 12 small balls.

Cover the balls of dough with a damp cloth to keep them from drying out while you’re cooking.

Place a cast iron skillet on high heat. (Cast iron works best–you need something that can take high heat with no oil.) Open the tortilla press and lay a piece of plastic wrap across the bottom of it. Place a ball of masa toward the hinged end. (Not in the middle! I’ve found that placing it toward the hinge created much nicer, rounder tortillas.) Place another piece of plastic on top and close the press, pushing down on it to flatten the ball. Peel off the plastic carefully. NOTE: A less flimsy alternative is to cut apart a gallon-size baggie and use the two pieces instead of plastic wrap.

Fry each side about one minute on high heat. I do the first side another 20-30 seconds after the second side. Keep the operation moving–-as you’re frying one tortilla, press another. Move each tortilla as it’s finished onto a plate or into a tortilla keeper and cover.