Add vegetable shortening or lard. Or use a combination of half lard, half shortening.
Use a fork or a pastry cutter to cut in the shortening or just do it the old fashioned
way and use your hands.

Next add warm water a little at a time until your dough is soft and not sticky. You do
not need very hot water.

Knead the dough for a few minutes.

Now you will pull off pieces of dough to form about 12 small dough balls. Let them
rest for at least 10 minutes, longer if you like.

This is a good time to heat up the comal. You will want to set it at medium to high
heat. If it is too hot the tortillas will cook too fast.

Now you can roll out the dough with your tortilla rolling pin or palote. It is a good
idea to dust each ball with a little flour just before you roll them out. Lay the palote
in the center of the dough ball and roll up, center and roll down. It is good to lift the
dough and turn it. Again, rolling pin in the center and roll. Roll them out fairly thin.

Lay your tortilla on the hot comal. It takes just a few seconds to cook. Flip to the other
side. When they are done it should have lots of nice brown speckles. Place them in a
towel. If you would like you can use a tortilla warmer to keep them warm longer.
They are ready to be served!
References :
Family recipe

The traditional tortilla is made from corn/masa finely ground white corn meal. However, many Americans are more familiar with the flour variety.

It is a real treat to see them use a small amount of dough and press it between the metal plates. Then heat them on a hot plate and serve them in a terra cotta covered dish.

I went to a great family owned restaurant in Las Vegas where they prepared fresh tortillas in the front of the restaurant and also deep fried them for chips and salsa. What a treat !!
References :

4.25 pecks of white corn (Translator’s note: 5 "maquilas")
100 grams (Translator’s note: about 3.5 oz) limestone

Utensils:

Metate (Translator’s note: stone mortar and pestle)
Tortilla press (Translator’s note: _anyone_ can make a tortilla this way
Plastic sheets of slightly larger diameter than tortilla press
Griddle

Preparation:

Cook corn in a can or pot with water and limestone (Translator’s note, this takes hours, and is typically left overnight)
When the corn skins can be peeled remove from fire and add more water.
Cover and allow to "steam cook."
Rinse corn and grind to make dough.
Mix well and make small dough balls. Place on tortilla press between plastic sheets to avoid sticking. Press tortilla and bake on griddle.
Turn twice and remove when "puffed."
References :