Forget the microwave. That’s the devil’s steam bath, turning your tortillas into rubbery, sad little wafers. The oven is a gentle, embracing heat that makes the tortilla puff like a tiny, edible cloud. It’s the difference between a sad desk lunch and a fiesta in your mouth.
Here’s the surprising fact: corn tortillas are essentially dry masa dough. They need heat and moisture to relax their starch molecules. The oven does this evenly, without the burnt edges you get from a dry pan. It’s science, baby, but the delicious kind.