Titiyas

About This Recipe

Titiyas (pronounced tih-TEE-yas) are the traditional flatbread of Chamorro cuisine — the indigenous food culture of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Made with either masa harina (nixtamalized corn flour) or all-purpose flour, enriched with coconut milk, and kissed with a touch of sugar, they are cooked on a dry griddle until soft, pliable, and lightly speckled with pale-tan spots from the heat. The result is something softer than a Mexican tortilla but chewier than a flatbread, with a subtle sweetness and a faint coconut fragrance that lingers. Titiyas are the essential table companion in Chamorro cooking — the vessel for kelaguen (grilled chicken cured in lemon and coconut), the starchy backdrop for red rice and barbecue, and the preferred vehicle for chicken kelaguen at fiestas. There are two distinct versions: the corn titiyas (made with masa harina) is heartier with an earthy nixtamal flavour, while the flour titiyas is lighter and chewier, more like a thick flour tortilla, and is currently the most widely made at home and sold commercially on Guam. The technique is simple but the ratios matter: the dough should be soft and just barely sticky — too much flour produces tough, cracker-like titiyas, while too little produces dough that clings to the rolling surface. Coconut milk (preferably full-fat) is the ingredient that distinguishes titiyas from other flatbreads: it enriches the dough, tenderises the gluten slightly, and imparts the characteristic sweetness that makes these flatbreads so moreish. The griddle must be dry and hot — no oil — because adding oil changes the cooking dynamic from gentle steaming to shallow frying, altering the final texture.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2 cupsmasa harina (or all-purpose flour)
• 1/2 cupcoconut milk
• 1 tbspsugar
• 1/2 tspsalt
• 2-4 tbspwarm water (as needed)

Instructions

1. 1

   Combine dry ingredients

   Place the masa harina (or all-purpose flour), sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk together until evenly distributed. Make a well in the centre.

2. 2

   Add wet ingredients and mix

   Pour the coconut milk into the well and mix with your hands or a fork, bringing the flour from the edges into the centre. Add warm water one tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition, until the dough just comes together into a soft, pliable ball. The dough should feel like Play-Doh — soft but not sticky enough to coat your palms.

   Masa harina absorbs liquid differently than flour — it takes a minute for it to fully hydrate. Give the dough a 2-minute rest after initial mixing before deciding if more water is needed.

3. 3

   Rest the dough

   Form the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap, and rest for 10 minutes at room temperature. This rest period allows the masa or flour to fully hydrate and the gluten (in flour titiyas) to relax, making rolling much easier and the final texture more tender.

4. 4

   Divide and shape

   Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces (about 50 g each) and roll each into a smooth ball. Working on a lightly floured surface (or between two sheets of cling film), press or roll each ball into a round about 15–16 cm in diameter and 2–3 mm thick. They do not need to be perfectly round — slight irregularity is authentic.

   A tortilla press wrapped in plastic sheeting makes shaping fast and consistent, but a rolling pin and two sheets of plastic wrap work equally well.

5. 5

   Heat the griddle

   Heat a dry cast-iron skillet, comal, or heavy non-stick pan over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until a drop of water flicked onto the surface bounces and evaporates immediately. No oil is used — a dry, hot surface is what creates the characteristic light speckle pattern on the titiyas surface.

6. 6

   Cook the titiyas

   Place one titiyas in the dry pan. Cook for 60–90 seconds on the first side — you will see the edges begin to look dry and the surface start to puff in small bubbles. Flip and cook for another 60 seconds on the second side until you see small brown speckles and the titiyas is cooked through but still soft and pliable. Adjust heat if they're browning too quickly.

7. 7

   Keep warm and serve

   Stack the cooked titiyas on a plate and wrap in a clean kitchen cloth or foil to keep them soft and warm — stacking creates gentle steam that keeps them pliable. Serve warm alongside kelaguen, red rice, or Chamorro barbecue. Titiyas should be soft enough to fold and scoop without cracking.

Variations

• •

  Flour titiyas (softer, chewier): replace masa harina with 2 cups of all-purpose flour — this is the most commonly made version on Guam today and is slightly more tender with a subtler flavour.

• •

  Desiccated coconut version: add 3 tablespoons of desiccated coconut to the dough for visible coconut pieces and a more pronounced coconut flavour — popular at fiestas.

• •

  Sweet titiyas: increase sugar to 3 tablespoons and add 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract for a dessert-style titiyas eaten with butter and honey.

• •

  Gluten-free: use certified gluten-free masa harina (most masa harina is naturally gluten-free, but verify the brand) and stick to the corn version — it is inherently gluten-free.

Storage

Titiyas keep well wrapped in foil or a sealed bag at room temperature for 1 day. Refrigerate for up to 3 days, keeping them wrapped tightly so they do not dry out. Reheat on a dry hot pan for 30–45 seconds per side to restore softness, or microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel for 15 seconds. Titiyas freeze excellently for up to 2 months — stack with parchment paper between each one and seal in a freezer bag; thaw at room temperature for 10 minutes then reheat on a dry pan.

Frequently Asked Questions