Are Masa Harina and Corn Flour the Same Thing?

While Masa harina and cornflour have a similar appearance, they are two different items. Cornflour is just maize that has been finely milled. Masa harina, on the other hand, is alkalized ground maize. While maize flour is suitable for breading and frying, it will not work when creating tortillas.

What’s the difference between corn flour and masa harina? They have a lot in common. Are they, in fact, the same thing? Is it possible to utilize them interchangeably?

Continue reading to find out more!

Are masa harina and maize flour the same thing?

No.

Maize flour is flour made from dried entire corn kernels that have been milled. It has a silky texture and is quite acceptable.

Corn flour offers baked products structure and is frequently combined with a binder such as eggs. It doesn’t taste very lovely uncooked, just like white or wheat flour. It’s excellent in every dish you make with it, whether you’re baking, cooking, or eating.

Corn flour is a versatile ingredient that may be used in various dishes, including bread, muffins, battered and fried delicacies, and much more. (source)

On the other hand, corn flour is not a substitute for all-purpose white flour. It may be used with whole wheat flour to produce noodles or bread in many circumstances. However, unless you enjoy the taste of maize, you might not want to use it to make cakes.

Experiment with tiny amounts of cornflour until you discover a taste you like.

Masa harina is a Mexican flour that is commonly used in cooking. “Dough flour” is the direct translation. It’s created from dried entire maize kernels and has a delicate, silky texture similar to corn flour.

The most essential distinction is that masa harina is cooked in limewater. Limewater is a calcium hydroxide solution, not a green citrus fruit.

By infusing the cornflour with calcium and niacin, the calcium hydroxide entirely transforms the chemical constitution of the cornflour. This makes it simpler to digest while also giving it a distinct taste. (source)

Masa harina is gluten-free by nature. Gluten is never added to corn masa or found in any product.

Another often asked issue is if maize masa or masa harina is gluten-free.

Can maize flour be used instead of masa harina?

No.

The traditional flour for corn tortillas, tamales, and other Mexican meals is masa harina. It differs from cornmeal and cornflour in terms of characteristics. The distinction is that masa harina is prepared using an alkaline solution, most often limewater.

Nixtamalization is the process of boiling maize in an alkaline solution.

The alkaline solution alters the final product’s taste and scent. It also improves the nutritional content of the kernels by removing the hulls. The procedure also makes the corn soft, making it simpler to incorporate into the dough.

If you’re going to make tortillas, you’ll need masa harina.

What happens if you use maize flour instead of wheat flour? You’ll either wind up with a tortilla that won’t keep together or one that is rubbery if it does.

If you’re going to make tortillas, you might want to consider investing in a tortilla press.

While making tortillas without a press is possible, creating big batches of tortillas with one is considerably more manageable. It’s also much more challenging to make tortillas flat enough using a rolling pin, in my experience.

Are cornmeal and cornflour the same thing?

Not at all.

They have very distinct textures, despite being both manufactured from milled, dried maize.

Cornmeal is substantially coarser and has a gritty texture. Any decent cornbread recipe needs it as a primary component. It’s also known as polenta and is similar to grits.

Corn flour has a fine grind and a silky smooth feel. Corn flour is created by pulverizing cornmeal to a fine powder. It’s often used in baking and as a frying coating.

The texture of cornmeal and corn flour differs significantly.

While they can be used interchangeably in some situations, such as breaded chicken, the texture will differ. In general, you should use whatever product a recipe specifies.

Cornmeal is commonly used in corn muffins and cornbread, for example. They would be significantly heavier and have a different feel on your tongue if cooked with maize flour. Consider it more like cake than cornmeal.

Corn flour is manufactured mainly from cornmeal. So, if you have any cornmeal on hand, grind it until it’s as fine as flour.

What’s the best way to prepare masa harina?

Unfortunately, masa harina cannot be made from maize flour or cornmeal.

Calcium hydroxide must be added before the whole corn kernel is processed into cornmeal or flour.

It can, however, be produced from scratch, although it is undoubtedly a labor of love. It’s usually prepared from yellow field corn called dent corn. This isn’t the sweet, delectable corn you’ll find at a summer barbecue.

Dent corn has a tough outer peel that will not soften even after hours of cooking. It’s also not easy to get your hands on it.

Because dent corn is difficult to come by, Great River Organic Milling’s whole grain corn is the next best thing.

It’s a 25-pound bag of corn, so be warned! You’ll be able to make so many tortillas that you won’t be able to shake a stick at them!

The good news is that dried maize may survive a year or more if kept dry and stored at room temperature. To keep the pests out, keep it well packed.

The maize is then treated with calcium hydroxide, which is the next stage in generating masa harina.

This is a critical stage. It’s what gives masa harina its distinctive flavor. It’s available on Amazon, and the best one to acquire is Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime (click to see the current Amazon pricing, but it’s inexpensive!).

Bring a pot of water and calcium hydroxide to a boil with the maize.

Take the corn off the stove, cover it, and set it aside to cool overnight.

You’ll mix it in a food processor until it combines into a thick dough after washing it numerous times.

That concludes our discussion.

You have masa harina now! This website has an excellent recipe for a more detailed, step-by-step method.

It’s a labor of love, but it’s not too harsh, and the results will be superior to store-bought masa harina.

Have I answered all of your Masa Harina and Cornflour questions?

We looked at masa harina and maize flour in this post.

Masa harina is a common ingredient in Mexican cuisine. It’s a dry dough used to produce fresh tortillas and another Mexican cuisine.

We looked at how they differed and if they could be used interchangeably. We also looked at how to make homemade masa harina. Cornmeal or corn flour cannot be created because the kernels must be treated with calcium hydroxide before grinding. However, the end product will be well worth the effort!

While maize flour makes an excellent gluten-free coating for fried meals, masa harina is the best choice for tortillas.

You may produce masa, which is the prepared dough after you’ve made masa harina. It will only keep in the refrigerator for approximately three days, but it should be OK.