Bob's Red Mill Golden Masa Harina Corn Flour, 22 oz, 4 Pack

Masa harina is corn flour with one extra step behind it: the kernels are cooked and steeped in limewater, a process called nixtamalization, before they are dried and ground. That step is what sets it apart from cornmeal and from plain corn flour, both of which are simply milled from dry corn. It is also the reason masa harina and warm water alone come together into a soft, pliable dough that holds its shape on the griddle.

The golden grind here carries a warm yellow color and a full toasted-corn flavor. Mix it with warm water and a little salt for tortillas pressed and cooked to order, or beat it with fat and broth for tamale dough. It also builds pupusas, sopes, and gorditas, and a spoonful whisked into a simmering pot thickens chili or pozole while deepening the corn flavor.

The four-bag pack suits a household that makes tortillas often, or a cook working through a batch of tamales.