Basic Masa Recipe for Tamales

Ingredients

• 4 cups of masa harina or corn flour (approximately 500 gm)
• 3-4 cups of broth or stock of your choice
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (optional)
• 225 gr of fat (approximately 1 1/4 cups (recipe with oil below))

Instructions

1. 1

   In a large bowl, combine masa harina, salt, and baking powder. Mix well.

2. 2

   Place the fat in a large bowl and beat at medium-high speed for about 5 minutes or until creamy and fluffy. Add half of the dry ingredients and continue beating on low speed until combined. The mixture will look a little sandy.

3. 3

   Add a cup of the broth and continue blending. Add the other half of the flour mixture and another cup of broth. Then, without stopping the beating, add broth until you achieve a soft dough with a spreadable consistency. It will look like soft peanut butter.

4. 4

   Taste for salt and adjust if necessary. The dough should be lightly salted to adjust for the salt that is lost during the steaming process.

5. 5

   If you want to spread the dough on the corn husks with your hands, leave it a little more solid, but if you want to spread it with a spoon, I recommend that it be a little looser.

6. 6

   Cover it with a dry or damp kitchen towel until ready to use to prevent it from drying out. But if you aren’t using it immediately, cover it tightly and put it in the refrigerator.