How To Use Corn Flour, Cornmeal and Masa Harina

Is cornstarch the same as corn flour?

No, cornstarch is not the same as corn flour. Cornstarch, the fine white powder used for thickening sauces and coating foods. It is made from the starchy part of the corn and you can learn more about it in the second post of this series, How To Use Starch in gluten free baking.

Fun Fact for Gluten Free Cooks: In the UK the word cornflour (or corn flour) refers to North American cornstarch. If you're making a recipe from a UK blog that calls for cornflour, it means cornstarch. If you mistakenly use corn flour, the recipe might work but will not likely give the intended result. Trust me, I've done it!

Corn Flour vs Cornmeal

The main difference between these is the grind. Corn flour and cornmeal can be used separately or together in many different recipes.

Recipes Using Corn Flour

Corn flour can be used in both sweet and savoury recipes. It also works well for breading meat, fish and vegetables.

• I use corn flour (and cornmeal) in my basic cornbread recipe and it's many variations: Cornmeal Raspberry Muffins, Cornbread Chorizo Stuffing and Cornbread Sausage Stuffing Balls.
• In my breaded Calamari I combine corn flour and masa harina. Corn flour is also said to make a nice light tempura batter, I just haven't tried it yet.
• Recipes for gluten free pasta dough and pizza dough can include corn flour.
• Corn fritters, corn pancakes, corn waffles, corn flour cookies and cakes can are all recipes featuring corn flour, cornmeal or a combination of the two.

Where To Buy Cornmeal

Online Bob's Red Mill and Arrowhead brands advertise gluten free cornmeal. In Canada, Clic brand sometimes displays the certified gluten free symbol on their cornmeal and corn flour packages. It seems inconsistent so read the label every time.

What's The Difference Between Polenta and Grits

Manufacturers label food for the purpose of selling it. In an effort to help consumers a package of cornmeal may say polenta or grits. It may in fact be ground to a different degree, or not. It may or may not be from a different type of corn. Like so many food topics, the more you research the deeper it gets. For the purpose of this series, we simply want to be able to buy the right ingredient to cook the dishes we like.

Polenta is coarsely ground yellow corn and the cooked dish made from it is also called polenta. Sometimes described as cornmeal mush, polenta can be made from any cornmeal. You do not have to buy a bag labeled polenta.

Grits is a coarse porridge dish that is a specialty in the southern U.S. It is made with coarsely ground white corn (but sometimes yellow). The grind can vary and it is usually made from dent corn. It can also be made from hominy corn, a treatment where the corn is soaked in a solution, similar to how masa harina is treated.

Recipes Using Cornmeal

In baked goods cornmeal is often combined with corn flour or a gluten free flour blend. This will result in a finer texture compared to recipes made with cornmeal alone.

• I use my EGFG flour blend and cornmeal for this classic corn dog recipe.
• My basic cornbread includes cornmeal and can be made with corn flour or a gluten free flour blend.
• Three variations of my basic cornbread recipe include Cornbread Chorizo Stuffing, Cornbread Sausage Stuffing Balls and Cornmeal Berry Muffins.
• I bread this recipe for Sesame Baked Chicken two ways; one of them is with cornmeal.
• Polenta, an Italian dough made from cornmeal, can be served as a warm breakfast cereal, a base for any number of toppings from meaty ribs to mushroom ragout, shaped into a pizza crust, fried in sticks like French fries and even grilled.
• You can buy large tubes of cooked polenta that can be sliced and grilled, fried or baked. This is an easy gluten free option if you like polenta. I've done this but for some reason, I've never posted a recipe with polenta.
• Add Shrimp and Grits, a classic southern dish, to your list of naturally gluten free foods to try. Like polenta, there are many ways to serve grits.

Watch my YouTube video: How To Use Corn Flour, Cornmeal and Masa Harina

What is Masa Harina

Masa harina literally means dough flour. It is the dry flour used to make fresh masa dough. Masa is made from corn that has been treated with slaked lime. The process is called nixtamalization and that is what contributes to the distinctive flavour. If you've tasted corn tortillas or tamales made with masa dough you know what I mean.

The soft pliable dough is simply made by adding water and salt, the amounts are written right on the bag.

Tips for Buying and Using Masa

Maseca is a popular brand of masa harina as seen in the photo above. Bags of masa can be found in Mexican and Latin American specialty food shops as well as online including Bob's Red Mill masa harina.

I see some blogs have recipes listing maseca as the ingredient. Use any brand of masa harina if you see that.

Recipes Using Masa Harina

• Make homemade Corn Tortillas for Pork Carnitas, Fish Tacos, Turkey Tacos, Crab Quesadillas and more.
• I use masa to thicken the Ancho Chile Gravy I serve with my holiday turkey. Since I make LOTS I created this poutine recipe that I sometimes top with shredded leftover turkey.
• Tamales are masa dough wrapped around some tasty morsel that is then wrapped in a dried corn husk and steamed. This requires time and it is a fun project for a kitchen party. When I have that party in my kitchen I'll be sure to take pictures and post the recipe.

Equipment for Tortillas

Masa dough can be pressed into tortillas and served flat or shaped into a taco shell. A tortilla press makes this job simple but tortillas can be flatten between two frying pans or rolled flat with a rolling pin.

How To Use Gluten Free Flour: A 12-Part Series

This series is intended to provide a basic overview of ingredients for everyday home cooks, both new and experienced.

1. How To Use Rice Flour in Gluten Free Baking
2. Starch in Gluten Free Baking
3. Millet Flour and Sorghum Flour
4. Corn Flour, Cornmeal and Masa Harina
5. Almond Flour and Quinoa Flour
6. Binders in Gluten Free Baking
7. Chickpea Flour
8. Teff Flour
9. Buckwheat Flour
10. Coconut Flour
11. Oat Flour
12. A Gluten Free Flour Blend