There are a few different options for sourcing masa for your tamales. You can buy pre-made masa dough (with the perfect consistency for tamales) at some ethnic grocery stores. But if you can’t source this product, you can use masa harina in place of masa. Masa harina is a widely available dried flour found in the Latin American section of most major grocery stores. It’s the same ingredient you would use to make homemade corn tortillas, but in this case, the tamales are bound together with a fat in addition to just water.

You’ll need 3 cups of masa, 2¼ cups of water or broth, and 1¼ cups of liquid fat for the perfect masa consistency. From there, you can tweak your recipe with seasonings, salt, and baking powder to get the ideal masa consistency. Just be sure to use masa harina — not just any plain flour — for your filling.