Instruction

• Preheat oven to 410° F
• Pour the water into a large bowl
• Make sure it is room temperature
• Add the salt
• Blend well with a mixer, fork or spatula to make sure it dissolves well
• While you continue to beat the mixture, slowly add the corn meal—a little bit at a time
• Once all the flour is added, keep mixing until the corn meal, water and salt are thoroughly blended and dissolved
• Set aside the masa in its bowl
• Let it rest for 5 minutes so that the flour is thoroughly hydrated
• This type of corn flour does not have any gluten, so it doesn’t need to be kneaded
• The masa should be smooth, firm yet malleable
• While waiting for the 5 minutes’ rest, heat your budare (or comal, griddle, cast-iron pan or non-stick pan) over medium heat
• Coat with a little bit of the oil
• Fill a small bowl with water to wet your hands to make the arepas
• Take about 2 Tbsp of the masa in your damp hands
• The masa should fit easily in your palm so that it is easy to shape into a small ball
• Cross your hands, so that one is on top of the other, with the masa ball between them
• Rotate your right hand in a circle, so that you are at the same time both pressing the masa into a flat disc and keeping its round shape
• arepa making The last step in shaping your arepa is to quickly pass and lightly press the masa disc from one hand to the other until it is about ¾ of an inch thick and 4 inches wide
• Smooth the edges with your fingertips (quickly dip them into the water bowl first) so that they stay as round as possible and without cracks
• arepa making Place your arepas in batches on the preheated surface of your budare griddle or nonstick pan
• Let each side turn golden, about 4 to 5 minutes per side
• Check them often so that they don’t burn
• Once they are nicely browned on both sides, place the arepas on a baking sheet in your preheated oven for 10 minutes
• They should be somewhat puffy, so that if you tap an arepa lightly on top, it will sound like you are tapping an empty box
• Serve arepas hot, whether you stuff with them with your choice of fillings or serve solo to accompany your favorite Venezuelan guiso or stew