Venezuelan Arepas

Instructions

1- Preheat oven to 410° F.

2- Pour the water into a large bowl.

3- Make sure it is room temperature.

4- Add the salt.

5- Blend well with a mixer, fork or spatula to make sure it dissolves well.

6- While you continue to beat the mixture, slowly add the corn meal—a little bit at a time.

7- Once all the flour is added, keep mixing until the corn meal, water and salt are thoroughly blended and dissolved.

8- Set aside the masa in its bowl.

9- Let it rest for 5 minutes so that the flour is thoroughly hydrated.

10- This type of corn flour does not have any gluten, so it doesn’t need to be kneaded.

11- The masa should be smooth, firm yet malleable.

12- While waiting for the 5 minutes’ rest, heat your budare (or comal, griddle, cast-iron pan or non-stick pan) over medium heat.

13- Coat with a little bit of the oil.

14- Fill a small bowl with water to wet your hands to make the arepas.

15- Take about 2 Tbsp of the masa in your damp hands.

16- The masa should fit easily in your palm so that it is easy to shape into a small ball.

17- Cross your hands, so that one is on top of the other, with the masa ball between them.

18- 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.

19- 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.

20- 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.

21- arepa making Place your arepas in batches on the preheated surface of your budare griddle or nonstick pan.

22- Let each side turn golden, about 4 to 5 minutes per side.

23- Check them often so that they don’t burn.

24- Once they are nicely browned on both sides, place the arepas on a baking sheet in your preheated oven for 10 minutes.

25- 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.

26- Serve arepas hot, whether you stuff with them with your choice of fillings or serve solo to accompany your favorite Venezuelan guiso or stew.