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1
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
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2
In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together well, until the mixture is very smooth.
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3
Don't worry if the dough appears wet.
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4
Let the mixture rest, covered, for about 5-10 minutes, to give the cornmeal time to absorb some of the liquid.
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5
The dough should be smooth and easy to handle, without sticking to your hands.
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6
If the dough seems too dry, you can add a little bit more water or milk.
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7
Knead the dough for several minutes and let rest again for 5 minutes.
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8
Or if the dough is too wet to handle, add a small amount of masarepa, knead until smooth, and let the dough rest for 5 minutes more.
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9
Take pieces of the dough and shape them with your hands into round disks, about 2 cm thick, and 3 to 3 1/2 inches in diameter.
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10
When shaping the arepas, repair any cracks along the edges with your fingers (moistening your fingers with water will help).
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11
If the dough is cracking a lot as you shape it, knead some more liquid into the dough until it can be shaped into disks without forming large cracks.
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12
Lightly grease the surface of a large heavy skillet (cast iron works well) with vegetable oil and heat the skillet over medium heat.
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13
Place the arepas into the skillet in batches, and turn heat down to medium low.
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14
Cook until the arepas are lightly browned on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side.
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15
Place arepas on a cookie sheet, then place them in the preheated oven for about 8-10 minutes (to finish cooking the inside of the arepas without burning them).
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16
Serve warm, with butter or cheese.
