My Typical Empanada Masa Recipe

Written by on 06 May 2024

A non traditional colombian masa recipe

Summary

Ingredients:
Instructions:
Tips:

This recipe is based on the traditional Colombian empanada masa. This masa was customized based on flavors learned while living on the coast region of Colombia.

This recipe yields enough dough for about 10-12 empanadas.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups (180g) precooked cornmeal (harina pan or arepa harina)
1.5 cups (–) water
1 teaspoon salt
1 packet tricompleto
1 packet color or achiote

Instructions:

Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl, dump in your Arepa Repa, salt, color, and tricompleto.
Add water: Just dump the water in there with the dry ingredients.

Pro Tip: You want the water and masa to be roughly 1:1. Don’t deviate from this. Don’t get cute.

A Masar: I guess this is considered kneading. But in spanish it’s “masar”. Just mix stuff together, squeeze dough between your fingers. Scrape the side of the bowl. No elbow grease needed, just minimal. mix it up. no more maybe 30 seconds. dont over process it, messes with texture.
Rest the masa: Go do something else for 5 minutes before using it. fry some vegetables or something. come back.

Tips:

Make sure your water is hot when incorporating it into the dough. This helps activate the starches in the cornmeal and creates a better texture.
Don’t overwork the dough. Knead it just until it comes together and is smooth. Overkneading can make the dough tough.
If you’re not planning on using the dough right away, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.