Masa para Pupusas (Pupusa Dough)

Ingredients

• 6 cups hot water (it must be hot—this is what makes the dough come out softer, with a better texture)
• 5 1/2 cups instant corn masa flour (masa harina, e.g. Maseca)
• a little oil, for shaping

Directions

• In a bowl, pour in the 6 cups of hot water. Add the 5 1/2 cups of masa harina.
• With clean hands, knead the masa until it is completely free of lumps. The perfect texture is not hard, but not too wet either—soft and smooth.
• To form each pupusa, wet your hands well with a little oil. Take a ball of masa and, using your knuckles and fingertips, press a well into the center to hold the filling.
• Add your filling, then bring the masa up and over the top to seal it, pinching off any excess so the pupusa doesn't come out too thick.
• Round the ball back up before patting it flat between your palms, then griddle.

This is the masa (dough) recipe only—the creator's filling is in a separate video. Hot water is the key to a soft, non-cracking dough. Method transcribed from the video (Spanish) and cleaned. From Dilia Avila on Instagram.