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Ever had a craving for those delicious, crusty Mexican rolls you find at your favorite Torta Shop? Well, you’ve come to the right place! This crispy, golden-crust, soft bolillo bread recipe is for you. Perfect for beginners and made just with five basic ingredients—no kneading, stretching, folding, or special shaping needed. With this step-by-step guide, you can quickly make delicious crispy, chewy rolls that taste like French baguettes and ciabatta.
What are Bolillos?
Bolillos are a type of white bread, similar to a French baguette, introduced to Mexico City by Emperor Maximilian’s cooks during the Second French Intervention in the 1860s, according to Wikipedia. And, it’s pronounced buh-lee-oh.
Compared to the French baguette, the Mexican Pan bolillos are shorter, wider, and shaped like an American football, with a similar golden brown crunchy crust and soft, chewy interior, and made from a simple ingredient that typically includes white flour, salt, yeast, and a touch of sugar, as in this recipe.
These savory rolls are a staple in Central American cuisine and often served alongside molletes (a Mexican breakfast sandwich with eggs, cheese, beans, avocado and hot sauce) or as the foundation for tortas. Bolillo is also perfect for dipping into stews and soups thanks to its soft interior that absorbs every drop of flavor.
Ingredients You’ll Need for Bolillo Bread
To make traditional Mexican bread recipe, you’ll need just a handful of simple ingredients:
- Flour: The key ingredient in this recipe. A high protein flour to create a soft and chewy texture. You can use either all-purpose or bread flour in this recipe. I prefer all-purpose flour since it’s usually more accessible.
- Water: Room temperature water suffices to make the dough of bolillo.
- Sea salt: to enhance the flavor.
- Yeast: You can use any type of yeast you have: instant dry, active dry, or baker’s yeast. If you use baker’s yeast, use three times the amount listed in the recipe. You can also use sourdough starter, but before you do check out the FAQ section below for more information.
- Sugar: An optional ingredient, but it’s recommended for this recipe. It helps create a golden crust and speeds up the fermentation process.
Related: Important ingredients in Baking Bread.
Overview: How To Make Mexican Bolillos in 4 Easy Steps
- Activate the yeast: Active dry yeast by mixing the instant yeast with water in a liquid measuring cup. Let it proof for about 5 minutes until the yeast activates and bubbles. (This step verifies that the yeast is ready to use). When using baker’s yeast, distribute it evenly into the flour by rubbing it in with your hands.
- Knead the dough: Mix the yeast mixture with flour, salt and sugar in your stand mixer. Knead on low speed for 6 minutes, then on medium speed for 8 minutes (to create the gluten network). The result is a smooth, slightly sticky dough. Check the texture of the dough as you increase the speed of your stand mixer. If you don’t get this texture, consider adding more flour or water, depending on your texture.
- Shape the bolillos: Flatten the dough with your hand. Then, fold the bottom corners of the dough towards the middle, making a triangular shape. (The dough should be in the shape of a pentagon at this point). Roll out the dough to a length between 6-7 inches (15-18 centimeters) and ensure you seal the seams by pinching them together.
- Bake: Steam the oven and bake the bolillos at a high temperature 480°F (250°C). Then, remove the tray of water and bake for another 5 minutes at a lower temperature 350°F (170°C).
Baking Tips for the Perfect Bolillo
For the best result use a high protein flour to give your roll a better texture. Allow the dough to rise twice, once after kneading and again after shaping, to create a soft, chewy interior. Place a tray of water in the oven’s bottom to create a steamy environment. This steam will help develop the signature golden brown and crisp exterior of your bolillo rolls. For an extra boost, spray your bolillos with water just before baking.
Tools You’ll Need to Make Bolillo
To make this bolillo recipe at home, you need a few essential tools that can make the process much easier. A stand mixer helps with the kneading, especially to create the gluten network with no extra work. For baking, I recommend using these two half-sheet pans, which allow your rolls to bake evenly and provide space for multiple batches. Accurate measurements are key, so having a kitchen scale, liquid measuring cups and measuring cups and spoons are recommended. Finally, a bench scraper or bowl scraper makes handling and dividing the dough so much easier.
FAQs
What Makes Mexican Bread Bolillo Different from French Bread?
Although they share the same texture, Bolillo differs from French bread in its shorter, wider shape, which makes it perfect for popular Mexican dishes like tortas and molletes. Baguette, on the other hand, are long and narrow loaf often accompany traditional French meals. Another difference can be found between bolillo and baguette is that bolillo is made with a slightly different recipe, including a bit of sugar, which gives them a slightly sweet taste. Both types of bread are ideal for a variety of dishes including French toast and grilled cheese.
Why Steam is Essential for a Crispy Crust?
Natural steam makes the crust crispy and crunchy due it keeps the dough moist during the first minutes of baking. The steam’s moisture helps the dough expand fully before the crust sets. As the steam evaporates, the crust becomes crispy. Without steam, the crust would form too quickly, making the bread denser and less crunchy.
Can I make Bolillo with sourdough ?
You can definitely make sourdough pan bolillos! Sourdough adds a tangy flavor and a great texture to the bread. To make sourdough bolillos, you’ll need to use 80 grams of active sourdough starter and adjust your recipe. Make sure to stretch and fold the dough every 30 minutes for the first 90 minutes. Also, keep the oven humid while baking for the best crust.
How to Store and Freeze Bolillos?
The storing of bolillos is very similar to those for keeping baguette fresh. let them cool completely. Then, store them in a bread box or linen bag for up to 3 days. To freeze bolillos, place them in an airtight bag and remove as much air as possible before sealing. When you’re ready to eat them, take them out of the freezer and bake them in a hot oven (400°F) after spraying them with water.
Crusty Bolillo Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups All-purpose Flour
- 2 cups Water
- ½ tbsp Salt
- ½ tbsp Instant Yeast
- ½ tbsp Sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the yeast: Mix instant yeast with warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes. This will activate the yeast and get it ready to use in the recipe.
- Knead the dough: Combine the yeast mixture, flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand. Knead the dough for 6 minutes on low speed and then 8 minutes on medium speed in a stand mixer. (the dough should be a little sticky at this stage.)
- Sprinkle some flour on your work surface. Take the dough out of the bowl, dust it with flour, shape it into a ball, cover it with a napkin. Then, let it rise for about 30 minutes until it doubles in size.
- Shape the bolillos: Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces of about 3.5 – 4 Oz (100 grams). Roll out and leave to rest for 15 minutes (to make it easier to shape). Shape the dough into a bolillo shape (like in the pictures above) and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Repeat with the remaining dough. Cover again with a napkin or kitchen towel and let the bolillos rise for 45 minutes.
- Create the steaming oven: After letting the dough rise for about 30 minutes. Place a baking tray filled with 2 cups of water on the bottom rack of your oven.
- Preheat the oven to 480°F (250°C).
- Bake: Spray or wash the bolillos with water. Place them in the oven and bake for 10 minutes at 480°F (250°C), then 5 minutes at 350°F (170°C).
