Craving a crusty bread roll with a soft, fluffy interior? These Mexican bolillos, are just what you are looking for because they are made with basic ingredients and taste amazing.
If you enjoy this Mexican recipe I think you will also love these other Mexican bread recipes for telera rolls and mantecadas.
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About
Bolillos are a type of Mexican bread rolls also known as pan francés (French bread). French bakers who immigrated to Mexico in the 1800s heavily influenced the native bakers, and bolillos evolved as a variation of the traditional French baguette.
The name is pronounced as bow-LEE-yoh.
Ingredients
Fortunately, Mexican bolillos are made from just a few basic pantry ingredients. If you don't have lard, feel free to substitute it with vegetable shortening or even olive oil.
- Bread Flour: you'll get the highest rise and fluffiest texture by using bread flour. All-purpose flour has a lower protein content and will not yield the same result.
- Yeast: fast-action or instant yeast is the easiest kind to use, because you don't need to bloom it in warm water and sugar before using.
- Lard: this is the traditional fat used in Mexican bolillos. It makes the bread soft and moist.
- Sugar and salt: a hint of sugar in bread dough doesn't make it sweet, but simply softens the texture while the sat adds flavor and keeps the yeast from working too quickly.
- Water: one of the key ingredients in bread. Using warm water (115 F) jump starts the yeasts' growth.
How to Make
- Pour the flour into a mixing bowl and add the salt and yeast on opposite sides of the bowl. Stir in each one, making sure that the salt doesn't touch the yeast. If it does, it can kill the yeast.
- Add the sugar and lard and mix until blended. Gradually add enough of the warm water until a slightly sticky dough has formed. Mix until all the flour is picked up from the bottom of the bowl.
3. Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes. Check it with the windowpane test, which is stretching a lump of dough until it's translucent without it tearing. Shape the kneaded dough into a ball, place it in a greased bowl, and cover it with plastic wrap.
4. Let it rise until at least doubled in size, about 1 hour.
5. Punch down the dough and divide it into 10 equal pieces, then roll each one into a ball. Gently roll each ball with your hands, tapering the ends to create an oblong shape.
6. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let them rise until they're springy to the touch, about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 425°F and put a metal pan on the bottom shelf of the oven to heat up.
Just before the Mexican bolillos go in the oven, cut a lengthwise slash on top of each one with a lame (affiliate) or sharp serrated knife. This controls how the rolls expand in the oven, preventing them from splitting.
7. Bake one tray at a time at 425°F for 20 minutes. As soon as you put the Mexican bolillos in the oven, pour 1-2 cups of water into the metal pan, creating steam in the oven as the rolls bake. Remove the steam pan after 10 minutes of baking to allow the rolls to brown better.
8. Let the Mexican bolillos cool completely on a wire rack before enjoying, about 30 minutes so the bread finishes cooking inside or it will be stodgy.
Recipe FAQs
Many people use the same dough recipe for bolillos and teleras, but they are not the same bread. The key difference between these two Mexican breads is in the shape. Telera rolls have a shell-like appearance made by two indentations in the dough, while bolillos are shaped like a football. The other main difference is that bolillo bread has a thin, crispy crust, unlike teleras.
Like most bread, Mexican bolillos are healthy in moderation. If you're trying to eat healthier, you can always substitute some of the white flour for whole wheat flour. Just realize that the texture, rise, and taste will be quite different if you use whole wheat flour.
These Mexican rolls are commonly used for tortas, which are sandwiches made from mashed black beans, meat, avocado, and other toppings. You can also enjoy bolillos as dinner rolls with butter.
One roll is 244 calories and contains 40.1g of carbs and 1.5g of fiber. For the full nutrition facts, scroll to the bottom of the recipe card.
Store
- Leftovers: It's best to eat the bolillos on the same day of baking, but if you want to store them longer, it's best to freeze them.
- Freezer: Let the baked Mexican bolillos cool completely on a wire rack, then seal them inside of a zip-top freezer bag. They'll keep in the freezer for up to 1 month. Defrost at room temperature or in the microwave.
Expert Tips
- Always use bread flour for the highest rise and best texture.
- Knead thoroughly to ensure a high rise, soft interior, and crispy crust.
- Bake the Mexican bolillos with a pan of water in the oven for the crispiest crust.
- Let the rolls cool completely before enjoying.
- Need this vegan? Use vegetable shortening instead of lard.
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Recipe
Mexican Bolillos Bread
Ingredients
- 4 ⅛ cups bread flour
- 3 teaspoons fast-action yeast
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ cup lard
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups warm water
Instructions
- Pour the flour into a mixing bowl and add the salt and yeast on opposite sides. Mix in each one into the flour, keeping the salt away from the yeast.
- Mix the lard and sugar into the dough, then gradually add the warm water and mix to form a dough. You'll need just enough water to make a soft, slightly sticky dough. Keep stirring and crushing the dough until all the flour is picked up from the bottom of the bowl.
- Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead for 10-15 minutes, until the dough passes the windowpane test. This means that a lump of dough can be stretched until it's translucent without tearing.
- Shape the dough into a ball, place in a greased bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside to double in size, which will take about 1 hour.
- Once it has doubled in size, punch it down and divide into 10 equal pieces, using a kitchen scale for accuracy. Each one of my bolillos weighed 82g.
- Roll each piece into a ball, then gently roll it out into a log, tapering the ends to form the traditional bolillo shape. Repeat with the remaining pieces.
- Place the bolillos on two large cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Cover them with plastic wrap and set aside to prove at room temperature until they are springy to the touch, about 30 minutes.
- About 10 minutes before the bolillos are proved, preheat the oven to 425°F and put a on the bottom shelf of the oven.
- Once the rolls are proved, use a bread baker's lame or a sharp serrated knife to cut a slash on top of each bolillo.
- Pour about 2 cups of water into the hot metal pan, then slide one of the trays onto the top shelf. Bake at 425°F for 20 minutes, removing the steam pan after 10 minutes of baking. It's best to bake the trays of bolillos separately for a more even bake.
- Let the bolillos cool on a wire rack for 30-45 minutes, then enjoy. Make into tortas (Mexican sandwiches) or eat them with butter as dinner rolls.
Notes
- Always use bread flour for the highest rise and best texture.
- Knead thoroughly to ensure a high rise, soft interior, and crispy crust.
- Bake the rolls with a pan of water in the oven for the crispiest crust.
- Let the rolls cool completely before enjoying.
- Need this vegan? Use vegetable shortening instead of lard.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Rosa G
Can the dough be made the night before for a breakfast bake?
Emma
Yes, you can let the dough do its first rise in the fridge overnight. The bolillos will have to be shaped and rise again the following day before they can bake.
Beth
These bolillos smell yummy! They are soft, airy, and fluffy. The inside is very springy and tastes excellent with butter. These golden rolls have a bit of chewiness as well.
Emma
I love the texture of these rolls, too! Thanks for leaving a review.
Alex
This chewy bread is crusty and soft. Eating it with butter adds a yummy flavor. The golden crust is perfect and LOVELY.
Emma
Awesome! Thank you!