Bolillos

bread

Bolillos

Bolillos

Mexican Bread Rolls

Recipe Yield

8 rolls

Cooking time

20 minutes

Rate this recipe

4.84 from 6 votes

Ingredients

  • 3 1/4 cups (340g) all-purpose flour
  • 3 leveled teaspoons instant yeast
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/4 cups (284g) lukewarm water

To Prepare

  • Mix and knead all of the ingredients — by hand, stand mixer with dough hook, or bread machine — to make a smooth, elastic dough.
  • Cover the dough and let it rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 to 60 minutes.
  • Gently deflate the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured surface, shape into a ball and divide it into 8 equal pieces (about 85g each).
  • One by one, gently flatten each piece a little by pressing it with your fingers against the surface. Bring all the edges inwards, pinching it into a ball shape and pressing to seal. Flip it to have the sealed part on the bottom and roll it a little bit over the top to make it round, then place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet keeping the sealed part on the bottom. Continue with the rest of the dough. Once you are done, brush or spray the 8 balls with water so they will not dry out, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) one baking sheet.
  • Working with one piece of dough at a time, use your hands to flatten it into a 4” to 4 1/2" round. Starting at the bottom edge, lift the two “corners” and fold inward, as if making a folded triangle. Press lightly to seal, then roll up and over again and repeat by folding the bottom edge inward, continuing as if you are making a folded triangle. When finished, you will have a somewhat oval piece of dough that is chubbier in the center.
  • Use the palms of your hands to roll out the ends of the oval further, making the ends much thinner than the center.
  • Place the bolillos on the prepared baking sheet as you shape them. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
  • Brush or spray the 8 shaped bolillo balls with water so they will not dry out, cover and let rise until puffy, 30 to 45 minutes.
  • When ready to bake, brush or spray the bolillos with water one more time and take a sharp knife, or lame, and score the bolillos with one long slash from end to end, about 1/4” deep. The bread may deflate a bit; that’s OK, it’ll pick right up in the hot oven.
  • Bake until golden, about 20 to 22 minutes.
  • Remove the bread from the oven and cool on a rack.
  • Store bread, securely wrapped, at room temperature for a couple days or so; freeze for longer storage.

Comments

30comments inBolillos

  1. Ed

    Mar 03

    I am surprised that there is no fat. My favorite bolillo recipe calls for lard (tastes wonderful).

    1. Pati Jinich

      Mar 09

      Would you share your recipe with me?

  2. Lisa

    Oct 31

    I’m looking forward to making these. Table salt or kosher salt?

    1. Pati Jinich

      Nov 02

      Your favorite 😉

  3. Anne

    Sep 23

    The bolillos I made using your recipe were amazing–love the versatility of these rolls–can be used in so many ways. I used 2 3/4 cups flour using Google to convert 340 grams to cups. That amount of flour worked out perfectly.

    1. Pati Jinich

      Oct 11

      Yay, so glad you loved the bolillos Anne!

  4. Alessio Garcia

    Aug 06

    good with Italian sweet sausage

    1. Pati Jinich

      Sep 11

      Yes, yummy!

  5. Joseph

    Apr 30

    Hello- saw this episode last night and trying today. Can’t wait to try my own baked bread 🥖 ! Will update later. See you soon….🌍❤️

    1. Pati Jinich

      May 07

      Awesome Joseph, let me know how you bolillos come out 😉

  6. Claudia

    Jan 28

    I used buttermilk instead of water and it becomes a mock sourdough, or birote salado from Guadalajara. It is delicious. My kids can’t get enough made into molletes.

    1. Pati Jinich

      Feb 08

      Great tip, thanks for sharing Claudia 🙂

  7. Anonymous

    Oct 12

    The measurements for flour on this page are still wrong! 224grams of flour is NOT 3-1/4 cups. Please fix. I ended up with dough soup and had difficulty recovering.

    1. Pati Jinich

      Oct 12

      Thanks for your comment, we have fixed the recipe 🙂

      1. Rose & Terry

        Nov 01

        Love your show your awesome and the family too !

        1. Pati Jinich

          Jan 04

          Gracias you guys!

  8. Patrick

    Oct 09

    thank you for the video showing the “shaping”…it’s a bit easier watching you do it as opposed to what it states in the recipe…:0)

    1. Pati Jinich

      Oct 12

      Glad you got it from the video Patrick, yay!

  9. Rose

    Sep 29

    The recipe says 224g of flour. Is this number a typo? For 3 1/4 cups, the number may be closer to 442g possibly.

    1. Pati Jinich

      Oct 05

      I am double checking on this Rose, others have pointed it out as well, thanks for noticing!

  10. Don Smyth

    Sep 25

    Made these today, very good and easy to make. I enjoy cooking, but never liked baking. That all changed today. Good crunchy crust on the top and bottom, fluffy and tasty on the inside. Thanks for the recipe.

    1. Pati Jinich

      Oct 05

      So glad to read this Don, enjoy the bolillos!

  11. Brianna

    Sep 25

    Oh, I can hardly wait to watch this episode. Reading the recipe for bolillos brings me instantly back to my 6 months in Guadalajara in 1970. Those bolillos — I’ve never forgotten them — and now maybe I can make some? I’m thrilled.

    1. Pati Jinich

      Sep 28

      Yes, I love Bolillos as well, thank you Brianna 🙂

  12. Margaret

    Sep 23

    I’m afraid I don’t understand the shaping, and the videos I’ve found don’t show the method you’re using. Could you please post pictures or perhaps a video of your own?
    Thank you.

    1. Pati Jinich

      Oct 05

      Hola Margaret, thanks for reaching out. You can see the first episode of the new season in this link, I make the bolillos there and you will be able to see me shaping them: https://www.pbs.org/video/welcome-to-guadalajara-e3fKef/

  13. Anne McGee

    Sep 22

    The weight on the flour in this recipe is wrong

    1. Pati Jinich

      Oct 05

      I will double check it Anne, thanks!

  14. Cynthia Casta

    Sep 18

    What is the oven temperature?

    1. Pati Jinich

      Sep 18

      It is 400F Cynthia, here is the full recipe for you, enjoy! http://patijinich.com/bolillos/

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