These Authentic Mexican Bolillo Bread Rolls are made with simple ingredients and easy to make. Enjoy them as a side dinner roll or as a Mexican torta!
Real, authentic Mexican Bolillo Bread Rolls are finally here! This recipe has been on my to-do list since I first started Isabel Eats back in 2015. I keep a huge list of all the Mexican foods I ate growing up that I want to recreate and share with all of you, and these bolillo bread rolls were one of the first things I wrote down.
What are Mexican Bolillo Rolls?
A bolillo roll is Mexico’s version of a crusty french bread that’s oblong in shape, kind of like a football, and is often used to make sandwiches called “tortas.”
I vividly remember the smell of fresh warm bread when visiting the local Mexican bakery with my parents every weekend. We used to pick up a half dozen of these bolillo rolls and other assorted sweet breads for lunch every Sunday. The smell of that Mexican bakery will stay with you forever.
I think it’s about damn time I celebrate that memory by making my own Mexican Bolillo Bread Rolls right in my own kitchen. Let’s do this.
How to make Mexican Bolillo Bread
Step 1: Make the dough by combining unbleached all-purpose flour, yeast, salt, honey, butter and water.
Step 2: Knead the dough by hand or with a stand mixer until it is soft and elastic, not sticky. Let it sit and rise until it has doubled in size.
Step 3: Roll the dough into 8 football-shaped rolls and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover and let sit for 45 minutes.
Step 4: Cut a slit lengthwise down the middle of each roll. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
Step 5: Eat all the rolls!
Now that I’ve made and documented this recipe (finally!), I see many torta recipes coming to the blog in the future. But for now, I’ll just enjoy eating a bolillo roll smeared with butter and a hot cup of coffee.
Ways to Use Bolillo Bread
- To make molletes
- In capirotada (Mexican bread pudding)
- To make tortas (or sandwiches)
INGREDIENTS
- 3 1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dry active yeast
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 1/4 cups hot water, divided
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a small bowl or cup, mix together 1/4 cup hot water and active dry yeast. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer, add 3 1/2 cups flour, yeast mixture, salt, honey, melted butter and remaining 1 cup of hot water.
- Knead dough using dough attachment for 4 minutes on low in a stand mixer. If the dough is too sticky, add in the remaining flour in 1 tablespoon increments until dough is dry enough that it doesn’t stick to your fingers.
- Knead for 11 more minutes on low until dough is smooth, soft and elastic. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 10-20 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size. The dough will rise faster when the temperature outside is warmer. If you’re making this recipe in the wintertime, a good place to let the dough rest is on top of the fridge.
- Divide the dough into 8 pieces. Roll dough into football shapes and place on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper. Cover the 8 bolillo bread rolls and let rise for a second time for 45 minutes.
- Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown.
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Virginia says
We love to bake bread so I’ll have to add this recipe to our list. Looks delicious.