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Learn how to make soft, pillowy telera bread at home with just a few ingredients. Perfect for Mexican tortas, pambazos, or soaking up soups and stews.
A Note from Isabel
I grew up eating bolillo bread for everything – tortas, molletes, even capirotada. It wasn’t until I was older that I learned more about telera all the different Mexican breads out there.
The first time I really noticed telera, I was hooked. Something about the way it looks is just so beautiful. Those two grooves across the top, the soft oval shape. It’s simple, but it stands out.
Now I eat it and make it at home all the time, especially for tortas. There’s something about pulling fresh telera out of the oven that makes even a simple sandwich feel special. Once you make it yourself, it’s hard to go back to store-bought.
What Is Telera Bread?
Telera bread is a traditional Mexican white bread roll that’s similar to Mexican bolillos or French-style rolls. It has a signature oval shape with two shallow grooves pressed into the top and a soft, fluffy interior.
Because of its wider shape and tender crumb, telera bread is most commonly used for Mexican sandwiches like tortas de jamón or pambazos. It’s sturdy enough to handle fillings, sauces, and spreads without falling apart, which is exactly why it’s so beloved.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This is an overview of the ingredients and why they’re used. See the recipe card below for full measurements and instructions.
| Ingredient | Why It Works |
|---|---|
| Instant yeast | Speeds up the process and gives the rolls a reliable rise. Active dry yeast works too with longer rise times. |
| Warm water | Activates the yeast. Aim for warm (between 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit), not hot, so the yeast stays alive. |
| Granulated sugar | Feeds the yeast and adds a subtle sweetness to the dough. |
| All-purpose flour | Keeps the rolls soft and tender. Bread flour works if you want a chewier texture. |
| Fine salt | Balances flavor and strengthens the dough structure. |
| Honey | Adds a light sweetness and helps create a soft crumb. |
| Neutral-tasting oil | Keeps the bread moist and tender without adding flavor. |
How to Make Telera Bread
Make and rise the dough. Mix the yeast, warm water, and sugar until dissolved. Let it sit until foamy and bubbly, then combine it with the remaining ingredients and knead until smooth and slightly tacky. Transfer to a greased bowl and let rise until double in size.
Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then flatten and shape it into a 5×3 oval using your hands or on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin.
Make the signature indentations. Using the back of a butter knife, skinny dowel, chopstick, straw, or any small and skinny straight tool, make two deep vertical indentations evenly spaced apart on dough. Be careful not to cut or pierce it all the way through.
Let it rise a second time. Cover them with a clean kitchen towel and allow them to rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until they are almost doubled in size.
Bake, cool, and eat. Bake for 16-18 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the bread is fully cooked. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Check your yeast first. Make sure the yeast is alive before mixing it with the remaining ingredients, otherwise your bread won’t rise and get fluffy. The yeast mixture should be frothy and bubbly. While blooming instant yeast isn’t totally necessary, I like to add that step to ensure the yeast is alive.
- Oil helps retain moisture. Lightly brushing or spraying the rolls before the second rise helps keep them from drying out and keeps everything soft.
- Re-mark the grooves if needed. If they puff out during the second rise, gently press them again before baking.
- Using active dry yeast. You can swap instant yeast for active dry yeast, just note the rise times will increase. Bloom the yeast as instructed, and increase the first rise time to 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, and the second rise to 1 -½ hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Telera and bolillo are very similar and often used interchangeably, but there are a few key differences. Telera bread is wider, flatter, and softer, with two signature grooves on top, which makes it ideal for tortas and sandwiches with lots of fillings. Bolillos are usually longer and crustier, more like a small baguette, and are often served alongside soups or used for molletes.
Yes, absolutely. You can make this dough entirely by hand. Just mix the ingredients together in a large bowl, then knead on a clean surface for about 10–12 minutes until the dough becomes smooth, soft, and slightly tacky. It takes a little arm strength, but it works great.
It’s best the day it’s made, but it will stay soft for about 2–3 days when stored in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature. Avoid refrigerating it, as that tends to dry bread out faster. It can also be frozen in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
Ways To Use Telera Bread
Telera bread is very similar to bolillo bread and used in many of the same ways, with the most popular being for tortas. Here are some of my favorites:
- Molletes
- Mexican sandwiches like my steak torta, torta de jamón, torta de milanesa or pambazo
- As a side bread roll eaten with pozole, chile colorado, chile verde, carne adovada, and carnitas.
More Mexican Recipes
Telera Bread
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant dry yeast
- 1 ⅓ cup warm water (110℉- 115℉)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon fine salt
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons oil (avocado, canola, or any neutral-tasting oil is best)
Instructions
- Combine the yeast, water, and granulated sugar in a small bowl. Stir, cover, and set aside for 10 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom; it will be bubbly and foamy.
- Add the yeast mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer along with the flour, salt, honey, and oil. Mix using a dough hook on low speed until the dough comes together. Increase the speed to medium and knead the dough for 8-10 minutes. The dough should be slightly sticky and tacky. If the dough is too sticky to handle, add 1 tablespoon of additional flour at a time.
- Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 400℉ and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Punch down the dough and divide it into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then flatten and shape it into a 5×3 oval using your hands or on a floured surface with a floured rolling pin.
- Using the back of a butter knife, skinny dowel, chopstick, straw, or any small and skinny straight tool, make two deep vertical indentations evenly spaced apart on top of the dough, being careful not to cut or pierce it all the way through.
- Transfer the shaped telera rolls to the prepared baking sheet, lightly dust with a little bit of flour, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and allow them to rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until they are almost doubled in size.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the bread is fully cooked. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Using active dry yeast. You can swap instant yeast for active dry yeast, just note the rise times will increase. Bloom the yeast as instructed, and increase the first rise time to 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, and the second rise to 1 -½ hours.
- If the indentations have lost their shape during the second rise, gently re-mark them after they are done rising.
- Storing and freezing. To store, allow the telera bread to cool completely and then store in an airtight container or ziplock bag to keep them soft for 1-3 days. To freeze, place cooled telera bread in a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Ashley McLaughlin.
