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Bolillos

Bolillos
These small oval-shaped loaves of white bread are a Mexican staple. Crusty on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, they're perfect for sandwiches or dunking in your favorite soup or chili.
Yield 14 to 15 bolillos
3

Reviews

Ingredients

  • 8 1/3 cups (1,000g) bread flour
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons (40g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon (20g) salt
  • 2 packages (0.25oz/7g each) or 4 1/2 teaspoons Platinum Yeast
  • 1 tablespoon (20g) unsalted butter, room temperature (70°F)
  • 2 cups plus 3 tablespoons (500g) cold water (55°F)

Topping

  • 1/4 cup (57g) butter (may need a little more or less)

Instructions

  • Add flour, sugar, salt and yeast to mixer bowl. Whisk to combine the dry ingredients.
  • Add butter and water to flour mixture.
  • Using dough hook, mix on low speed (#2) for 20 minutes. Scrape down bowl as needed.
  • Turn dough out onto lightly greased counter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.
  • Divide dough into 14-15 equal pieces (about 155g each). Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
  • Prepare three ¼-sheet pans: Lightly coat pans with cooking spray or layer with parchment paper.
  • Shape bolillos: On a clean surface, flatten dough piece into a rectangle shape with your fingers. Starting with long edge, roll dough towards you to make a log and seal the seam tightly by pinching together. Roll log to taper the ends. Place on prepared pan. Repeat with remaining dough pieces.
  • Cover bolillos with plastic wrap (lightly coated with cooking spray to prevent sticking) and let rise at room temperature (about 70°F) until indentation remains after lightly touching dough with finger, about 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 390°F.
  • Remove plastic wrap and let bolillos sit for 10 minutes to let them slightly dry. Using a sharp knife or dough lame, make a lengthwise slit in middle of bolillos. Topping: Add a very small strip of butter (about 3-5g) on top of sliced area. This will allow the bolillos to open better and also provide flavor. See picture below.
  • Bake bolillos, one pan at a time, until internal temperature reaches 200-205°F, about 16 minutes.
  • Cool on wire rack.

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Review & Comments

Leslie | Reply

5 stars
We loved the recipe and want to make it again soon. Will it change the character of the rolls if we make them half the size?

Red Star Yeast | Reply

Hi Leslie – so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Halving the rolls should work out fine, although you may need to adjust the baking time.

Happy baking!

Sande | Reply

How would I resize this recipe so I can make the dough in my bread machine? I don’t have a stand mixer and cannot knead the dough by hand. My machine can easily handle a dough made with 4 cups of flour.

Red Star Yeast | Reply

Hi Sande – Due to the long mix time, this recipe is not suitable for the bread machine. We do have a recipe section dedicated to bread machines, you can find it here: https://redstaryeast.com/recipes/category/bread-machine/.

Happy baking!

Brenda | Reply

How long should dough be kneaded by hand if you do not have a dough hook machine and should there be any mixing with a hand mixer before hand kneading?

Red Star Yeast | Reply

Hi Brenda,

You can use a wooden spoon/dough whisk to mix the ingredients together until a shaggy dough forms. For kneading, knead until the dough is soft and elastic. It is hard to give a specific time as it will depend on how strongly or softly it is kneaded as well as the temperature of your dough. Here is some helpful tips from our website on Baking you can reference if you would like.

Happy Baking!

Tricia | Reply

5 stars
Great recipe, low maintenance and an excellent addition to dinner!

Jennifer | Reply

5 stars
Delicious!!!

Terry | Reply

Is 1000 grams of flour correct? I thought flour was 120 grams per cup. Also, is 20 minutes of kneading with the stand mixer correct? I’ m afraid the motor will burn out!

Red Star Yeast | Reply

Hi Terry – It should be 8 1/3 cups flour (1000 grams), recipe is updated. The kneading time is correct.
Happy baking!

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