Mexican Bolillos( Crusty Rolls) are the most famous savory bread in the country, and here I will teach you how to make them. Many years ago, long before the Internet era, my dear college friend Alma sent me an important letter. I could feel her excitement for the little surprise she was sending in that letter. It had two recipes, one for the famous sweet bread (“conchas”) and the other for the bolillos.
Pan Frances (Mexican Crusty Rolls)
She described how she spent an entire Saturday at her neighborhood bakery learning how to make bolillos and wanted to share the recipes with me, knowing how much I enjoyed cooking. When I started to work with this recipe, my bread was a mess, but throughout the years, with practice and tweaking the recipes, I finally had bread that resembled the one sold in Mexico.
In This Post
I still have to keep practicing with it since it’s not that easy to make bread, precisely like those sold in bakeries in a home oven without the commercial flours and enhancers, but the texture, smell, and even the crunchy sound of the bolillos are there.
Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions About Homemade Bolillos
Before I share my Mexican Bolillos recipe, here are a few questions about this recipe.
What are Bolillos?
This bread is also known as “Pan Francés,”; which is the equivalent of a French baguette. With the French intervention around the 1860s, the recipe was transformed and became the Mexican bread “bolillo”. It is also known as “Birote” and “pan Blanco” in some areas of the country.
At home, we love them with refried beans and queso fresco, in Tortas (sandwiches)
How to eat Bolillos
In Mexico, bolillos are consumed daily as molletes , tortas (Mexican Sandwiches), and even to make mole poblano and capirotada. Another favorite way to eat it is by slicing the bolillo bread with a sharp knife and toasting it with butter on a comal or pan. Toasted bolillos with butter (Pan con mantequilla) is my Mother’s favorite way to eat it, next to a cup of coffee.
How to make Bolillos
Ingredients:
STARTER
- Water
- Instant or active yeast
- All Purpose Flour or Bread flour
DOUGH
- All Purpose Flour
- Instant or active yeast
- Salt
- Shortening
- Warm water
DIRECTIONS:
Make the Starter for the Bolillos:
- The night before baking, place yeast and water in a small bowl, stir and mix well, add the flour.
Prepare the Dough:
- Place the starter, flour, salt, yeast, and melted shortening in a large bowl or your heavy-duty stand mixer. Start kneading the dough with the dough hook, adding the warm water slowly at the beginning of the kneading process to mix it.
Let the Dough Rest:
- Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on your working surface to form a ball.
- Grease a large bowl with shortening, oil, or PAM spray. Place the dough and turn it all over to ensure all sides get a coat of grease. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm place for 2 to 3 hours.
Form the Bread:
- After the dough has doubled in volume, gently push your fist to deflate it. Then, divide the dough into 10 pieces.
- To form the bolillos rolls, dust your work surface with flour very lightly, flatten one piece of dough with the palm of your hand, fold ⅓ of the dough towards you and press down with your fingers, sealing it very well. Fold the dough again, repeating the sealing process until you form a roll, pinching the dough tightly. Make sure all the ends are sealed.
Note: To shape the bolillos, place your hands over the dough and press gently but firmly, cupping your fingers, and rolling back and forth.
Let the Formed Bread Rest:
- Place each bolillo/roll seam down on the greased baking sheet and cover it with a greased plastic. LINK to baguette pan.
Bake your Bolillos:
- Once the bolillos have doubled in volume, and just before placing them inside the oven, make a deep cut using a sharp serrated knife or a razor blade.
- Spray the bolillos with warm water, place them in a preheated oven and add 1 ½ cups of cold water to the metallic tray you placed on the oven floor. The steam will create that beautiful thin, and crunchy crust.
Take them out of the oven, let them rest for a few minutes, and enjoy!
How to store your Bolillos
Bolillos are better when eaten fresh or within a day of baking. If you have some leftovers, let them cool off and store them in an airtight container for up to three days. If you have bolillos past three days and still want to do a recipe with them, try Capirotada or Mexican Bread Pudding.
Please leave all your questions in the comments section, I will be happy to answer them.
More Mexican Recipes To Enjoy
If you enjoyed this recipe for Mexican Bolillos, take a look at some of these other authentic Mexican recipes:
How to make Pozole Rojo.
How to make Caldo de Pollo.
For more recipes, follow Us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. in español Visit Us at Mexico en mi cocina
Receta en Español Pan Francés.
📖 Recipe
Mexican Bolillos: Crusty Rolls
Ingredients
STARTER
- ¾ cup of water (177 ml or 6 oz)
- ½ teaspoon instant or active yeast* (1.5 grams)
- 1 cup All Purpose Flour or Bread flour** (125 grams or 4.25 oz)
DOUGH
- 3 Cup All Purpose Flour (375 grams or 13.23 oz)
- 1 ½ teaspoon instant or active yeast (5 grams or 0.22 oz)
- 2 teaspoons of salt (11 grams or 0.40 oz)
- ¼ cup of shortening melted and cooled.*** (50 grams or 1.76 oz)
- 1 cup of warm water NOT HOT(235 ml or 8 fl oz)
Instructions
For the starter:
- The night before baking, place yeast and water in a small bowl, mix well and add the flour. Mix again. You don’t need to knead here.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let sit on your kitchen countertop all night or at least 8 hours. Making this starter will increase the flavor of your bread. The following morning the starter will have a larger volume and will have formed lots of bubbles.
Prepare the Dough:
- BAKING DAY. Place the starter, flour, salt, yeas,t and melted shortenin in a large bowl or your heavy-duty mixerg. Start kneading the dough, adding the warm water slowly right at the beginning of the kneading process.
- IMPORTANT: If you live in a very humid place, you will need to reduce the amount of water by about 2 tablespoons less than indicated. If using a mixer, knead for 7 minutes on speed 2; if kneading by hand, knead the dough for about 15 minutes. The dough will separate from your mixing bowl, as shown picture above, while kneading.
Let the Dough Rest:
- Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on your working surface to form a ball. It should look soft but still a little rough.
- Grease a large bowl with shortening, oil, or PAM spray. Place the dough and turn it all over to ensure all sides are covered with a coating of grease. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest in a warm place for 2 to 3 hours or until the dough has doubled in volume. If you live in warm and humid weather, this step will take less time.
Form the Bolillos:
- After the dough has doubled in volume, gently push your fist in to deflate it. Divide the dough into 10 pieces. (About 110 grams each). Place the pieces of dough into your slightly greased working surface, cover them with a greased plastic wrap, and let them rest for 15 minutes to allow the gluten to develop and help shape your bolillos/rolls easier.
- To form the bolillos rolls, dust your work surface with flour very lightly, flatten one piece of dough with the palm of your hand and fold ⅓ of the dough towards you and press down with your fingers, sealing it very well. Fold the dough again, repeating the sealing process until you form a roll, pinching the dough tightly. Make sure all the ends are sealed.
- Note: To shape the rolls, place your hands over the dough and press gently but firmly, cupping your fingers, and rolling back and forth. While doing this, press the heel of your hands to leave some dough uncovered to form the traditional bolillo ears.
Let the Bolillos Rest:
- Place each bolillo/roll seam side down on the greased baking sheet and cover with greased plastic. Allow them to rise until they’ve doubled in volume. It takes about 1 and ½ hours.
Bake your Bolillos:
- At least 20 minutes before the end of the rising period, turn on your oven at 450 degrees F. Place the metallic pan for the water on the oven floor.
- Once the rolls have doubled in volume, and just before placing them inside the oven, make a deep cut using a sharp serrated knife or a razor blade, holding your hand at a 45-degree angle.
- Spray the rolls with warm water, place them in a preheated oven and add 1 ½ cups of cold water to the metallic tray you put on the oven floor. The steam will create that beautiful thin, and crunchy crust. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden. Remove them from the oven, and let them cool on a wire rack.
The bread keeps well for a couple of days in a plastic bag, or it can be frozen for up to a month. To reheat: thaw bread lightly, spray water, and place in preheated 400 degrees F oven until crispy. About 12-15 minutes until warm and crunchy.
Notes
- *If using active yeast, dissolve first with the water, mix well and let it proof for 5 minutes.
- **Bread flour will render a finer texture.
- You will need a large baking sheet, a metallic pan to place in the oven with water, a spray water bottle, and plastic wrap.
- I use a Baguette Pan for my bolillos, but a baking sheet or cookie sheet does the same job.
- Baking with yeast requires time to let the dough rise. Plan your day ahead of time to get the best results.
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Monica Noemi
We have decided to make as much food from scratch as possible. These bolillos are a labor of love and they come out amazing. My 11 year old wants me to make them any time we eat Tortas. Thank you for sharing, this is now in my recipe cards!
Ginny
The recipe is great and thank your sharing. Mine came out with a thick crust not a thin crispy crust. every step they were doing what they were supposed to do, BUT I didn't have a snap enough knife to make the slit deep enough so maybe that's why? Im really not sure, they are delicious just not like a bolillo is supposed to be like. Any ideas? My husband is from Mexico and LOVES these, I would so love for them to be like he remembers.
Thank you again.
Mely Martínez
Hello Ginny,
There are some factors that can cause the thick crust: To address the issue of your bolillos having a thick crust instead of a thin crispy one, you could consider a few adjustments:
As you mentioned, not having a sharp enough knife to make a deep slit could be a factor. The slit on top of bolillos allows steam to escape during baking, which helps in forming a crispy crust. Try using a sharper or serrated knife to make a deeper and longer slit on each bolillo before baking.
Steam is crucial for forming a thin, crispy crust on bread. You can create steam in your oven by placing a small pan of water on the bottom rack while preheating your oven. Just before putting the bolillos in the oven, quickly add a cup of hot water to the pan to create a burst of steam. This will help develop a better crust.
Also, before baking, you can brush the tops of the bolillos with water or simply spray them lightly with water. This can also contribute to a crispier crust.
Homemade bread taste is slighter different than the one sold at the bakeries.
I hope you try the recipe again.
Doug Assis
The amount of water in the recipe is wrong, it only needs 1/2 of the amount for the main recipe. My family and friends, all Brazilians, loved it so much that I have to do this recipe almost every day. The only fail is that I cannot get the crust to get crackling without burning the bottoms!
Mely Martínez
Hello Doug,
Thank you for your feedback! I'm delighted to hear that your family and Brazilian friends, are loving the recipe so much. Adjusting the water amount to half is a great tip, and I appreciate you sharing that. Although, the amount given in this recipe has been working for me for years. As for the crust, achieving that perfect crackling without burning the bottoms can be a bit tricky. Have you tried adjusting the oven temperature or experimenting with different baking times? Keep up the fantastic cooking, and happy baking!
Bill
1. Had to add 6 more tablespoons of flour while mixing. Dough was way too wet using the recipe.
2. Couldn’t get the rolls to brown up even after adding 5 minutes to baking time.
I’ll cut them tomorrow and see how they taste. But I have low expectations.
gregor anderson
I will be back to review and rate the recipe, and am so excited due to the look & recipe, but also all the great reviews. I fell in love with these when I lived in New Mexico.
I wanted to share that when I heat up my oven for baking, I put a large cast iron skillet on the bottom rack. If I open the oven door to check something while baking, the heat recovers well if I move quickly. Often it does not even make the light go on.
An old trick from over 100 yo newspaper: use the liquid from boiled potato measuring half and half with the water (50% each). It extends the shelf life of bread and even flour breakfast biscuits significantly (large biscuits stored in a paper bag in a cupboard lasted 5 days, still soft. I don't know longer, due to us eating them by the 5th day.) Just 2 tricks.
Be back soon after making this recipe.
Mely Martínez
Hello Gregor,
Thank you for sharing those great tips! I know many people will find it very helpful.
Let me know how your bread turns out.
Mely
Cass
This recipe didn’t work for me at all. My dough would not get the texture seen in the images and video. I’m thinking it has something to do with me being in a high elevation. Do you have any idea how to tweak this recipe for elevations higher than 5000ft?
Mely Martínez
Hello Cass: Shorten the rising times specified in the recipe. Since dough rises faster at higher elevations, you may need to check for doneness earlier.
Reduce the amount of yeast by about 25%. This helps prevent the dough from rising too quickly and then collapsing.You might need to slightly increase the amount of flour or decrease the amount of liquid in the recipe. High altitude environments tend to dry out dough faster, so a slightly drier dough might be needed. Pay close attention to the texture and consistency of the dough. It should still be slightly tacky but not overly sticky. Adjust the flour or liquid as needed to achieve the right consistency.
I hope this information helps you achieve a great dough texture.
Julia
I usually use bread flour & I've made this recipe several times with great results every time, even when I mess up a bit. One time I accidentally added too much butter & adjusted the amount of flour & while it didn't rise quite as high, it was still great. My Mexican grandmother loves these & talks about them every time she sees me.
Mely Martínez
Hello Julia,
Thank you for trying the recipe por bolillos. It's so nice to know your grandma loves them.
Teresa
Have made them twice, they turned out so beautiful I almost did not want to eat them. The taste and texture was heavenly!
Liz
This method turned out significantly tastier bolillos than other methods/recipes I've tried. They did come out a bit smaller than I'm used to even though I only made 8 of them. Next time I'll probably make 6 so that I can have a good-sized sandwich.
Annabelle Hersel Hersel
Beautiful rolls. Brought memories of my country Peru . The butifarras. Thank you for the recipe.
Olivia Waegner
This recipe is the best! I've commented this before. I've been making these for the past several months. I have a question. Have you tried this recipe with a sour dough starter?
Mely Martínez
Hello Olivia,
I haven't however I think they will taste really good with a sourdough starter.
Olivia Waegner
Thank you so much for they recipe! I have tried others in thee past, but this boy far the best. I will be making these again for the third time win the past couple of weeks. Using my stand mixer makes it so easy, and my oven has a "bread proof" setting to help nee more. Getting each roll the same size is still a challenge to see, but I will get it. Again thank you!
Linda
Loved how they turned out. Used the bread machine to after the rise setting then cut and let rest. Will definitely make these again!
Rose
how do you stuff them with cream cheese and jalapeño like the panadería does?
Mely Martínez
Hello Rose,
You add the cheese and jalapeño when you from the rolls.
Sonia Aguilar
This is my go to recipe for making bolillos. I tried other recipes before, however, I always come back to this one. Crunchy outside, spongy & airy inside.
Ruby
I need help please! I must have gone terribly wrong some where because my bolillos did not fluff up or crip up they are dense and hard ):
Mely Martínez
Hello Ruby,
There are many reasons that could happen. Too much kneading, old yeast, hot water, or more salt than needed. Even an oven that is not hot enough at the time of placing the raw rolls inside the oven, or opening the oven door when the rolls are rinsing will affect.
If this is your first time working with a yeast dough do not get frustrated, it takes practice and reading very carefully the instructions.
Ruby
Thank you so much! I will be giving it another go today I’m not giving up! Let’s hope we get it right this time, wish me luck!
Tracy J Follstad
I tried to make the bolillos today and they were close but seem too dense. I know I didn't over-knead them, what else could I have done wrong?
Thanks!
Mely Martínez
Hello Tracy,
Making breads is a science, there are many factors that affect the end result. If you say that kneading was not the problem, maybe the resting time or the oven temperature can affect. Maybe, if you try with bread flour next time you can get better results.
Amy
Do I need specifically "shortening" or can I get away with using "Manteca" aka pork fat? I know taste wise, Manteca will add a flavor, but would that be a safe substitute?
Mely Martínez
Hello Amy,
yes, you can use pork fat. (lard)
Pinkie
I am ready to shape my bolillos, let rise a final time, slice and place into the oven. I am borrowing a kitchen, however, and they don't have any oil here. Can I butter the metal baking sheet? There is no PAM, baking paper, oil, or foil here. Butter and flour the sheet?
I am crossing my fingers!
Pinkie Freeman
Mely Martínez
Hello Pinkie,
Yes, you can use butter, not sure if it will easily burn in the oven.
J Faux
I tried the recipe (95%)and it turned out great! I didn’t have the spray bottle but the outer crust still turned out crispy like it should. Thanks for the contribution.
Mely Martínez
Hello J Faux,
Enjoy your bolillos!
Shimora Dyck
Mely, I want to thank you for such a great recipe. I have re-worked your Bollillos recipe to gluten free. The rolls have turned out so well that we too can have a fantastic tasting roll, that looks like your original recipe with the proper crumb. We have made our own flour recipe and luckily it turns out great gluten free bread, that is pretty darn close to the real gluten bread. We now we can eat the breads we did before. It did not work for the flour tortilla, that was a shame.
I am also making French bread from your recipe, we are very lucky in that we found your site, it gives us great insight into your culture and food!
You have no idea how important this is to us!
Best wishes,
SD
Mely Martínez
Hello Shimora,
Thank you for trying the recipe, and for taking the time to come back and share your gluten-free experience. I know it will be of a lot of help for other people.
M G
Nice crust with a soft crumb. We have made several different types of sandwiches; butter grilled ham and cheese, Italian beef with peppers and onions, turkey breast. All were very good on the roll. I will make another batch tomorrow. The starters is bubbling.
Tracy England
I followed recipe exactly as written and rolls were awesome but not as crispy on outside as I am used to with store bought ones. Would baking longer make them more crispy on outside and still leave inside soft ?
Mely Martínez
The oven and the amount of steam you create with the water has a lot to do with the crispiness of the crust.
Tracy England
Thank you. Will up the steam next batch
Diane
I made these today;they came out beautifully!
Mely Martínez
Hello Diane,
Thank you for visiting the blog, I'm glad you like the bolillos! Happy baking!
Vanessa C.
I just finished making your recipe! It took me all day since I didn’t start the night before, but it was well worth it! They are delicious, just what I imagined it would be. My birote came out pale not that pretty golden color you have in your pictures. But they were still very good. Thank you for sharing your recipe! Definitely took me back to fond memories.
Mely Martínez
Hello Vanessa,
Thank you for trying the recipe.
oscar teuffer
Hola, muchas gracias por compartir. Tengo un negocio de venta de tortas en Toronto, a quien le puedo comprar bolillos aqui? Mil gracias!
Grace
These are so amazing and tender, thank you!
Liz
Mely thank u so,much for this wonderful recipe it is perfect I have enjoyed ,akimg these nolillos several ti,we and all have been perfect. Today I finally get to share them with my sisters. & Brothers after the years long quarantine.
Erin
Made these today and they were wonderful! My husband requested these specifically and once finished, he took 1 bite and his eyes lit up! They were exactly what he wanted. I had never made them so I’m very thankful for the photos you shared, made much more sense when rolling them out.
Mely Martínez
Hello Erin,
Thank you for trying the bolillos recipe and for taking the time to come back and share your experience with the recipe. I'm glad your husband likes them. Happy baking!
Ingrid
Hi!!
I was so excited to try this recipe... i just opened the oven and the bolillos are hard as rock!! What i did wrong??? 🙁. Thank you!!
Mely Martínez
Hello Ingrid,
Several things affect the end results. When you over-knead the dough your end result will be dense hard bread. The dough has to very soft and elastic. Another thing could be not enough liquid.
Miriam
Awesome recipe! The bolillos turned out great!
Crunchy and light!
Thank you so much Mely for the easy to follow step by step directions, they were so fun to make as well.
Somehow it would not let me rate the recipe 5 stars, so I left the rating blank.
Mely Martínez
Hello Miriam,
Thank you for trying the recipe. I'm glad to know you like it. Enjoy them!
Laura
Tried it ,they weren't perfect..I know where I made my mistakes ..will try again tomorrow. Practice makes perfect!
Mely Martínez
Hello Laura,
Thank you for trying the recipe, and yes, you are right, practice makes perfect. Happy baking!
Emma
Hi! Just wanted to let you know I made your recipe on my Youtube channel and asked viewers to check your blog out because I really enjoy your recipes. If you want to see, here is a link 🙂 https://youtu.be/teq5FxgeWAU
Mely Martínez
Hello Emma,
I saw your video, now I want to make "huevito en salsa" and eat it with a crusty bolillo. You are such an excellent cook!
Thank you for mentioning our blog and for adding a link. I highly appreciate it.
Happy cooking!
PS. Your husband is a lucky guy!
Elizabeth
These were wonderful and worth the wait of all of the time spent rising! I’m new to baking with yeast and these puffed up beautifully! Unfortunately when I went to make a slit, many deflated... is that normal or did I do something wrong? Maybe not a sharp enough knife or the wrong angle? They still taste delicious with an airy center and a lovely crunchy crust. 🥰
Mely Martínez
Hello Elizabeth, when they dough deflated at the time of making the cut it means you let the dough rise longer than needed. It is just a matter of practicing and learning to know the dough stages. If it looks too airy it will deflate. You need to allow some rising in the oven. I', glad to know you like the flavor. Please keep trying, it is a very rewarding experience when you make your own bread.
Virginia
Hi Mely,
Will butter flavor shortening work?
Does the shortening have to be melted before you measure, ie :1/4 cup of shortening melted and cooled.
Thank You
Mely Martínez
Hello Virginia,
You can use butter or olive oil.
Emma
Hello, other recipes I have researched call for honey in the dough. They also call for a cornstarch “glaze” to be brushed over the rolls. Thoughts on this? In your photos, your rolls look perfect, so I’m inclined to follow your recipe.
Mely Martínez
Hello Emma,
Please, no need to add honey or glaze anything!
Emma
Thank you!
Chris
Thank you for the recipe! Made them for my family and they loved them.
Mely Martínez
Hello Chris,
Thank you for trying the recipe.
Helen jimenez
The flavor of the bread is delicious! But mine come out way too hard on the outside... why? Also they take longer than 28 min to get brown
Mely Martínez
Hello Helen,
Bolillos usually take about 20 minutes to bake. Please check your oven temperature. I use an oven thermometer since sometimes it takes longer to bring to the right temperature. OVEN THERMOMETER
Alexx
Why does the crust come out too hard
Mely Martínez
Hello, alexx,
Maybe your oven was too hot set at a higher temperature.
Marta
Mely,
Can I use this recipe to make teleras?
Ojala que si! 😄
Mely Martínez
Hola Marta,
Yes, you can, only shape the bread to make the teleras.
Susan
How are these normally served? .....as a bread with a meal or as a sandwich? Thanks
Mely Martínez
Hello Susan,
Yes, just the way you say it, with a meal or for sandwiches. Also, to make molletes. Check this link:https://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/mexican-molletes-recipe/
Claudia
Mely
Gracias For providing this recipe I’m excited to try it I’m actually in the process of attempting these Bolios.
However I tried to watch the video for guidance but it ended up charging my phone company $9.99. Really not happy about that! Really wish There was a warning before clicking.
Mely Martínez
Hello Claudia,
We do not have a video about showing how to make bolillos, just yet. Not sure what website you visited. The videos in our website are free.
Nova
I would like to know if the bolillo recipe can be mixed using a bread machine. For personal reasons, it helps me to mix dough this way.
Mely Martínez
Hello Nova,
Yes, you can use your bread machine to mix the dough.
Gina Bisaillon
Thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes! I reheat all my homemade rolls the same way: I placed them in a cold oven directly on the rack, turn the oven on at 400° and set the timer for five minutes. After five minutes I turn them over and set the timer for another five minutes. The bread is completely thawed, And with a nice crisp crust. My my oven is just a plain old north American electric oven, yours may require acdifferent treatment, but the trick I think lies in the fact that I don’t preheat it.
Gina Bisaillon
I forgot to mention that the rolls came straight from the freezer!
Mely Martínez
Hello Gina,
Thanks a lot for such a great tip!
Lisa
Curious how to shape this bread in the 'torta' form. Is it more like a rectangle with 3 slits, to make it look like a turtle shell?
Mely Martínez
Hello Lisa,
It is more like a flat oval with 2 dents made using the handle of a wooden spoon.
Nia
Hi, I made the starter last night and it has not risen in volume and the bubbles aren’t big. Can I still use it or should I start over?
Mely Martínez
Hello Nia,
If the starter didn't rise or make bubbles, maybe the yeast has expired.
Julie luty
Can I order bread from you, I can’t bake but would love to buy some?
Mely Martínez
Hello Julie,
I just make bolillos once a month or every other month for my family.
Yvette
Do you think these would taste okay with sourdough starter?
Mely Martínez
Hello Yvette,
Yes, I think they will taste okay.
Alex Perez
Thank you for taking the time to share an authentic Mexican Bolillo recipe. I tried other ones on the internet but the instructions were not well explained. This is the third time I make bolillos using your recipe. Thank you for answering all my questions in your Instagram account. Sorry, if I bugged you too much! You are one of a kind!
Lisa
This is the recipe I have been looking for! I have tried several in the past...they were ok, but something was missing. I love that you plainly showed the steps with the pictures! Authentic Mexican food is my favorite...we have a lot of Mexican restaurants here but none of them bother to showcase the "real" thing. So I must search diligently to learn how to do it myself!
Thank you!
Chris
A few years ago I was lucky enough to spend a winter in Mexico. Half a block one way was a corn tortilla factory, and half a block the other way was a bolillo factory. (If you’ve never been to Mexico, the factories are just a little set-up in the front of the house, usually the garage. The breads are so hot you can barely carry them to get them home.) Having lived in the San Francisco Bay area for many years, I know what good [sourdough] bread tastes like. Never have I had anything as good as those bolillos! I just found your site today and I am going to start trying to make them as well as corn tortillas. Tonight I’m making your enchiladas suizas, but with La Victoria green salsa because I had no idea how to make it from fresh and can’t get fresh tomatillos here anyway.I plan on working my way through your recipe index! Thank you for printing all these wonderful recipes for us uninitiated folks!
Mely Martínez
Hello Chris,
I bet you had a blast tasting all the amazing food from my country while visiting Mexico. Happy cooking!
Sonia G.
Great recipe. This was my second time making them. Thank you for all the photos, they really help.
Elaine Silva
Mely
I have been eating birote since the early 1950s. They were made with butter which you could clearly taste when you got to the bakery as soon as they came out of the oven. My Mom would buy bags full and freeze them. They tasted fresh baked when she defrosted them and wamed them up en the over.
When I moved to Los Angeles in the early 1980s I found boillos. They look the birote but the crust was much thinner and the bread was not as dense as the birote. The thicker crust was made with a cornstarch and water glaze which kept the bread inside soft in times when freezer were not around.
On a resent trip to Baja I went to the bakery my Tata bought his birote from. Because of the economy the butter was switched to a cheaper ingredient. I was so let down.
That is why I have been looking for a recipe. My cousin tells me he has an authentic recipe. I will try yours to see if I get the density I'm looking for. Also I'll be using butter to see how close I can get to the original.
Gina Bisaillon
Please, what is the weight of the flour? Cups just don't work for me.
mmartinez
Hello Gina,
I had updated the recipe adding the amount also in grams and ounces. Happy baking!
Gina Bisaillon
You may not know this, but the changes don't appear when you print the recipe!
Thanks for a nice recipe, I am making it now as I write this. I'm sure they will remind me of Mexico, especially the first time I tasted a bolillo there - it was in a sidewalk café in the Zona Rosa and I was hooked on the bread and on the country. I ended up staying 20 years!
Gina Bisaillon
Regarding my previous comment, I should have specified that though the weights appear on the recipe summary, when you click on Print you get a printout that doesn't have them. You need to do the printing to see that.
mmartinez
Hello Gina,
Thank you for letting me know. I tried the print option and it works fine, it includes the weight measurement this time. Please let me know if you still have problems. Thank you!
Irene
Best Bolillo recipe
Thank you so much
The measurements are so accurate!
I made bolillos before, using several other recipes, and I had to convert the measurements to where I could understand. When comparing my end results and found your recipe they were exactly what I came up with. Now I can just save this link and use this recipe instead. Love it ❤️
troy
Hi,
Any way you can post the weights as well. I find it a lot more accurate to get repeatable results. I cannot wait to try these (and them make tortas).
mmartinez
Hello Troy,
I just added the weights. I hope you enjoy this recipe.
Patricia
I have tried several recipes for bollilos and this is by far the best! My father and I both fell in love with the bread when we visited Mexico last year. I try to make this regularly for him now as it is his favorite bread of all.
mmartinez
Hello Patricia,
Thank you for trying the recipe. So glad to know you like it. Happy baking!
Barbara
These are fantastic! I’ve cooked several of your recipes and they’ve all been phenomenal but this bolillo was what really motivated me to write a comment. Thank you so much for sharing and inspiring a love of cooking that I never knew I had in me!
mmartinez
Hello Barbara,
Thank you for visiting the blog. These Mexican bolillos are so good! I hope you try the recipe.
Barbara
I made them today actually! Combined with fresh refried beans my family and I had tortas de frijoles for lunch. Delicious!
Thanks again!
mmartinez
Hello Barbara,
Great combination! What a better pair than warm bolillos with refried beans.
Berta
I have sourdough starter. Would your starter equal about a cup of starter?
mmartinez
Hello Berta,
It will about 1 - 1/3 cup of sourdough starter.
Anh
Hello Mely,
The bread looks great. Do you think I can use oil instead of shortening?
Thank you for the recipe. Your tamales recipe is fabulous!
mmartinez
Hello Anh,
Yes, you can use oil either olive oil or vegetable oil. The reason why I add the shortening is to obtain a softer crumb since regular homestyle ovens bake the bread different than the ones at the bakeries.
Paty
Hola disculpe como puedo agarrar esta receta en español?, si la hay, gracias!
mmartinez
Hello,
Presiona en el enlace.
Pan Frances
Anonymous
I usually don't put this type of bread into a plastic bag. It makes the crust soft too soon. This is because the bread steams into the bag and makes for high humidity. Don't you notice that most French breads sold in the store are in paper bags with one end open? Well, that's why. I would experiment a little using olive oil instead of shortening and a little lecithin. I know, you're trying to be authentic, but maybe if they had those ingredients back home, they would have made the bread different. A proposito, porque todos responden en espanol quando este pagina del web es en ingles?
mmartinez
Thank you fro your comment and your tips about the bread. I guess people feel more confident writing in spanish. 😉
Cynthia
Hello I don’t have any shortening but I do have lard can I use that instead?
Mely Martínez
Hello Cynthia,
Sure, you can use that too.
Jenny TheVoice
Me gusto mucho la historia y en mi país Guatemala a este tipo de pan le decimos pirujos. Me voy a animar a prepararlos . Si lo logró mi esposo se moriria de la felicidad .Gracias por compartir
Bobby
Dear Mely:
God bless you, I am so excited to try these, as I have had access to good chorizo for several years, even Oaxacan cheese, but the one thing eluding me was a good recipe for bolillo! My wife is a terrific baker of over 15 years experience, and has even baked my native pandesal from Manila, but I used to spend my summers in Mexico City in the 70s, and grew up on bolillo at my aunt's house in Tlalpan.
I am overjoyed to try this, I can't express how hungry the pictures are making me. Thank you so much for sharing your culture, and your passion for food and cooking. All the best to you and yours in 2017... muchismas gracias!!!
mmartinez
Hello Bobby,
Thank you for the beast wishes. All the best to you too!
Andrea Olivarez
If I were to bake them half way and then freeze them, would I need the water in a pan at the bottom of the oven for both baking cycles? And would you recommend thawing them completely before baking after freezing or put them in the oven frozen?? Thank you!
mmartinez
Hello Andrea,
You don't need the water for the second baking. I like to defrost my bread, but I know some people just pop them in the oven and bake. When you prebake them until they are almost done, they had raised all they needed, the second part is just to give them a crispy and golden crust.
Happy baking!
brittany
you didnt say what temperature to set the oven to before you bake them??
mmartinez
Hello Britanny,
Check step 9. Happy baking!
Paulina Rittscher
Hi, thanks a million for the recipe, I just bought my heavy duty mixer and being from Guadalajara, the first thing I want to do is birote, and I am a little confused as to which type of bread your recipe is about, because they're is the bolillo that you can find all around the country or there is the birote that you can only find in Guadalajara and is the one used for the typical tortas ahogadas, and that is the recipe I would love to have. Thank you!
mmartinez
Hello Paulina,
This recipe is for the most common bread called: pan francés or bolillo in México. Birote made in Guadalajara, according to bread makers outside Jalisco, it is not easy to recreate. It seems that humidity and other local conditions are key to the end result of birotes. Anyway, this is a rather simple recipe for a good substitute. Have fun baking!
arquerobueno
The traditional birote of Jalisco is a sourdough, not a commercial yeast bread.
Margaret916
Also, Mely, can I use bread flour instead of ap flour?
Thanks!
mmartinez
Helo Margaret916,
I'll post the measurements in grams this week. And, yes! you can use bread flour, as a matter of fact that is the flour used at the bakeries, but not everyone has access to bread flour in their area.
Enjoy!
Anel
I have an electric oven and can’t place the pan for water at the floor of the oven. Do you think if I put it on the lowest rack it will still work? Thanks!
Mely Martínez
Hello Anel, Yes! It will work, I also have an electric oven and place the tray in the lower rack.
Margaret916
Please, Mely, can you give me the measurements in grams instead of cups? I can't wait to try your recipe!
Michael Bush
Thank you for this recipe! I tried it out, and a few of my bolillos did deflate while making the cut, like the person above, but they still taste just as if they came from the panaderia. My grandmother and grandmother will be proud.
mmartinez
Hello Michael,
That happened to me a few times while getting the feeling of the dough. Once you keep practicing you learn to know when the dough is ready for the oven.
Thank you for testing the recipe.
Joel
Hello Mely. Help. So I tried to make this recipe EXACTLY as the recipe states, but after I was done kneading the dough for the 7 minutes in my KitchenAid, my dough didn't come out like the pictures. It was still runny and sticky. What did I do wrong?
Mely Martínez
Hello Joel,
Since I can't see how your dough looks, the only thing I can tell you, based on my experience, you have two options, keep kneading a little longer and add an extra dusting of flour to allow the dough to have a smooth texture.
BTW, the dough has to have some stickiness when you remove it from the kitchen aid bowl.
les milam
After cutting the slit, my bolillos deflated. After baking they remained flat. What did I do wrong?
mmartinez
Hello les,
Probably, you let them rest for too long. The dough takes less time to rise during the hot summer days. If let for too long the dough becomes to airy and can easily deflate when you make the cut.
That is something that you learn with practice and you get to know the dough. Is this your first time making them?
Please don't give up.
les milam
Yes, this is my first time. I won't give up I am going to try again, thank you for replying.
Rick
Mine are in the oven as I type. I found that I needed more water than your recipe called for but this may have been because I weighed the ingredients. So far they smell great, look perfect and I doubt that they'll disappoint. They are to be used for the Tortas Ahogatas I am making for friends. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Mely
Hello Rick,
Actually, when making bread, I prefer to weight the ingredients but since not everyone has a kitchen scale, I decided to post thsi recipe using cups instead of grams.
I hope you tell us your experience with the recipe.
Happy baking!
Mely
Maria Elena Meza Avina
Hola Mely,
Ya los hice 3 veces y queri compartir contigo que como no tenia manteca vegetal a la mano y tenia manteca de cerdo los hice con la d e puerco y quedaron bien, no se distingue el sabor de la manteca. Y hoy los hice con mantequilla, estoy esperando a que terminen los 15 min antes.de.darle forma. Ah!!! La unica vez no me gustaron lo hice con una harina miltigrano (de la india, un mezcla de maiz, trigo, garbanzo y otros granos) necesite casi 2 tazas de agua porque esa harina absorbe mucha agua y quedaron secos y fuera del.dia que salieron el horno, pues nadie se los comio asi qu los hice budin y asi se acabaron. 🙂
Si no quedan buenos con mantequilla te aviso.
Gracias por tus recetas!!!!
Elena
Mely
Hola Maria Elena,
Gracias por compartir tu experiencia con la receta. Puedes usar margarina, mantequilla y hasta aceite vegetal o de oliva.
Cuando uso manteca el pan es mas suave y eso le gusta mucho a mi familia, sobretodo si después queremos hacer tortas. La misma textura la obtienes usando margarina. Con la mantequilla la corteza del pan queda mas crujiente y le da sabor al pan. Con el aceite la masa cambia un poco la texture, se poco un poco dura. Visitan el Instagram de mexicoinmykitchen para que puedas ver la ultima foto de los bolillos, eso los hice con aceite de oliva, la masa se pone algo dura para trabajar pero los bolillos como quiera quedan hermosos.
Cuando hago integrales solo le pongo 25% de harina integral y 75% de harina normal (all purpose)
Saludos y feliz horneada!
Doris Perez
Recien llegada al blog me encanto la receta del bolillito... Pues en este pais es dificil conseguir buen bolillo, he tratado de conseguir la Manteca vegetal pero no la encuentro en los super Mexicanos en q area esta o alguna tienda en especial? Lastima en Mexico en todos lados la soñaba ji ji!
Mely
Hola Doris,
La manteca vegetal la encuentras en la sección de los aceites o en la de las harinas. La marca Crisco es la mas famosa, ya sea en barras como la mantequilla en contenedores pequeños o en botes.
Saludos!
Mely
Chris
Nicely done, I can't wait to try these!
Ligia
Mely,
Me encanto que compartieras la receta y las instruciones estan excelentes. Tambien podrias compartir con nosotros la receta de las conchas.
Mely
Hola Ligia,
Gracias por tu comentario. Con respecto a la receta de las conchas, ya estoy trabajando en ella. La tengo en borrador y solo me falta volverlas a hacer para tomar las fotos. El único problema con las conchas es que me las quiero comer todas!
Mely
Prieta
Muy bien Mely! Yo tengo una receta de bolillos que me regale una señora have años pero nunca Los he preparado. Ahora con la tuya y las explicaciones tan Clara's a ver is me animo.
Saudos.
Pily
Mely, te quedaron indénticos!!! :O ... la manteca es la INCA?
Los quiero hacer 🙂
Saludos
PILY
Mely
Si Pily, es la manteca vegetal. Puede ser INCA o de otras marcas.
Que te queden muy ricos!
Mely
Nammi
wow, love it. I am not that much into baking but would love to try. So nice of your friend to share her experiance with you
NORMA RUIZ
Wooo Mely que buena entrada, un pan imprecindible en la mesa mexicana, me encantan.
karyn
Have you ever tried freezing the dough before baking, or parbaking the bread and then freezing? I love freshly baked bread, but there's no way we could eat all of this before it got stale. Thanks!
Mely
Hello Karyn,
Yes, after the first rising sometimes I freeze the dough. Or just bake the rolls for 15 minutes and the cool before freezing.
Nora
Mely excelente tutorial! Muchas gracias! Se que te has metido hasta donde están los panaderos haciendo pan, con tal de mejorar tus bolillos!
Besos
JOCABET DETOR
Gracias por compartir la receta, le mando un cordial saludo desde la Florida !
manteca se refiere a mantequilla o a manteca vegetal ?
Mely
Hola Jocabet,
A manteca Vegetal.
Saludos!