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    Home » Most Recent

    Fast and Easy Bolillos

    March 17, 2017 By Patrick 120 Comments

    1747 shares
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    Alternative title for this post is Working Man's Bolillos.  Because the working person ain't got time to sit around and watch bolillo dough rise.

    I've fiddled around with traditional bolillo recipes in the past but always found the effort-to-reward ratio a bit skewed, with lengthy rise times leaving you feeling bolilloed after an all-day affair.

    But recently I came across a turbo powered hamburger bun recipe on Taste of Home and I've adapted it to re-shift the bolillo effort-to-reward ratio back in my favor.  In other words, you don't have to sit around and wait for the dough to rise because you are tripling the yeast amount.  Yes, tripling!

    Don't have time to sit around and watch dough rise? This easy bolillos recipe uses extra yeast for a quick batch of light, fluffy rolls that are perfect for sandwiches. mexicanplease.com

    Fast and Easy Bolillos

    A close relative to the French baguette, the bolillo is the bread of choice for tortas (sandwiches) in Mexico and you'll find these oblong shaped delights on just about every street corner across the country.  The term bolillo may sound exotic, but the ingredient list will look surprisingly familiar to you.  It is bread after all, and whereas a traditional bolillo might be made using lard, we are using a basic canola oil with equally good results.

    I've lowered the sugar and increased the salt to suit my palate, but the core of the Taste of Home recipe remains, including the time-saving yeast bump.   Two teaspoons of yeast would be a typical amount for 3 cups of flour, and we are using a full 2 Tablespoons.  Sound crazy?  Don't worry, they don't taste yeasty at all and they just might convert you over to homemade bread for life.

    Start by adding 2 Tablespoons of yeast to 1.25 cups of warm water.  Add 3 Tablespoons of sugar and 1/4 cup oil.  Let this mixture sit for 5 -10 minutes.  (Here's an interesting tidbit on how proofing yeast became customary.)

    Don't have time to sit around and watch dough rise? This easy bolillos recipe uses extra yeast for a quick batch of light, fluffy rolls that are perfect for sandwiches. mexicanplease.com

    Add 3.75 cups of flour, 1.5 teaspoons of salt, and 1 egg.  Mix as much as you can with a spoon and then plop the mixture onto a work surface.

    Don't have time to sit around and watch dough rise? This easy bolillos recipe uses extra yeast for a quick batch of light, fluffy rolls that are perfect for sandwiches. mexicanplease.com

    Knead until you have a smooth mound of dough.  If the dough is sticking to your hands add additional flour.

    Don't have time to sit around and watch dough rise? This easy bolillos recipe uses extra yeast for a quick batch of light, fluffy rolls that are perfect for sandwiches. mexicanplease.com

    Don't let it rise!  Divide into 8 pieces and roll the pieces into a ball.

    Don't have time to sit around and watch dough rise? This easy bolillos recipe uses extra yeast for a quick batch of light, fluffy rolls that are perfect for sandwiches. mexicanplease.com

    To create the traditional bolillo shape, flatten one of the dough balls into an oval-shaped disk, pull the top quarter towards you, and seal.

    Don't have time to sit around and watch dough rise? This easy bolillos recipe uses extra yeast for a quick batch of light, fluffy rolls that are perfect for sandwiches. mexicanplease.com

    Now pull that part towards you, seal, and continue until you end up with a tube of dough.

    Don't have time to sit around and watch dough rise? This easy bolillos recipe uses extra yeast for a quick batch of light, fluffy rolls that are perfect for sandwiches. mexicanplease.com

    Give it a quick roll while putting pressure on the outer edges with your hands and you'll get tapered ends that give bolillos their distinctive shape.

    Don't have time to sit around and watch dough rise? This easy bolillos recipe uses extra yeast for a quick batch of light, fluffy rolls that are perfect for sandwiches. mexicanplease.com

    Let these rise for 10-30 minutes, depending on how patient you're feeling.  Letting them rise a bit longer will slightly reduce the density.   I lasted about 20 minutes and here's how they looked:

    Don't have time to sit around and watch dough rise? This easy bolillos recipe uses extra yeast for a quick batch of light, fluffy rolls that are perfect for sandwiches. mexicanplease.com

    That's the tripled yeast in action!

    Your bolillos are self-conscious and most comfortable blending in with all the other bolillos.  This means a quarter-inch slit lengthwise before baking will produce the traditional bolillo look.

    Don't have time to sit around and watch dough rise? This easy bolillos recipe uses extra yeast for a quick batch of light, fluffy rolls that are perfect for sandwiches. mexicanplease.com

    Bake at 425F for 8-12 minutes.  This batch was in for about 11 minutes.

    Don't have time to sit around and watch dough rise? This easy bolillos recipe uses extra yeast for a quick batch of light, fluffy rolls that are perfect for sandwiches. mexicanplease.com

    And note how they increased their vertical while in the oven.

    Don't have time to sit around and watch dough rise? This easy bolillos recipe uses extra yeast for a quick batch of light, fluffy rolls that are perfect for sandwiches. mexicanplease.com

    Tripled yeast!

    Let these cool on the counter for a few minutes and then dig in.  They are good enough to be eaten on their own with some butter, and of course they are the perfect choice for some lunchtime tortas.

    Don't have time to sit around and watch dough rise? This easy bolillos recipe uses extra yeast for a quick batch of light, fluffy rolls that are perfect for sandwiches. mexicanplease.com

    So good!

    One other thing I looked into while making these was the cost of yeast.  If, like me, you typically buy these 3-packs of yeast then it might be worth looking into a bulk buy.

    Don't have time to sit around and watch dough rise? This easy bolillos recipe uses extra yeast for a quick batch of light, fluffy rolls that are perfect for sandwiches. mexicanplease.com

    Each of these individual packs will have a little over two teaspoons of yeast.   To get two Tablespoons of yeast you'll need to use all three of these packs, for about $2-3.

    The most popular yeast on Amazon costs $8/pound and you'll get approximately 30 Tablespoons of yeast!  That is a significant savings if you make bread regularly.  I don't claim to buy yeast by the pound and can't comment on the brands to seek out, but it seems kinda smart 🙂

    I hope you enjoy these bolillos, let me know if you have any questions.

    Buen Provecho.

    Fast and Easy Bolillos

    Don't have time to sit around and watch dough rise? This easy bolillos recipe uses extra yeast for a quick batch of light, fluffy rolls that are perfect for sandwiches. 
    4.36 from 78 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 35 minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 6 (8 rolls)
    Calories: 413kcal
    Author: Patrick Calhoun | Mexican Please

    Ingredients

    • 3.75 cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 Tablespoons yeast
    • 1.25 cups warm water
    • 1/4 cup canola oil
    • 3 Tablespoons sugar
    • 1 egg
    • 1.5 teaspoons salt

    Instructions

    • Add 2 Tablespoons of yeast to 1.25 cups of warm water.  Add 3 Tablespoons of sugar and 1/4 cup oil.  Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
    • Add 3.75 cups flour, 1.5 teaspoons salt, and 1 egg.  Mix as much as you can with a spoon and then plop onto a work surface.  Knead with your hands until you have a smooth ball of dough.  Add additional flour if it's sticking to your hands.
    • Divide into eight equal parts.  Roll into balls.  
    • Flatten into oval shaped disks.  Pull 1/4 of the disk towards you and seal.   Now pull that part towards you and seal again.   Continue until you have a tube of dough.  Give a quick roll while putting pressure on the ends to get the traditional bolillo shape.
    • Cover and let rise for 10-30 minutes.  (I waited 20 minutes).  You can optionally add a lengthwise 1/4 inch deep slit on the bolillos just before baking. 
    • Bake for 8-12 minutes at 425F.  (This batch baked for 11 minutes).
    • Let cool on counter and serve immediately.

    Notes

    Adding two cups of water to an ovensafe pan and putting this in the oven as the bolillos bake should make the crust crispier, but I haven't experimented with this yet. 
     
    You can use a greased baking sheet but I used parchment paper with a sprinking of flour on it. 
     
    Adapted from Taste of Home. 
    Like this recipe?Click the stars above to rate it or leave a comment down below! @mexplease

     

     

     

     

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Ben

      January 11, 2023 at 8:19 am

      4 stars
      Good easy to follow recipe. Have you tried cutting out/down on the oil? Should make the yeast's job even easier

      Reply
      • Patrick

        January 13, 2023 at 9:27 pm

        Thanks Ben! Hmmmm haven't experimented with that yet but will add it to my list. Cheers.

        Reply
    2. David DeFalco

      December 14, 2022 at 2:00 am

      3 stars
      Been making homemade bread for about 40 years, and had never heard of this triple yeast technique. It's intriguing, and I may give it a shot. BTW - I usually buy Red Star yeast in a 2 lb. bag for about $5-6. VERY cost effective, and it'll keep well in a ziploc bag in the freezer for at least a couple of years. Mine never lasts that long though. 😊 Oh, there are exactly 2-1/4 tsp. of yeast in those little packets.

      Reply
    3. Hazel Hamilton

      September 10, 2022 at 9:18 am

      Patrick, your recipe is WONDERFUL!!! This has got to be my favorite kind of bread...and SO easy to make. I AM one of those people who will buy pounds of yeast...lol. The way you write your recipe instructions brings a smile to my face. Thanks for the plain talk! Hazel Hamilton, Murfreesboro, TN.

      Reply
      • Patrick

        September 14, 2022 at 3:33 am

        Thanks Hazel for your note! So glad to hear you are finding some good stuff on my site. Cheers.

        Reply
    4. Bruce Barnett

      February 17, 2022 at 11:19 am

      I am so pleased and proud. They will be regular at my house.
      Thanks very much.
      Bruce

      Reply
      • Patrick

        February 18, 2022 at 9:24 am

        Hey good news, thanks Bruce.

        Reply
    5. Jeremy Hopkins

      February 15, 2022 at 9:46 pm

      Spraying the inside of the oven door once with water in the first ten minutes and then letting it bake the rest of the way will create the crust you are talking about above. If you leave a pan of water in the oven the entire time it will make the final bread soft, not crisp.

      Reply
      • Patrick

        February 18, 2022 at 9:24 am

        Hey thanks much for mentioning this tip Jeremy, that's a new one to me. Cheers.

        Reply
      • Sally

        June 14, 2022 at 8:53 am

        Great to know. Appreciate that tip Jeremy.

        Reply
    6. Liv

      January 21, 2022 at 2:07 pm

      I'm just making these now, by mistake - saw your recipe and thought it looked great, but I wanted to test my yeast because I've been making various unleavened Indian breads for a while and the yeast I have is a bit old. So I did the sponge, it rose like anything and I quickly had to assemble the rest of the ingredients! Dough is lovely and smooth. Can't believe it took so little time.

      Reply
      • Patrick

        January 21, 2022 at 4:26 pm

        Ahh good to hear. Cheers.

        Reply
    7. Joe Angelo

      January 01, 2022 at 11:51 am

      5 stars
      Fast, easy and they taste GREAT. In my recipe book as a definite keeper.

      Reply
      • Patrick

        January 07, 2022 at 12:38 pm

        Thanks Joe!

        Reply
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    Hey, I'm Patrick! I spent 2 years living in Cozumel and got obsessed with Mexican food. I built this site to share all the recipes and techniques I've learned along the way. Read More…

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