Bolillos

When I lived in Mexico, I could not get enough of fresh baked bolillos. A base for tortas, they are stuffed full of fresh meats, vegetables and condiments and make for a pretty hearty lunch.

They are so great right out of the oven piled high with ham, pickled vegetables and grainy mustard. I also like them for breakfast.

So many recipes have lard in them. Here is a recipe that is lighter and still preserves the great taste.

Bolillos With Breakfast…

Bolillos are terrific with a large plate of scrambled eggs and chorizo. Another great breakfast I make is the Portuguese version of Chorizo and Eggs. Add diced pre-cooked potatoes, sautéed onions, and a diced green pepper to the chorizo and then when heated in a skillet, add the eggs.

Bon Appetit!

Mexican Bolillos

2 1/2 cups of flour

1 cup of warm water

1 teaspoon dry yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 cup of canola oil

Cornmeal

Mix together one cup of flour, yeast and warm water. Add one more cup of flour, sugar, salt and oil and stir until ingredients are combined but dough is still wet and shaggy. Let dough rest for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup of flour on a clean surface and knead dough until it shapes into a ball, about 10 minutes.

Place into a greased bowl, cover and let it rise until doubled in size, about an hour.

After dough has risen, divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Take each piece and flatten it into a circle. Take one side, and fold it in half into the center. Take the opposite side and do the same. Roll folded dough with your hands until it’s spindle shaped, wider in the middle and tapered at the ends.

Place shaped rolls on a greased or parchment-paper lined cookie sheet that’s sprinkled with a bit of cornmeal, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, about an hour.

Twenty minutes before baking, heat oven to 425 degrees. Five minutes before baking, place an oven-safe pan filled with water on the bottom of the oven.

Mix 1/2 cup of warm water with 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and brush on each roll. Then, with a sharp knife, razor or lame, make a slash lengthwise through each roll.

Place rolls on bottom rack of oven (be careful when opening oven as steam might come out) and cook for 15 minutes or until the bolilllos are light brown in color and make a hollow sound when you thump them.