bolillo

[buh-lee-oh, baw-lee-yaw]

noun

Mexican Cooking.

plural

bolillos 

1. a crusty hard roll with a soft center.

2. a sandwich made with this roll.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bolillo¹

First recorded in 1970–75; from Spanish, equivalent to boll(o) “bun, roll” (with gender change from Latin bulla “bubble, knob”; + -illo diminutive suffix; bola, boil ¹ )

Example Sentences

Ortiz said he frequently would stop by at Ruben’s Bakery on his way to work, where he would grab a bolillo and a cup of coffee.

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Imagine opening up a steamy, golden bolillo and lying inside of it like a sleeping bag.

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"It's this carb overload, usually a breakfast food that's two tamales inside a bolillo, which is a big roll. It's kind of the same idea. Tamales and their utility for working people as food on the go, it's just cross-cultural."

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As I fried the bolillo slices and carefully stacked them inside a baking pan while sprinkling almonds and raisins, I thanked God for taking my mother before the COVID-19 pandemic.

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For the version shared here, because I didn’t have access to a bolillo or telera, I picked up a baguette.

Read more on Seattle Times