bolillo

American  

[buh-lee-oh, baw-lee-yaw] / bəˈli oʊ, bɔˈli jɔ /

noun

Mexican Cooking.

bolillos plural

1. a crusty hard roll with a soft center.

2. a sandwich made with this roll.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bolillos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bolillo

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bolillo bolillos

The bolillo brouhaha quickly became part of the raging debate about gentrification in Mexico City.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 22, 2025

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

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 29, 2021

If you can't find ciabatta rolls, stick with a similarly tender bread, such as bolillo rolls, lightly toasted pullman or sourdough bread slices, so the fish stays intact in the sandwich when you bite down.

From Salon ● Sep. 29, 2021

But at home, you might use your oven, and a kaiser roll, a small ciabatta or a bolillo from a corner bodega.

From New York Times ● Apr. 13, 2018

For the Moto dish Cuban Missile Crisis, the constituents of a Cuban pork sandwich – bolillo bread, pork shoulder, pickles – were flattened out, rolled up, fried and wrapped in a collard green.

From The Guardian ● Apr. 6, 2018

Sometimes it’s a crinkly cellophane bag full of bolillos still faintly warm from the oven.

From Salon ● May 22, 2026

Lately I'm obsessed with bolillos, a savory bread used in everyday life or for tortas — it's the equivalent of a French baguette.

From Salon ● May 24, 2023

In Mexico City, individual bolillos are commonly used.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 29, 2021

House-baked bolillos help form hearty sandwiches, the best of which combine queso fresco, avocado, pinto bean puree and jalapeno.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2015

The rich smell of freshly baked bolillos hangs in the air.

From Washington Post