Sevillian bollo facts for kids
The Bollo is a very popular type of bread from Seville, a city in the south of Spain. It is made with simple ingredients like flour, water, sourdough, a little yeast, and salt. It's a white bread with a thin crust. The inside of the bread is spongy but also very firm.
Each Bollo usually weighs between 150 and 200 grams. It is about 20 centimeters long. Bakers traditionally make one long cut down the middle of the bread before baking. The Bollo comes from a type of bread called candeal bread, which is common in the Castile region of Spain. You can find Bollo bread mostly in the Seville area and throughout western Andalusia. It is a classic bread from Alcalá de Guadaíra, a city famous for its baking history.
What is Bregada Dough?
The dough used for Bollo is called candeal, bregada, or sobada dough. These names describe how the dough is made. Sobar or bregar la masa means to knead the dough very strongly. This is done with a special machine that has two rollers, called a sobadora or bregadora.
This strong kneading makes the dough harder, easier to shape, and very smooth. It also uses less water than other bread doughs. The dough does not ferment (rise) for a long time. This short fermentation helps the inside of the bread stay very firm and tight.
There are two types of bread similar to the Bollo:
- The telera has a higher middle part.
- The albarda is like a Bollo but without the pointed ends.
How Bollo is Eaten
The Bollo is often eaten with picos, which are small, crunchy breadsticks. This combination goes well with many dishes in Andalusian cuisine.
It is also the traditional bread used to make montaditos. These are small, open-faced sandwiches, often served as snacks. You will also find Bollo as part of a traditional Andalusian breakfast. During Holy Week in Seville, the Bollo is used to make torrijas, a type of Spanish French toast.
See also
In Spanish: Bollo sevillano para niños
