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Teleras
Soft two-groove sandwich rolls
Mexico City's soft torta rolls with two grooves
Without teleras there would be no torta, Mexico City's great lunchtime sandwich. These wide, flattish oval rolls, marked with two long grooves, have a thin, tender crust and a soft, close crumb that holds refried beans, avocado, queso and pickled jalapeños without falling apart. Every neighbourhood panadería piles them on metal trays next to the crustier bolillos, and street stalls toast them on a griddle before filling. Some bakers add a spoonful of lard to the dough; vegetable shortening gives the same softness and keeps these vegan. Pressing the grooves too gently is the usual mistake, because they puff closed in the oven and you lose the three-part shape. Chef's tip: for a proper torta, split the roll, pull out a little of the crumb and toast the cut sides on a hot comal with a smear of oil or butter.
- Total time
- 160 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flourplus extra for dusting
- 1 tbsp sugar
- ⅓ oz salt
- 1 oz vegetable shorteningsoft
- 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast, 1 tbsp sugar and ⅓ oz salt, rub in 1 oz vegetable shortening, then add 1 ¼ cups lukewarm water and knead for 10 minutes into a smooth, supple dough.
10 minStep 2: Cover and leave to rise for 1 hour, until doubled.
60 minStep 3: Divide into 8 and shape each into a ball, then roll into a fat oval about 14 cm long. Rest for 10 minutes and press flat to about 2 cm thick.
10 minStep 4: Dust the tops with flour. Press a thin rolling pin or chopstick lengthwise into each oval twice, about a third of the way in from each side, pushing almost down to the work surface to make two deep grooves.
Step 5: Set the rolls groove-side down on a floured cloth, cover and prove for 40 minutes, until puffy.
40 minStep 6: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan).
15 minStep 7: Turn the rolls groove-side up onto a lined tray and mist with water. Bake for 18–20 minutes, until light golden, with a thin, soft crust.
20 minStep 8: Check that the bases sound hollow, or that the centre reads 199°F, then cool under a tea towel so the crust stays soft.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 255 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does teleras take?
- About 160 minutes in total: 140 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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