Chipotle Corn Bolillo Rolls

You know that can of Chipotles in Adobo you have sitting in your pantry? Or if you’re like me, you open the can to use in a recipe and still have half a can left so you freeze it and forget it’s there? Here’s a recipe for using up those leftover Chipotles. I guarantee you’ll like these rolls so much, you’ll never have leftover Chipotles again!

Chipotle Corn Bolillo Rolls

1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) Quick-Rise Yeast
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 1/2 cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour, plus 1/4 cup more for rolling and shaping dough
1/4 cup canned Chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce
1 1/4 cups tepid (room temperature) water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup fresh, frozen or canned corn off the cob (if using canned, use no salt added and drain the corn)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter or 2 1/2 tablespoons lard* or olive oil
1/2 cup water
3/4 teaspoon cornstarch

Place the yeast and brown sugar in the bottom of a large mixer bowl. Add 2 cups of the flour on top and set aside.

Chop the Chipotle peppers and set aside. (I like to put them in a shallow cup and use my small kitchen shears to cut them in the cup).

Place all of the corn in a small saucepan with 1/2 cup of the water and 1/4 teaspoon salt, cover and heat on high for 3 minutes. Turn off heat and remove 3/4 cup of the corn with a slotted spoon to a small bowl to cool. Place the butter, lard or olive oil in the bowl with the 3/4 cup drained corn.

Puree the remaining 1/4 cup corn with the liquid left in the pan. The liquid corn mixture should measure 2/3 cup, if it doesn’t, add water until you get 2/3 cup. Return the 2/3 cup liquid corn mixture to the saucepan and bring to a boil. When mixture boils, turn off heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of the flour. Stir until mixed well into a slurry that leaves a film, just one minute.

Remove pan from heat and immediately use a cooking thermometer to measure the temperature of the mixture. If the temperature reads less than 130 degrees Fahrenheit, add the corn and flour slurry to the mixer bowl. If it is over 130 degrees Fahrenheit, let mixture sit for a few minutes to cool and add it to the mixer when temperature falls below 130 degrees. (Or…carefully use your finger. If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to add to the mixer bowl.)

Add the remaining 3/4 cup water to the mixer bowl and mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape the sides down and stir the bottom of the bowl, then mix on medium speed for 4 more minutes. Dough should look a little webby.

Add remaining corn with the butter, lard or olive oil and remaining 1 1/4 teaspoon salt and mix until combined well, 2 minutes. Add chipotles and mix one minute more.

Add remaining flour 1/4 cup at a time (reducing mixer speed so flour stays IN the bowl) for additional 2 minutes each time until dough is smooth and climbing the dough hook. Dough will be a little sticky with some dough still clinging to the sides of the bowl. Use a spatula to scrape down dough from sides of the bowl and form a ball, leaving dough in the mixer bowl.

Cover mixer bowl and set aside for 20-30 minutes for gluten to relax. Dough will be puffy but not doubled in size.

Gently turn dough out using a large spatula onto floured surface without deflating it. Lightly coat the dough with flour, and pat/roll evenly into a 12 inch diameter circle.

Cut dough circle in half lenthwise, then in half widthwise using a bench scraper or pizza wheel. You will have 4 even quarters of dough. Cut each quarter into 3 even pieces, about 2 inches wide at the long end. You’ll have 12 long triangles. Alternatively, you can weigh your whole dough ball out, then divide the number by 12 and weigh each dough piece before shaping to ensure even sized rolls.

To shape rolls, bring ends and edges of dough pieces in and pinch well together forming a ball. Turn the ball over and put aside while shaping rest of the balls. Then roll each ball out into an oval about 4 inches long. Pinch the ends of each piece while gently pulling out to form a sort of canoe shape, 5 to 6 inches long.

Place seam side down on parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet (either one 13 by 18 inch full baking sheet or two 9 by 13 inch half sheets) and space at least 2 inches apart.

Cover with a light damp towel or greased plastic wrap and let rise for 40 to 45 minutes. Towards the end of rising time, preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Stir 1/2 cup water together with 3/4 teaspoon cornstarch and heat on high in a saucepan or in microwave just until thickened and bubbling. It should look like thick gravy. Stir and let cool while rolls finish rising.

When rolls have risen 40 minutes, use a pastry brush to coat the top and sides of each roll with the cornstarch slurry. Use a wet steak knife or lame to slash rolls down middle, 1/2 inch deep, within 1/2 inch of each end.

Bake on middle rack of the oven for 15-18 minutes or until rolls are light golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Remove from oven. Transfer rolls to a cooling rack and let cool.

Makes 12 rolls

*Yes LARD! It adds flavor…enough said.

Tip: If using lard or olive oil for the fat, rolls will be lighter in color. Check the rolls in last 5 minutes of baking. If you want them to brown more, turn oven up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for last 5 minutes of baking.

Tip: Using olive oil will yield dairy free/vegan rolls

Last and Best Tip: If you substitute 1/4 to 1/2 cup Corn Masa Flour (the pure stuff used to make tamales and corn tortillas) for the unbleached all-purpose flour in the dough recipe, you’ll get softer rolls with a toasty, corny flavor. And most importantly they will fill your kitchen with the smell of Doritos while they bake and bring EVERYONE in your house running!