Those bollitos are soft and fluffy on the inside with a slight chewiness on the outside. They are perfect to enjoy for breakfast with coffee, or as a snack in the afternoon.
Place 2 tablespoons of flour, 2 tablespoons of milk, and 2 tablespoons of water on a small pan and whisk until there are no lumps.
Place the mixture over low heat and cook until you’ll achieve a thick and smooth mixture.
Transfer the mixture to a bowl and allow it to reach room temperature.
Add the remaining milk and butter to a medium bowl. Place in the microwave and heat until the butter has melted, let it cool until it reaches room temperature.
Once the mixture has cooled down, add the egg and whisk to combine. Remove 2 tablespoons of the milk mixture and set aside.
Add remaining flour, sugar, salt, and yeast to a stand mixer bowl.
Add the flour thick mixture you made at the start and then pour in the milk and egg mixture.
With the hook attached, knead at medium speed until a smooth and elastic dough is formed (about 8 minutes).
Remove the dough from the mixing bowl (is ok if it's lightly sticky). Grease a large bowl and place the dough inside, giving it a slight ball shape.
Cover the bowl with cling film and let the dough proof in a warm environment until it doubles in size.
Shape bollitos
Lightly butter your hands and a working surface. Transfer the dough and knead it a little bit to degas it.
Divide the dough into two pieces. Roll each piece into a tube shape, then dive each tube into 3 equal pieces (read notes).
Take one of the dough portions and shape it by tucking it under to create a smooth top, then gently pinch the ends to stick them together and form a ball.
Place the dough ball on the working surface and use your hands to finish shaping it. Repeat with all portions of dough.
Place dough balls in a greased cake pan. Cover loosely with cling film and let them proof in a warm environment for 40 to 60 minutes or until doubled in size.
Bake
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and set a rack in the middle position.
Carefully brush the unbaked bollos with the milk mixture you reserved before.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until nicely golden on the outside (read notes).
Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Then remove the rolls from the pan and place them in the rack to cool down completely.
Notes
Dividing the dough into 6 portions will yield large bollos, or you can also divide into 8 or even 10 portions to make small bollitos, is up to you, just adjust baking time accordingly.
Bake for 20 minutes, then check up the rolls and if you see they are getting too browned, cover them with foil and keep baking until done.