An absorbent cellulosic sheet is formed by belt creping a nascent web at a consistency of 30% to 60% utilizing a generally planar perforated polymeric creping belt to form a sheet with fiber-enriched higher basis weight hollow domed regions on one side of the sheet joined by a network of lower local basis weight connecting regions forming a network where upwardly and inwardly inflected consolidated fibrous regions exhibiting CD fiber orientation bias form transition areas between the connecting regions and the domed regions. When formed into roll products, the cellulosic sheets exhibit a surprising combination of bulk, roll firmness, absorbency and softness. The consolidated fibrous regions are preferably saddle shaped and exhibit a matted structure on both their outer and inner surfaces.