For some reason I've been thinking a lot about San Antonio and all of the great Mexican food I miss. Well, mainly puffy tacos. But one thing I do not miss are conchas, yeasty sweet breads with a colorful cookie topping. The reason I do not miss them is because the only ones we ever had growing up were tasteless and dry. Plus now I have my own homemade conchas recipe and can make them anytime!
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Panaderia Conchas
So I do have a homemade conchas recipe, but I also like to buy them at a panaderia. We had some great Mexican bakeries in Chicago and I've found a few here in Raleigh as well. They make so many other things besides conchas. Here we've got a concha, un ojo de buey, un banderilla y un barquillo con crema.
But we're talking about conchas, so here's one from a panaderia in Chicago (Artemio). So pretty!
Conchas really do have their own look from place to place, which makes them fun because there's more than one way to make them.
How to Make Homemade Conchas
First you make a lightly sweet dough. While the dough rises, you then make a very basic cookie dough. Once the dough has risen, you punch it down and portion into rolls. Take your cookie dough and pinch it into circles, then lay cookie dough circles over rolls and use a razor or the tip of a sharp knife to score patterns through the cookie dough. As it bakes, the bread rises up and separates the baked on cookie dough.
The Dough
This is a fluffy and lightly sweet dough. Some concha recipes do have a sweeter dough, but this one is such that you could serve the conchas with a little jam. They are still sweet, though, thanks to the cookie topping.
Cookie Topping
The cookie topping is a mixture of butter, sugar, salt, flavorings and flour. Shortening is traditionally used, but we like the flavor of butter. As for the sugar, some people use confectioners' sugar, but I like granulated because it gives you a crisper, crunchier topping. For flavorings, I love almond extract, vanilla and anise. Cocoa powder can be used, but personally I'd rather get a chocolate fix elsewhere so (now) I stick with vanilla, anise and almond. But I have added cocoa powder at times.
Size of Conchas
This recipe makes 30 oz of dough so you can make 12 big conchas or 14 slightly smaller ones. Since the bread is less sweet, I recommend going with 14 so there will be more of a balance in cookie topping and roll. You could even make them smaller. But for big fluffy conchas, make 12.
Notes and Tips
- This recipe calls for bread flour. With all-purpose you may need to use more flour. Add flour gradually and go by the feel and look of the dough rather than the measurement.
- If using salted butter, reduce the salt to a scant 1 teaspoon.
- For the yeast, I recommend SAF Gold Label, but any instant yeast should work. Active dry should work, but I've only tested with instant.
- The dough can be made ahead of time. To make ahead, let it rise once, shape the conchas, then cover and chill the shaped conchas for up to 3 hours. The second rise will take longer than an hour because of the cold dough. I have yet to test an overnight rise, but will update when I do.
- The cookie dough topping takes practice. Add the flour gradually so that it won't be too dry to work with. It is supposed to be on the dryer side, though.
Recipe
Conchas
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 stick unsalted butter (114 grams)
- 3 cups bread flour plus an extra ¼ to ⅓ cup (410 to 440 grams)
- ⅓ cup plus 2 teaspoons sugar (85 grams)
- 2 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt reduce to 1 if using salted butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon anise extract (optional)
Crunchy Topping
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened (114 grams)
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar (125 grams)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla (or use other flavorings)
- ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons bread flour or up to a cup of all-purpose (127 grams)
Instructions
- First, make sure your egg are room temperature or even a little on the warm side by dunking them in hot water. Set aside.
- Cut the butter into 8 chunks and warm in the microwave at 50% power just until very soft and squishy. It's okay if it's partially melted.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 3 cups (400 grams) of the bread flour, sugar and instant yeast. Keep the salt nearby, but don't add it yet.
- In small saucepan (or microwave safe measuring cup), heat the milk to 130 degrees F. Pour the extremely warm milk over the flour mixture and stir until ingredients are moistened. Add the squishy butter, then add the eggs, one by one, stirring by hand until they are absorbed.
- Add the salt and the flavorings and stir until blended. Everything should be in the mixing bowl now except for that last ¼ cup of flour, which is on standby.
- Set the mixing bowl on the stand mixer with the dough hook attached and knead for about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of the bowl. The dough should not be sticking to the sides of the bowl at this point. It should be clinging loosely to the hook but slowly falling off the hook because it's still too soft. Add 2 tablespoons more flour and keep kneading. Continue adding flour as needed until the dough clings to the hook but is still very soft and not sticky.
- Transfer to a bowl slicked with a little oil. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled. This dough is a bit of a slow riser, so it could take up to an hour and a half. Make the cookie topping during the first rise.
Conchas Cookie Topping
- With a scraper or handheld mixer, beat the softened butter and sugar just until they come together, then beat in the vanilla extract and salt. Gradually add the flour. Start with ¾ cup and then add just as much as you need to get a pliable dough. If you use a scale it should be about 127 grams total, but flours can vary in how absorbent they are. Shape into a 2 inch wide log, wrap and chill briefly.
- Alternatively, if you'd like to make it in different colors and flavors, mix the butter and sugar, then divide into 3 equal parts. Flavor each part with a dash of whatever flavoring you've chosen and a pinch of salt, then add coloring if using. Add about 45 grams of flour to each section.
Shaping
- Grease two 9x13 inch cake pans.
- Punch down the risen dough and shape it into twelve 2 ½ oz balls or 14 slightly smaller balls. Arrange 6 or7 to a pan, spacing evenly. Set aside and set the timer for an hour. This will be the second rise.
- If your oven takes a while to preheat, go ahead and preheat to 350 degrees F.
- Meanwhile, grab your cookie dough log (or logs). Cut 12 equal pieces. Press pieces into flat circles. The dough should start out cold, but will soften as you press it. Lay each circle over a rising dough piece.
- Using a razor blade or sharp knife, score lines through the cookie dough, doing your best to score only through the cookie dough and not the roll.
- Cover very loosely with lightly plastic wrap and let the dough finish rising. The rolls will not double in size during the second rise, they'll just puff up substantially and you might see some little holes forming.
- When ready to bake, bake the rolls for 22 to 25 minutes. Larger rolls will take up to 25 the smaller ones might be done as early as 20. Let cool before serving.
- You can serve slightly warm, but these are actually a little better if you let them cool because the cookie part cools and crisps.
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