Conchas

If you’ve ever stepped foot inside a panaderia, or a Mexican bakery, you will find a bread case filled with colorful, fluffy conchas. One of the most popular types of Mexican pan dulce (sweet bread), this photogenic pastry appears in any respectable panaderia’s selection.

What are conchas?

Concha is the Spanish word for “seashell.” One look at this shell-shaped bread and you’ll see why. They’re made in various colors and sizes, from a small cookie-sized portion to a large impressive loaf meant to be sliced and shared. The rounded pastry is topped with a sweet paste made from sugar and shortening that hardens and crumbles when baked.

Conchas are one of the most popular Mexican desserts and can be found at every panaderia. Now, conchas are readily available in grocery stores in the United States and in certain neighborhood bakeries too.

Ingredients for Conchas

• All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour keeps the conchas tender and bready without making them dense and dry.
• Active dry yeast: Our recipe for conchas uses active dry yeast, not instant yeast. Be sure to check the yeast’s packaging. It’s easy to mix up these two types of yeast since the packaging is so similar and they’re the most common yeasts available at the grocery store.
• Sugar: Use granulated sugar to sweeten the pan dulce. Brown sugar may discolor it.
• Butter: Soften the butter to room temperature so it mixes in seamlessly. We don’t want pockets of cold butter in the unbaked dough or the bread won’t properly hydrate when baked.
• Eggs: Baking with room-temperature eggs allows the egg to mix better into the dough or batter, creating more volume and a better rise.
• Whole milk: Warm the milk to 110° to 115°F so it can activate the yeast. Anything colder won’t proof the yeast, but anything hotter might kill the yeast.
• Streusel: Concha’s baked topping has a crunchy streusel texture. This sweet topping is made from sugar, butter, all-purpose flour, vanilla extract and ground chocolate.

Directions

Step 1: Make the dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, active dry yeast, sugar, salt and cinnamon until well combined. In a small saucepan, heat milk and butter to 120°-130°. Add the dough hook attachment to the mixer, then add the butter into the flour mixture and beat on medium speed until well combined, about two minutes.

Add the eggs. Beat the mixture for two minutes on high speed.

Stir in enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough (dough will be sticky).

Step 2: Knead and let the dough rise

Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, six to eight minutes. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top of the dough. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place until it doubles, about one hour.

Step 3: Make the topping

Meanwhile, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the butter, all-purpose flour, sugar and vanilla until well-combined. Divide the topping in half. Mix the ground chocolate into one half and set aside.

Step 4: Divide the dough

Punch down the dough. Divide the dough into 12 portions and form each into a 3-inch oval. Place them 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with milk; brush over the dough.

Step 5: Add the topping

Divide the chocolate streusel into six portions and roll each into a 3-inch circle. Place over half the rolls. Repeat with the plain streusel and the remaining rolls.

Using a sharp knife, like a small paring knife, gently cut through the streusel on top of the rolls, scoring a seashell design in the topping. Cover the conchas with clean kitchen towels and let them rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 30 minutes.

Step 6: Bake

During the last 15 minutes of rising time, preheat the oven to 375°. Brush the rolls with any remaining egg wash. Bake the conchas until the tops are lightly browned, 15-20 minutes. Remove the rolls to a wire rack to cool completely to room temperature.

Recipe Variations

• Change the concha color: You could use pink or yellow food coloring for a classic look. If you skip the food coloring, your conchas will yield the white shell look often seen in bakeries. Play around with food coloring (or natural food coloring) to achieve different hues. You can even form two or three topping colors together for a tie-dyed look.
• Cut different designs: Conchas can be formed and cut into different shapes and grooves. The shell design is classic, but try a scallop, swirl or grid design for something new.

How to Store Conchas

To keep the conchas fresh, store them in a tightly sealed container or zip-top bag for up to four days at room temperature. You can preserve their life further by storing conchas in the fridge, but know the bread will dry out a bit.

Can you freeze conchas?

Yes, you can freeze conchas. Allow baked conchas to cool completely to room temperature, then line them on a parchment-lined baking tray. Place the tray in the freezer, uncovered, until the conchas are frozen, about one hour. Then transfer the conchas to a zip-top bag and freeze for up to three months. Thaw them at room temperature before enjoying.

Can you make conchas ahead of time?

Yes, you can make concha dough in advance and refrigerate it overnight. Test Kitchen expert Maggie Knoebel says doing this can make the dough easier to shape when forming the conchas. Be sure to refrigerate the dough before shaping and make sure it’s tightly wrapped to maintain freshness. When you’re ready to bake the following day, shape the dough and let it rise according to the instructions.

Concha Tips

Where does pan dulce come from?

Wheat products, including pastries, didn’t make an appearance in Mexico until the 16th century, after the Spanish invaded. One of the soldiers who remained in Mexico, Juan Garrido, planted the wheat grains he found while cleaning a rice shipment. The first wheat plants in Mexico thrived.

While the Spanish settlers used the wheat crop to make bread, the Indigenous population continued to prefer corn tortillas. It wasn’t until a baker started adding sugar to the bread that the Indigenous people took interest, and pan dulce was born.

By the 20th century, bakeries had an abundance of pan dulce, including the first conchas. Now, conchas of all colors and patterns abound.

How do you eat conchas?

Good conchas are perfect eaten by themselves. Additionally, many people like to dip their conchas in coffee, hot chocolate or Mexican hot chocolate. Some even like to split them in half and add refried beans or sour cream!

Can you use different flours to make conchas?

If you’re fresh out of all-purpose flour or just want to experiment in the kitchen, bread flour will be the easiest substitute. Maggie says that bread flour will absorb a little more liquid than all-purpose flour since it has a higher protein level. When making the dough, use your best judgment and add more water or flour as you see fit.