Concha Bread
The Editors at Food Fanatic | Food FanaticConcha bread is a sweet and delicious Mexican treat. Here's how to make it!
Calling all bread lovers!
If you’ve not tried Concha, you are missing out on a double dough-licious treat. Concha is a sweet bread roll topped with a sweet crunchy topping. These rolls are traditional to Mexico and get their name from their resemblance to seashells - they're round and striped.
Does your mind immediately skip to margaritas and tacos when you think of Mexican cuisine? If so, then you might be quite surprised that Mexican bakeries boast a huge range of wonderful pastries, breads, cakes, desserts and candies!
As demand rose in Mexico for innovative and interesting bakes during the 17th century, French bakers began to make their way to Mexico. With them they brought recipes for Brioche, which is believed to be the origin of the bread base of the popular Concha.
Conchas are comprised of two parts - a sweet bread roll and a crispy cookie dough that tops it.
Although an enriched yeasted dough (like a brioche) is the base of the roll - leading many to link the French origins to this Mexican delight - its exact origin is not known. It is not clear who created or why they created the Concha.
But with its yeasty bread roll finished with a cookie topping, it is quite a unique bake! The only other baked treat quite like it is the Japanese 'melonpan' - another yeasted bread roll with a sweet topping.
While it is not traditional for Conchas to be paired with other flavors, modern bakers tend to offer them with a combination of vanilla and chocolate, orange and chocolate, or pecan!
You can also find Concha bread in a range of bright colors, with bakers infusing the bread and cookie crust with food colorings.
Before you get creative with variations, let’s take a look at the traditional Concha recipe!
Concha Bread
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Ingredients
Dough:- 2 tablespoons Milk
- 1/2 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
- 1 1/3 cups Bread Flour
- 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1 pinch of Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 stick Butter, softened and cut into 3 pieces
- 1/3 cup Lard
- 1/3 cup Confectioners Sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1/3 cup All-Purpose Flour, plus 4 teaspoons
- Granulated Sugar, for sprinkling
Directions
- Start by making the base dough. Heat the milk to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the milk has warmed, add the yeast and allow to sit for about 10 minutes until the mixture goes slightly frothy.
- Add the flour, sugar, egg, salt and vanilla to the yeast mixture and either beat well by hand or use a mixer until well combined.
- Add the butter, one knob at a time and mix well until combined.
- Knead by hand (about 10 minutes) or on low in a mixer (about 5 minutes).
- Divide the dough into 1/4 oz balls.
- Now onto the sweet topping - cream the lard and confectioners’ sugar in a bowl.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and vanilla and mix thoroughly.
- On a floured surface, roll the topping dough out into a 1/8 inch thick sheet.
- With a cookie cutter (or knife), cut circles that will fit the bread rolls.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the topping on top of the bread dough and sprinkle with granulated sugar. With a pairing knife, etch shell lines onto the topping to imitate a shell image.
- On a baking tray, lined or greased, arrange the Conchas and let rise until doubled in size (about 45 minutes). Ensure they are in a warm area otherwise they won’t rise properly.
- Once doubled in size, bake them for 5-7 minutes.
- Published:
- Author:
- The Editors at Food Fanatic
- Source:
- Food Network
- Cuisine:
- Mexican
- Category:
- Bread
- Tags:
- Mexican, Bread
- Related Recipes:
- Mexican Recipes, Bread Recipes
- Recipe Yields:
- 20 conchas
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- resting and proofing:
- Total Time:
- Related Post:
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Published:
Author: The Editors at Food Fanatic
Source: Food Network
Recipe Yields: 20 conchas
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 87 minutes
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving
