The swirls on the tops of these Mexican sweet breads (pan dulce) resemble the swirls of a seashell, which is where the name concha comes from (“shell” in Spanish). Conchas are ubiquitous at Mexican panaderías and can come in a variety of flavors and colors. I like to add a touch of vanilla bean paste to the topping in my recipe, in addition to the Mexican vanilla in my dough, to enhance the floral-sweet flavor of the spice. Enjoy the concha in the morning for breakfast, in the afternoon as a snack or almost any time of day (or night!). A mug of atole or hot chocolate is the perfect pairing.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 4 hr 20 min |
| Active: | 1 hr |
| Yield: | 12 conchas |
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- One 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook’s Note), plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional
- 1 tablespoon Mexican vanilla
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces, at room temperature,
- Neutral oil, for the bowl
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (see Cook’s Note)
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup shortening
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, optional
Instructions
- For the bread: Add the milk, 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar and 1/2 cup water to a small saucepan. Heat until the sugar dissolves and the temperature registers between 100 and 110 degrees F. Remove from the heat and stir in the yeast. Let the yeast bloom until frothy and bubbly, about 10 minutes.
- Combine the flour, salt, cinnamon, if using, and remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix on low speed. Gradually add the yeast mixture, followed by the vanilla and eggs and mix until well combined, 3 to 5 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough is smooth, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Gradually add the butter in tablespoon increments, then increase the speed to medium high and mix until the dough is elastic and slightly sticky, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead just enough to shape it into a ball, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Lightly oil a large bowl. Add the dough to the bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm area, away from drafts, until the dough is doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
- For the streusel topping: While the dough is resting, combine the flour, confectioners’ sugar, baking powder and salt in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed. Add the butter, shortening and vanilla bean paste, if using, and mix on medium speed until a playdough-like mixture forms, about 1 minute. Divide the topping into 12 balls (each about 35 grams); set aside.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Shape the concha dough and divide into 12 balls (each about 80 grams). Divide the concha dough balls between the 2 prepared baking sheets.
- Place a streusel ball between 2 sheets of parchment and use a rolling pin to roll to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Use a 3 1/2-inch ring cutter to cut a round. Place the streusel round on top of a concha dough ball. Repeat with the remaining streusel balls and concha dough balls.
- Using a sharp knife, score the streusel in the desired pattern, being careful not to pierce the dough as well. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest until slightly puffed and gaps appear where the streusel was scored, another 40 minutes.
- Position oven racks in the top and bottom third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
- Bake, rotating the baking sheets from front to back and top to bottom halfway through, until the concha bottoms are golden brown and the streusel topping is baked, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool, then serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 12 servings |
| Calories | 784 |
| Total Fat | 58 g |
| Saturated Fat | 14 g |
| Carbohydrates | 60 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 20 g |
| Protein | 7 g |
| Cholesterol | 73 mg |
| Sodium | 289 mg |