Delicious Mexican Conchas
By Abigail Garcia
One of my greatest weaknesses is bread and pastries, and if its Mexican sweet bread (note: not sweetbreads!!!!) I can hardly control myself! In New York City, it is difficult, but not impossible; to find really good Mexican bakeries and getting there would involve taking the subway and make at least one transfer.
So Melissa and I decided to bake some delicious Conchas Mexicanas and guess what? Results were great! Here’s the recipe… hope you enjoy them for tomorrow’s breakfast!
Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Ingredients:
*NOTE: All ingredients need to be at room temperature
For The Dough:
- 500 gr all-purpose flour
- 7 gr dry active yeast or 20 g fresh yeast
- 200 ml (7 oz) very warm milk—not hot
- 125 gr sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 120 gr butter at room temperature
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For The Covers:
- 115 grams flour
- 113 grams butter (1 stick)
- 115 grams powdered sugar
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon cocoa
Instructions:
For The Dough:
- Mix the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl or working surface and make a hole in the center. It is VERY IMPORTANT that you have all your ingredients at room temperature.
- Dissolve the dry yeast in the warm milk. Add the eggs, yeast, vanilla and half of the butter to the center of the flour and knead, little by little, until the dough doesn’t stick to the table/bowl. Add the rest of the butter and keep on kneading until the dough is soft, elastic and shiny.
- Make a ball and put it in an already greased bowl, cover with plastic and let it rise for 2 hours. After this time, press the plastic directly to the dough to get rid of the air and place into the fridge for 8-24 hrs. It must double in size.
To make the sugar cover:
- Sift the flour, powdered sugar and salt in a bowl. Mix the butter with your hands until a paste/dough forms.
- Divide it in two and add the cocoa to one part. Mix well.
To assemble the conchas:
- Take the dough out from the fridge and make small balls (70 gram approx.), put them in a baking sheet and flatten them a little. Let them rise another 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Make small balls (about a tablespoon) of the sweet dough and flatten them in circles (you can use a tortilla maker for this! It works perfectly) or a rolling pin. Grease each ball of dough with a little butter and put the circles over, pressing gently so that they stick to them.
- With a pairing knife, mark a grid or lines on the cover, making sure that you don’t cut the dough beneath.
- Bake the conchas for 10 minutes at 400ºF and then lower the temperature to 350ºF and bake for 8 minutes more. Let them cool.
- Enjoy with a delicious hot chocolate for breakfast or snack!
