The dough is shaped into a spongy, circular shape and then coated in sugar. It’s often eaten as an afternoon snack or dessert with honey or jam.
Conchas are a traditional Mexican bread that is made with corn flour, sugar, and milk. The dough is wrapped in a cloth and boiled for about an hour before it’s shaped into balls and baked.
You’ve been missing out if you’ve never had the pleasure of eating conchas. This easy-to-make sweet Mexican bread, also known as pan dulce, has a pleasantly buttery, sweet taste, a fluffy, soft center, and a sweetly sweet, slightly crunchy topping that may be white or colorful.
Concha is a Mexican term that means shell in English, and it’s simple to understand why when you look at this delicious bread. The rolls feature a seashell-shaped topping that is sliced or scored. Conchas are a delicious light breakfast or snack, particularly when served with a cup of coffee or tea.
What exactly are Conchas?
Conchas (pronounced con-cha) are a sort of dulce de leche (sweet bread) offered at Mexican bakeries (known as panaderas in Spanish).
They’re a popular breakfast meal that’s best served warm with tea, coffee, or Mexican-style hot chocolate. Conchas are a tasty snack as well. Mexican sweet bread is available in a variety of forms and tastes, but the most common topping is white.
Conchas: A Step-by-Step Guide
Conchas may seem to be a labor of love, but they’re really rather simple to manufacture. Allow plenty of time to create your Mexican pan dulce for the finest results.
Creating Conchas
In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. After that, add the butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Reduce the speed of your mixer and carefully pour in the milk. Continue to beat the dough for another 5 to 7 minutes, or until it pulls away from the sides of the basin cleanly. Place the dough on a floured work surface. Don’t worry; at this point, it should be sticky. Form a ball out of the dough.
Place the dough in an oiled bowl and turn it over to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl with a moist paper towel and set it aside to double in size. Depending on the temperature in your house, this might take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours, or even more.
Concha Topping Preparation
Let’s create the concha topping in the meanwhile. Shortening is creamed, then sugar is added. Bit by bit, combine the flour and cinnamon until well integrated.
Before adding the cinnamon, split the topping mixture into two dishes if you want to create two types of toppings. To make a chocolate one, combine all of the ingredients in one dish and stir thoroughly. Add the cinnamon to the second bowl and stir thoroughly. Remove from the equation. In any case, you may use one kind of topping or even dye it with food coloring.
Putting Conchas Together
Allow the dough to rest for a few minutes after turning it out. Cut it into 16 pieces and roll each one into a ball. Place them on prepared baking sheets. Grease the tops of each dough ball with a little shortening – this will ensure that the topping clings to the conchas.
Form the topping paste into 16 balls, then flatten each ball into a disc. Place a disc on each dough ball and push down to secure it. To form the design in the topping, use a knife or a concha cutter. Allow the dough balls to rise until they are about doubled in size (but not quite). Preheat the oven to 325°F and bake the conchas for 20 minutes. Warm the dish before serving.
Toppings for Pan Dulce
Concha toppings may be made with a variety of tastes and colors. The most popular flavors are white vanilla and brown chocolate, but you may also try strawberry, coffee, cinnamon, orange, Oreo, or other combinations.
Simply stir in a few drops of your favorite flavour to the topping mixture (about 5 grams or 5 milliliters should do). Food coloring in the colors pink, yellow, orange, and even blue may be added to the pan dulce topping.
Conchas: How to Serve
Conchas are often eaten as a breakfast or snack. For an extra delightful mouthful, dip it in milk, hot chocolate, or coffee. Conchas with beans are also popular among certain individuals. If you’re going to eat your conchas, make sure they’re hot! The finest conchas are those that have been warmed up.
Making the Best Mexican Sweet Bread Tips
If the dough is clinging to the bowl too much, add a tablespoon of more flour at a time, being careful not to overdo it! Your conchas will be dry if you add too much. It’s best if your dough is rather sticky.
Don’t overwork the dough. The conchas will become less supple and prone to drying as a result of this.
You may prepare the dough up to two days ahead of time.
Use bread flour instead of AP flour for softer conchas.
To make eye-catching, festive conchas, paint the topping using food coloring.
To form the design in the topping, you’ll need a concha cutter or a knife.
Conchas: How to Store Them
Keep your conchas at room temperature for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove from the equation.
Step 1
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove from the equation.
Combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer.
Step 2
Step 2
Add the butter and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla extract.
Step 3
Step 3
Combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in the bowl of your stand mixer.
Slowly pour in the milk and beat the dough for another 5 to 7 minutes, or until it comes cleanly away from the sides of the basin.
Step 4
Step 4
Flour a work surface lightly. Turn the dough out onto the counter. Make a ball out of it.
Step 5
Step 5
Add the butter and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla extract.
Using oil or cooking spray, grease a bowl. Place the dough in the basin and turn it to coat it. Using a moist paper towel or cling film, cover the dish.
Step 6
Step 6
Place the dough in a warm place to rise until it doubles in size.
Step 7
Step 7
Slowly pour in the milk and beat the dough for another 5 to 7 minutes, or until it comes cleanly away from the sides of the basin.
Cream the shortening as the dough rises. Add the sugar and mix well. Gradually incorporate the flour and cinnamon mixture. Divide the mixture into two bowls before adding the cinnamon if you’re creating two kinds of toppings. Mix the cocoa powder in a separate dish well. The cinnamon should then be added to the second bowl and well mixed. Remove from the equation.
Step 8
Step 8
Flour a work surface lightly. Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes after turning it out. Cut the dough into 16 equal pieces and roll each one into a ball.
Step 9
Step 9
Flour a work surface lightly. Turn the dough out onto the counter. Make a ball out of it.
Place them on the baking sheets. Apply a thin layer of vegetable shortening on the tops of each dough ball.
Step 10
Step 10
Using flour, coat your hands. Form the topping paste into 16 balls, then flatten each ball into a disc.
Step 11
Step 11
Using oil or cooking spray, grease a bowl. Place the dough in the basin and turn it to coat it. Using a moist paper towel or cling film, cover the dish.
Each dough ball should have a disc on it.
Step 12
Step 12
To form the design in the topping, use a knife, a concha cutter, or three separate pastry cutters.
Step 13
Step 13
Place the dough in a warm place to rise until it doubles in size.
Make one for each piece of dough. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow the dough to rise for about an hour or until it has about doubled in size.
Step 14
Step 14
Remove from the oven after 20 minutes and let to cool slightly.
Step 15
Step 15
Cream the shortening as the dough rises. Add the sugar and mix well. Gradually incorporate the flour and cinnamon mixture. Divide the mixture into two bowls before adding the cinnamon if you’re creating two kinds of toppings. Mix the cocoa powder in a separate dish well. The cinnamon should then be added to the second bowl and well mixed. Remove from the equation.
Warm it up and enjoy it!
Notes
Make your conchas using ingredients that are at room temperature.
The “Mexican bread recipes” is a sweet bread that is made with milk, sugar, eggs, and butter. It is typically eaten at breakfast or as a dessert. Reference: mexican bread recipes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Mexican sweet breads called?
A: Mexican sweet breads are typically called panqueques in Mexico.
How do you eat Mexican sweet bread?
A: I do not know how to eat Mexican sweet bread.
Are conchas and pan dulce the same?
A: Yes, the two desserts are actually one and the same. The word concha is a Spanish word for shell.
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