Conchas Recipe (Pan Dulce - Sweet Bread)
User Reviews
4.8
Conchas Recipe (Pan Dulce - Sweet Bread)
Description
The Conchas Recipe features a yeast-leavened sweet bread dough enriched with melted butter, evaporated milk, and eggs, blended with cinnamon and vanilla for warm spice notes. The dough is mixed and kneaded until smooth and allowed to rise. After rising, a streusel topping made of butter, sugar, flour, vanilla, and optionally cocoa powder is spread over the shaped dough balls.
The streusel topping sets and cracks during baking, creating the signature shell-like pattern from which the bread gets its name. The interior crumb of the bread is soft and tender, balanced by the sweet, slightly crunchy crust on top. This combination results in a lightly spiced, sweet bread ideal for breakfast or snacks.
Conchas freeze well after baking and cooling. To maintain freshness, freeze individually on a baking sheet before placing in a storage container. Thaw at room temperature before serving. The recipe also suggests substitutions such as instant yeast and provides guidance for proper yeast activation.
Conchas are traditionally served alongside coffee or hot chocolate and are a staple in Mexican bakeries. Their sweet topping and soft interior make them a comforting treat enjoyed throughout the day.
Ingredients
Concha Dough:
- 3 tablespoons water warm
- 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar white
- 3/4 cup evaporated milk you can also use regular whole milk
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract pure
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 large egg at room temperature
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
Streusel Topping:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar white
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract pure
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- food coloring gel
Instructions
To Make the Concha Dough:
- To the bowl of a stand-up mixer with the hook attachment (you can also do this in a large bowl and knead it by hand!), add the warm water. Pour the active dry yeast on top and mix in into the water. Allow to stand until foamy, about 5 to 7 minutes. If it doesn’t get foamy then you’ll need to do it again.
- When the active dry yeast is foamy, pour in the vegetable oil, melted butter, granulated sugar, evaporated milk, salt, vanilla, ground cinnamon and eggs. Break up the eggs with the back of a spatula and allow the dough hook to mix it up a bit, about 30 seconds.
- Next, pour the flour in all at once and run the machine for about 5 minutes on medium speed, until the dough is soft and smooth. If you’re doing this by hand, once the dough comes together, you’ll want to dump it out onto your floured counter and knead it for about 10 minutes, until it’s nice and smooth.
- Rub a large bowl with oil or spray it with cooking spray and place the dough in the center of the bowl. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel and allow it to rise for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
To Make the Streusel-Topping:
- In the bowl of stand-up mixer with the paddle attachment (you could also mix this by hand if you don’t have a mixer), add the butter, sugar, flour and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Divide the dough in two. To one part of the topping, add a drop of food coloring gel. To the other topping, add the cocoa powder and knead until it’s cohesive.
To Assemble the Conchas:
- Once the dough has risen, divide the dough into 12 equal parts. Or better yet, weigh them into balls of 100g. Form the balls of dough into rounds. Repeat until you’ve worked through all of the dough.
- Take about 2 tablespoons of the topping and rollout using our palms, flatting it into a thin round. Drape it over the round of dough, patting down lightly. Using a knife, cut grooves in the topping like a clam shell. You can also do other types of cuts like criss cross, circles, etc. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Allow to cool. Serve with hot chocolate or coffee.
Notes
- You can substitute instant yeast by mixing it directly with the flour rather than activating it in water first.
- After baking and cooling, freeze conchas on a baking sheet for an hour, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag to keep for up to 3 months.
- Thaw frozen conchas at room temperature before serving to restore freshness and texture.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 289 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 12g | |
| Calories | 289kcal | 14% |
| Carbohydrates | 39.7g | 13% |
| Protein | 6.8g | 14% |
| Fat | 11.2g | 17% |
| Saturated Fat | 6.1g | 31% |
| Cholesterol | 56mg | 19% |
| Sodium | 472mg | 20% |
| Potassium | 125mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 1.5g | 6% |
| Sugar | 7.4g | 15% |
| Vitamin A | 100IU | 2% |
| Vitamin C | 0.1mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 20mg | 2% |
| Iron | 0.2mg | 1% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.8
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