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Embracing my Mexican heritage and sharing all the wonderful flavors, colors and foods I grew up with. Join me on this journey as I also learn new foods and cooking techniques. Dedicated to my parents Ramiro and Blanca.

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Home » Pan/Bread » Extra Soft Conchas!

Extra Soft Conchas!

August 29, 20212 Comments

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In search for an extra soft concha or bolillo? I have been baking both for several years. I am happy with my current recipes, but always wished they would stay soft for more than one day. After searching online on a few baking sites I found a product called dough conditioner that can be added to any bread recipe. I am a curious cook, so I decided to order some and try it.

pan dulce conchas on baking sheet

Not Everyone Would Agree!

If you know me, you know that I try cooking and baking with fresh ingredients, no additives or processed ingredients. I bake conchas once or twice a year, so I am not too worried about adding a little dough conditioner to yield soft and fluffy bread. Adding the conditioner is optional of course. This is the beauty of cooking in our own kitchen. For me, it’s a continuous learning process. It fascinates me!

pink topped concha with heart image
To achieve this pink marbled look, I start to mix in red food coloring gel to the white candy paste topping. I mix just enough so it has some marbling.

Video Really Did Kill The Radio Star!

What we do without video these days? Lol! If I didn’t need video as a professional food blogger, I could be perfectly happy. But that is not the case. Again, it’s about learning and growing as a person. I would never claim my videos to be professionally made, but I think I get to my point. I enjoy sharing them with you all.

close up of extra soft conchas

There Could Be More Than One Version!

As I stated, I am happy with my original recipe for conchas. Soon, I will test that recipe with some added dough conditioner. This version of the concha recipe includes milk, less eggs and less flour. Who’s to say that one is better than the other?

Pinterest image of extra soft conchas
top view of freshly baked conchas

On Top Of The World!

The concha topping is debatable. Butter, margarine or shortening? Granulated sugar or powdered sugar? To use food coloring or not to use food coloring? All of this is up to you, the cook, the baker. I have tried every combination! The powdered sugar/shortening mix yields a softer topping, but tends to crack easily and fall off the bread when you eat it. The margarine/granulated sugar mix taste better, sticks better, but tends to be a little more hard. I enjoy both versions though.

close up of concha insides, soft bread

Who Are We Kidding?

We are kidding ourselves if we think that most commercial breads and pastries don’t include some kind of enhancer in the recipes. I try to limit my bread intake. But when the craving strikes, I will enjoy some bread in moderation, of course.

dough conditioner in a bag
The dough conditioner is available online on various baking sites. The Prepared Pantry was one of the first sites that came up when I did a google search. The price is reasonable. This is not a sponsored post.
ingredients measured out for concha dough
I don’t typically use any kind of margarine in my cooking. I would prefer real unsalted butter, but I had to test it out. Many of the panaderos on YouTube use margarine in the pan dulce recipes. Again, it’s optional.
weighing out flour in a bowl on the scale
One pound of flour is equal to 453 grams. Invest in an inexpensive digital scale. My sister in law, Janet, swears by using a scale for her baking. It’s more accurate.
weighing out dough conditioner in a small bowl on scale
I rely on my digital scale for baking! Prepared a large batch of conchas on this day. Recipe below is for lesser amounts.

See The Original Recipe

You can see the original concha recipe to compare the ingredients. Pretty much the same, except I added milk and the conditioner to this recipe.

dough proofed after 90 minutes, doubled in size
dough ball ready on lined baking sheet
chocolate candy paste close up
unbaked conchas ready to proof
unbaked conchas on lined baking sheet ready to proof
unbaked conchas after they have proofed for one hour, ready to be baked
close up of conchas that are unbaked and ready to go in the oven
That concha already looks extra fluffy!
Conchas baking in the oven
Conchas baking
Freshly baked conchas close up
Did you know that when bread is baked all the way through the internal temperature should read 190 degrees F?
freshly baked conchas on baking sheet
You can find molds online to press the concha topping for a more uniform design. I prefer using a knife and doing it by hand.
freshly baked conchas
next day cup of coffee with the conchas stored in a plastic storage bag
Store cooled conchas for 3-4 days. Still soft after the fourth day, but the topping begins to break down due to humidity
Fresh baked conchas close up
I shared my recipe with friends and these were the conchas we baked. Fun!

NOTE: I purchased a new oven recently. The last two times I prepared conchas using the dough conditioner, some of the conchas deflated after I took them out of the oven!?? I am a bit confused about this. This is the first time this has happened. Has to be the conditioner that makes the bread soo soft and maybe the topping being a bit heavy. I am going to investigate this and I will share when I know more.

Pinterest image of extra soft conchas

Extra Soft Conchas

An extra soft and fluffy concha! Testing another version using a dough conditioner.
4.89 from 18 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Baking, Dessert
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 45 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Proofing The Dough: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 3 hours hours 35 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 Conchas

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tsps active dry yeast, 4 grams
  • 1 1/2 tsps sugar
  • 1/4 c warm water
  • 2 cups all purpose or bread flour, 300 grams
  • 1/3 C sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsps dough conditioner, 8 grams
  • 1/2 Tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1/4 C milk at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 tsps vanilla extract

Candy Paste Topping

  • 3/4 c ap flour
  • 1/2 c granulated sugar, if using powdered sugar the measurement is 3/4 c
  • 1/2 c shortening or unsalted butter at room temperature, I sometimes like to use half butter and half shortening
  • Cocoa powder or food coloring gels for different colored toppings how much to add depends on how dark you want the colors to be in the end

Instructions

For Candy Topping

    Prepare the candy paste topping first. Cover with plastic until ready to use.

    • Mix sugar and shortening first. Gradually mix in the flour until you have a smooth paste. If it feels sticky, mix in a little more flour, one tsp at a time. If it cracks easily, mix in a little more fat. Adding color is up to you. If you add cocoa powder for chocolate conchas, you may need to add a little more fat to yield a smooth paste.
    • If preparing three different colors, divide into three balls weighing about 128 grams each. For chocolate, mix in 3/4 of a tablespoon of cocoa powder until color looks uniform. If it feels on the dry side, mix in a little more shortening. The amount of food coloring gels depends on you. I typically mix in about 2 teaspoons for each color. Each candy topping weighed about 40 grams. You can top with one color or mix the three colors in a line or get creative!
    • I tried this recipe for the topping from a popular panadero on YouTube, but prefer the original topping I used in my original concha recipe. See recipe in notes below.

    For Concha Dough

    • In a large cup, mix the first three ingredients. Let stand for 10 minutes.
    • In the bowl of the stand mixer, add the dry ingredients. Starting with the paddle attachment, mix on low just to combine ingredients.
    • When ready, mix in the activated yeast and lightly beaten eggs. Mix for one minute at medium speed.
    • Mix in the vanilla, butter and half of the milk. Continue mixing for 2-3 minutes, then switch to the hook attachment. You will knead/mix the dough for about 20 minutes at medium speed. After the first 10 minutes, I scrape down the sides and let the mixer rest for one minute. If the dough seems dry, you can add a little more milk. Mix for another 10 minutes or until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. It will feel tacky.
    • Add some oil to your hands and transfer dough to a greased bowl. Cover with towel and let the dough proof for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours in a warm spot. It should grow more than double in size.
    • With more oil on your hands, transfer dough to a lightly flat surface. Divide into 8 equal dough balls. Roll into balls and transfer to a greased baking sheet or lined with parchment paper.
    • Using a plastic lined tortilla press or a flat bottomed plate, press candy topping and place on each concha. Gently press down and cup topping with the palm of your hand to stick to dough ball. Score each concha using a small sharp knife. Cover with towel and let conchas proof for another hour.
    • When ready, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake conchas for 14-17 minutes or until bottoms and edges are golden brown. Internal temperature of bread should read 190 degrees.

    Notes

    After you mix the dough you can freeze it for use at a later date. I roll the individual dough balls and flash freeze them on a wax paper lined baking sheet. After a few hours I store the dough balls in freezer bags. When you are ready to  bake them, they will have to proof for a few hours in a warm spot before you can add the topping and bake.
    This dough does take a few hours to proof. You could activate yeast in the 1/2 cup of warm water or milk(110-115 degrees) with 15 grams of sugar ahead of time. Stir and let it sit for 10 minutes then mix with all ingredients as instructed.
    When applying the concha topping, go light and thin. If it’s too thick and heavy, it may cause conchas to deflate a bit after baking.
    Variation For Topping. This is the recipe I used in my original concha topping
    1 c powdered sugar, 1 cup shortening, food coloring of your choice or cocoa powder, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 cup of flour. Mix the powdered sugar with shortening until smooth. Add desired food coloring and mix well. Gradually mix in the flour until smooth paste forms. If it is too sticky, add a little more flour. If it is too dry, mix in a little more shortening, 
    Tried this recipe?Mention @pinaenlacocina or tag #pinaenlacocina!

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    Filed Under: Pan Dulce~Sweet Bread, Pan/Bread Tagged With: Baking, Conchas, Mexican Sweet Bread, Pan Dulce

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. kim

      April 19, 2023 at 11:00 am

      did the dough condition make the conchas taste artificial?

      Reply
      • Sonia

        April 19, 2023 at 11:09 am

        Hi Kim. I don’t recall any artificial flavor in the conchas, no. The conditioner actually smells like vinegar, but that flavor doesn’t come through. If you want my honest opinion, I prefer my concha recipe infused with cinnamon and anise. The conchas stayed soft for several days and were delicious. I was just curious about the dough conditioner, but I trust my other recipes more.

        Reply

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    Welcome!

    Hi, my name is Sonia Mendez Garcia. My parents Ramiro and Blanca Mendez moved to the United States from Monterrey, Mexico in 1963. I am first generation Mexican American born in Los Angeles, California. Cooking has always been one of my passions in life. This is my journey and I can't wait to see what the future holds. Read More…

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