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Extra Soft Conchas

An extra soft and fluffy concha! Testing another version using a dough conditioner.
Course Baking, Dessert
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Proofing The Dough 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 35 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,