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Conchas are a Mexican bread, a sweet bread (Pan Dulce) that are served at panaderías. This concha bread is a soft, enriched dough that has a lovely buttery and sweet flavor.
Let’s talk about Mexican conchas which are also known as pan dulce!
Sweet Bread literally translates to pan dulce in Spanish. While concha in English translates to seashell. Makes sense given that conchas look like seashells!
When I moved back to California after I graduated college, I realized I literally knew nothing about Mexican food. I, of course, had eaten a good amount of Mexican food when I lived in the OC as a little kid. But I don’t think I understood what I was eating. I also don’t think we ate a huge variety of Mexican food. And to be honest, my mom cooked most of the meals we ate. We weren’t a super “go-out-to-eat” type of family. That woman was on a budget!
When I finally moved back to Los Angeles, after college, I started to really understand and learn the different varieties of Mexican food and it was cool. I learned the differences between food from Baja, Mexico City, Colima, the Yucatan and Oaxaca. And my actual trips to Mexico have been even more educational.
One of my favorite places I went to in Mexico City was a panadería where they served the warmest, freshest conchas with the crispiest tops.
The Anatomy of Conchas/Pan Dulce
If you’ve never had a concha/pan dulce, they consist of this: on the bottom there is a brioche-like dough that’s rolled into rounds. The top is a streusel-like shell that is mixed until it’s super smooth, and then patted into a thin round and draped over the dough. Next, a concha-shaped cutter is pressed into the top. Since I don’t own one, I used a knife to score it. The slats won’t be perfect but once the concha/pan dulce is baked up, you won’t be able to notice. Then, the dough is baked after a quick rise.
The top is crunchy and crisp, the bottom half, fluffy and soft. They’re typically eaten at breakfast time with a mug of hot chocolate or coffee.
The Origins of Conchas and Pan Dulce
While conchas/pan dulce are for sure Mexican, their origins go back to Europe. Many panaderias were influenced by the French, who migrated there for who knows why, bringing their doughs and techniques to Mexico. Mexican chefs adapted these doughs and created many of the goods you see in panaderias today.
I love learning about history in food. It’s truly fascinating, especially in Latin America. A few weeks ago, I bought a few books (they’re on their way to me), that will teach me a thing or two about our food history.
I’ll share more info when I learn it! In the mean time, let’s make some Mexican pan dulce/conchas!
And of course, pair it with a few cups of fancy hot chocolate!
More Cozy Mexican Recipes
Conchas Recipe (Pan Dulce – Sweet Bread)
Ingredients
Concha Dough:
- 3 tablespoons warm water
- 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup evaporated milk (you can also use regular whole milk)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
Streusel Topping:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you make these conchas, let me know on Instagram!
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I am somewhat experienced with working with yeast and I make cinnamon rolls very often. I used the instant yeast and followed the directions exactly. The first time the dough doubled and then it didn’t rise when I baked it. This time the dough didn’t rise before I baked it and it rose in the oven, but not enough. The first time I used salted butter in the topping and unsalted for the dough. This time I did the opposite. I also found I had to bake for longer and a higher temp, maybe because they were so dense and didn’t rise enough. Do you have any other tips? Should I use the active dry yeast instead of the instant? I need more tips and don’t want to give up on this recipe!!
It sounds like the second rise didn’t rise very much. They won’t rise that much more in the oven. Do you have photos you can DM me on IG?
Salted butter is notorious for killing yeast. Try making sure you use unsalted. Also check your elevation levels. If you’re at a higher altitude, rising times may vary due to the amount of oxygen reacting with the yeast.
This has been my go to recipe ever since the first time I made them. My Mexican boyfriend’s family requests me to bring them all the time now! Thank you for such a simple way to make the tastiest conchas!
It make out sooooooooooooooo perfect and it was my first time!!!! THANK YOU!!!
These are really fun to make and they turned out so well. My family enjoyed these thoroughly.
I made these again after a few years and think my new yeast was not good. The streusel was dry and crumbly, not a dough this time . I added milk to moisten and it worked but wondered why it was originally crumbly. Going to try again soon!
I had originally made the recipe for a class project for the day of the dead. I followed the recipe, measured the ingredients perfectly, and it wasnt the first time ive ever made bread. This dough recipe didnt rise good if not at all and when formed into the 12 sections you recomended it refused to rise again no matter how warm(not hot) the area it put it in. I didnt rise. Can you please let me know what i migjt have dont wrong, i really like to love this recipe but it completely runied my school project.
It sounds like perhaps your house wasn’t warm enough Or the yeast was bad. Did you check the date on the yeast by chance?
Love the recipes
thank you!
Made these and they turned out amazing, but really big! If I were to make 24 mini conchas instead of 12 full sized, how long should I bake them?
Literally my favorite thing to bake, ever! The concha’s turn out perfectly every time and the recipe makes it really simple to follow. My husband requests them every autumn/fall. I’ve probably baked these at least 6x. Thank you for the wonderful recipe! It’s one I’ll be using forever.
I always make them half size and they still bake for about 10 minutes for me. Just monitor them after about 6 minutes to be sure they are not over cooking.
I love this recipe so much! I’ve always wanted to make conchas but the dough is way too sticky to make by hand without regret.
This is the first thing I made when I finally got a stand mixer
YAY!! It definitely makes it easier if you have a mixer. So glad you loved it.
Is it possible to prep these the night before and bake them in the morning?