These sweet and fluffy Conchas are one of the most popular types of pan dulce in Mexican bakeries! Here’s how to make this sweet bread at home.
Mexican conchas are one of my favorite types of pan dulce, and I know I’m not alone! I’ve received so many requests from readers over the last few years to post a concha recipe and I’m happy to say that I finally did it!
I’ve been eating conchas my entire life and my family is pretty much obsessed with them. To this day, someone always brings a bag of assorted Mexican sweet breads from a local bakery on Sundays for dessert and at least half of the bread in there is conchas. The other half is a mixture of some random muffins and marranitos (my other favorite).
But let me back up a second. If you’ve never heard of conchas before, you’re probably wondering…
What the heck are conchas?
Conchas are a popular type of pan dulce (or Mexican sweet bread) that’s commonly sold in panaderias (or bakeries) across the U.S. and Mexico. The word ‘concha’ translates to ‘shell’ in English, which describes their fun seashell-like appearance. The bread is lightly sweet, fluffy and airy and the topping is perfectly crunchy and oh-so satisfying.
While this recipe is easy to make, it does require some patience because you have to let the dough rise. But I promise the end result is so worth it!
Tips for making the best conchas
- Make sure your yeast is alive before adding it to the dough. To do this, mix together the yeast, warm milk and a little sugar in a small bowl. Then loosely cover it with plastic wrap and let it sit for 5 minutes. If the mixture is bubbly and/or frothy, that means the yeast is alive and thriving which is great! If it’s not, that means the yeast is likely dead and you need to start over with a new yeast packet.
- Be patient and give the dough time to rise. If you want light and airy conchas, you can’t rush the rising process. Make sure the dough about doubles in size during the first rise, and then again once you’ve shaped the dough. I made this and let the dough rise about 2 hours each time in a warm place. For me, that was on top of my fridge and the microwave, but if you make these during the winter and/or your house is on the cool side, it may take a little longer.
- If possible, use a tortilla press to flatten the topping. Just like when making corn tortillas, I find that using a tortilla press makes flattening out the topping so much easier and neater. Here’s the tortilla press (affiliate link) that I have and that I highly recommend. If you don’t have one, no worries. You can still use a rolling pin.
This recipe makes a total of 12 conchas – 6 with a vanilla topping and 6 with a chocolate topping. If you prefer to make all vanilla or all chocolate, just double the amounts of add-ins.
I also want to note that I used a clear vanilla extract (affiliate link) for the vanilla topping instead of the usual pure vanilla extract. I found that when I tested the recipe using pure vanilla extract, the color of the topping turned a little more brown since that’s the color of the liquid. Because I wanted the conchas to look as close to the ones I buy at Mexican panaderies, I opted for the clear. Just know you can use either one you have in your pantry!
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. Let me know in the comments below if you make this or if you have any questions! I’ll try to respond as soon as I can.
More Mexican desserts you’ll love
INGREDIENTS
For the bread
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 packet active dry yeast
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 3 1/2 -3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon olive oil, for greasing
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, for sprinkling on top
For the topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract (or pure vanilla extract if you don't mind an off-white topping)
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
INSTRUCTIONS
For the bread
- Heat milk in small bowl or cup for 10-20 seconds until it reaches 105°F-110°F. Mix in yeast, 1 tablespoon sugar and loosely cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let it sit for 5 minutes. If the mixture is bubbly or frothy, that means the yeast is alive and thriving. Continue to the next step. If the mixture hasn't really changed at all, throw the mixture out and start again with a new packet of yeast. (I recommend using a thermometer like this to make sure your milk isn't too hot, otherwise it could kill the yeast.)
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a regular large bowl), add flour, the remaining sugar and salt. Mix together with a spoon to combine.
- Add melted butter, eggs and mix together again to lightly combine. Next, add in the milk/yeast mixture and knead in the stand mixture using the dough hook for 6-8 minutes (or by hand), until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough should be slightly tacky, but not completely sticky. If it is sticky, add in more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough is no longer completely sticky.
- Place the dough in a large greased bowl, cover loosely with a sheet of plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for 2 hours, or until the dough has about doubled in size. (I like to let mine rise on top of the fridge.)
- While dough is rising, line 3 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and shape into balls. Place 4 balls on each of the prepared baking sheets and cover loosely with a clean kitchen towels. Let the balls rise again for 2 hours in a warm place.
- While the dough rises, prepare the topping.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Carefully place the prepared topping on top of each dough balls and lightly sprinkle with sugar.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until dough is lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and enjoy!
For the topping
- Add flour, powdered sugar, butter and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Beat the mixture with a handheld mixture or in a stand mixture until light and fluffy.
- Divide the mixture in two and place one half in a separate small bowl.
- Make the vanilla flavored topping by adding clear vanilla extract to half of the dough. Beat the mixture until fully combined. Gather the dough with your hands, divide it into 6 equal pieces and shape into balls.
- Make the chocolate flavored topping by placing the other half of the mixture into the large mixing bowl. Add cocoa powder and beat until fully combined. Gather the dough with your hands, divide it into 6 equal pieces and shape into balls.
- Lightly flatten each ball in between two sheets of plastic wrap using a tortilla press or a rolling pin. Make sure not to press it down too much as it will become too thin. Try to make it as big as you expect the risen concha dough balls to be.
- Using a small pairing knife, cut grooves into the dough so it resembles a shell. You could also purchase a concha shell cutter to stamp the dough and make the process easier. Carefully remove topping from plastic wrap and transfer to the risen bread balls.
Cason says
I see that the dough uses unsalted butter, does the topping also use unsalted or regular salted butter?
Isabel says
Yes, it’s also unsalted. I’ll be sure to update the recipe so there’s no confusion. Thanks for catching that!
Michelle says
Made my first ever batch of conchas yesterday using your recipe and they came out beautifully! I’m thinking of trying pink ones next time, but want to try to avoid artificial coloring. Do you think dried strawberry powder would work in the topping?
Isabel says
I’m so glad you liked them! I’ve never used strawberry powder before, but I bet it would work! I think it’s worth a shot. Let me know if you try it – I’d to hear whether it worked or not.
Gerbie Rodriguez says
I love conchas! We buy them every Sunday along with marranitos and empanadas! I am definitely going to try these two recipes. Would you happen to have a recipe for the pumpkin empanadas. Have not been able to find a recipe made with the soft bread. Thank you!
Patty says
Soo can I just wait total of four hours and then form the dough balls. Or do I need to do this as a two step process.
Isabel says
Hi Patty, unfortunately it has to be a two step process. Letting it rise a second time after you’ve shaped the balls helps make them light and fluffy.