These sweet and fluffy Conchas are one of the most popular types of pan dulce in Mexican panaderias! Here’s how to make this sweet bread at home.
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Conchas are one of my favorite types of Mexican pan dulce, and I know I’m not alone!
I’ve been eating conchas my entire life and to this day, someone in my Mexican family always brings a bag of assorted pan dulce to family get togethers on Sundays. Naturally, there’s always lots of conchas in the mix as well as other favorites like marranitos.
If you’ve never heard of conchas before, you’re probably wondering…
What 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!
How to make conchas
Here’s how to make this popular pan dulce and have your kitchen smelling like a Mexican bakery!
1. Bloom the yeast: This is an important step in making sure your Conchas are pillowy and soft. First heat some milk in a small bowl or cup for 10-20 seconds until it reaches 105°F-110°F. Then mix in the yeast along with 1 tablespoon sugar and loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the mixture sit for a full 5 minutes until it’s bubbly and frothy.
2. Mix dry ingredients: While the yeast is blooming, mix together the flour, the remaining sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer.
3. Add wet ingredients: Then add the melted butter and eggs and mix together again to lightly combine. Add in the milk and yeast mixture and knead everything together for 6-8 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
4. Let the dough rise: In a greased bowl, add the dough and lightly cover with a kitchen towel. Let it rise for 2 hours until it doubles in size. A trick I like to use is preheating my oven for 2-3 minutes, and then turning it off and placing the dough in the oven so that it’s warm.
5. Shape the dough: Once the dough has doubled in size, divide it into 12 equal balls and place them on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Cover and let those sit for another 1.5 hours.
6. Make the streusel topping: While the dough is rising again, make the flavored topping by adding flour, powdered sugar, and butter in a large mixing bowl and mixing until combined. You can use a stand mixer or handheld mixer.
7. Add flavoring to the topping: Make the vanilla flavored topping by adding vanilla extract to half of the dough. Beat the mixture until fully combined. 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 and divide each separate bowl into 6 equal balls. Set aside.
8. Shape the topping: Once the dough has finished rising, shape the topping. Using a tortilla press lined with plastic wrap, lightly press down on the dough ball to flatten it into a circle. Next, take a small knife and make the shell design. You can do this before transferring the topping onto the concha or while it’s on the concha. I’ve done both methods and they both work.
9. Bake: Bake the conchas for 18-25 minutes at 350°F and enjoy!
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.
Tips for making the best conchas
- Make sure your yeast is alive before adding it to the dough. If the milk and yeast mixture is bubbly and 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 the first time and 1.5 hours after the conchas were formed 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 that I have and recommend. If you don’t have one, that’s okay! You can still use a rolling pin.
Storing and Freezing
To store, transfer cooled conchas to an airtight container and store in a cool and dry place for up to 5 days.
To freeze, place cooked and cooled conchas in a single layer on a baking sheet and chill in the freezer for 1 hour. Then transfer the chilled conchas to an freezer safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
To thaw, leave the conchas out at room temperature for 1-2 hours until softened.
Ingredients
For the concha dough
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar, divided
- 3 ½-3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon fine salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon oil, for greasing
For the streusel topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- Prepare the dough. In a cup or bowl, heat the milk in the microwave in 15-second increments or on the stove until it's just warm to the touch. A thermometer should read around 110°F-115°F.
- Stir in the yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let it stand for 5 minutes until it gets very foamy. If the mixture doesn't get foamy, throw it out and start again with a new packet of yeast.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a regular large bowl), whisk together the all-purpose flour, remaining sugar, and salt.
- Attach the dough hook to the mixer and add the melted butter, eggs, and yeast mixture. Mix on medium-low speed for 6-8 minutes (or mix by hand), until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. The dough will be slightly tacky but not completely sticky. If it is still fairly sticky, knead in 1 tablespoon of additional flour at a time until smooth and elastic.
- Coat a large bowl with oil and transfer the dough to the bowl, shaping it into a ball. Cover it with a kitchen towel and let it rise for 2 hours until doubled in size.
- Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and shape into balls. Place 6 balls on each of the prepared baking sheets and cover loosely with clean kitchen towels. Let the balls rise again for 1.5 hours in a warm place, or until doubled in size.
- Prepare the topping. Beat together the flour, powdered sugar, and butter in a large mixing bowl with a handheld mixer until light and fully.
- Divide the mixture into 2 equal pieces and place each halve in a small bowl.
- Make the white vanilla topping by adding vanilla extract to half of the dough, and beat until combined. Gather the dough with your hands, divide it into 6 equal pieces and shape into balls.
- Make the brown chocolate topping by adding cocoa powder to the other half of the dough, and beat until 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. You could also use a rolling pin to shape the topping into rounds.
- Assemble the conchas. Carefully remove the rolled out topping from the plastic wrap and drape it onto the risen concha dough. Lightly pat it down to secure the topping onto the dough.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. While the oven is preheating, cut grooves into the topping using a paring knife so it resembles a clam shell, a criss cross pattern, or whichever pattern you prefer.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the dough is lightly golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Isabel’s Tips:
- Make sure your yeast is alive before adding it to the dough. If the milk and yeast mixture is bubbly and 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.
- To make shaping the topping a little easier, you could use concha shell cutter.
- Storage: Store leftover conchas in an airtight container in a cool and dry place for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Information
These conchas are delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this great recipe!
Made them first time and also pretty much a success. I agree with Scotty though – topping was to dry, added more butter and also it’s not enough, so it’s a bit thin.
Still great recipe – and pretty easy to make. 😊
It is a good receipt if you want to bake biscuits but not Conchas
I used this recipe to bake Conchas for the first time and it was a complete success! They are a little more dense and chewy than the ones I’ve had before, but they are still delicious!
I had some difficulty making the topping, as it seemed too dry, particularly the chocolate one since it uses dry powder instead of liquid vanilla extract. I added maybe a tablespoon of water and it helped it pack together enough to make it work. I think it could also do with a bit more topping, I had to make the sheets pretty thin, but that’s just a personal preference.
Overall, I like this recipe and will definitely make them again! Next time I will experiment with more flavors for toppings!
Hi Scotty! Thank you so much for the feedback. We’re glad you enjoyed these conchas!
My favorite Mexican sweet bread dessert
Que puedo usar en lugar de mantequilla para la costra?
Hola Paloma! Puede usar aceite o manteca en lugar de la mantequilla!
10/10 so fluffy and soft in the inside, the right amount of sweet. Definitely making again.
The bread needs more flavor. The best ones I’ve had use crushed cinnamon sticks. These were sweet but plain.
Hi Cindy! Thank you for the feedback and for sharing your tip!
Hi! Anxious to make this recipe. Are #8 & #9 duplicates? Thank you.
Oh my goodness, thank you so much for catching that! Yes, that was a mistake. I just updated the recipe and it should be good to go now!
Muy buena receta.
Me saben como en México. 😃
I think the taste is just right.
Hi Isabel. Have you made the concha recipe gluten free? Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Hi Blanca! We haven’t tried making this recipe gluten free, but you can swap out the flour in the bread and in the topping for gluten free flour and you should be good to go!
made Conchas for the first time.. and the best compliment to you from me is they taste authentic 💕
I’ve made these a couple times, and today was the best yet. It’s summer and it’s nice and warm so my dough rose beautifully. I added a pinch of cinnamon to the topping and it was so delicious.
Hi Karen! That’s awesome! I’m glad this recipe turned out well for you!
Can you make the dough the day before?
Hi Susie! Yes you can store the dough in the refrigerator. We recommend baking it within 48 hours. I hope this helps!
Thank you if I put it in the fridge do I need to make the balls and then let them rise again for 2 hours ?
If you make the dough and pull it out of the fridge do you make the dough balls and then let them rise 2 hours and then back them
Hi Susie! Yes after you take out your dough from the fridge, make your dough ball and then allow them to rise for about 2 hours. Keep in mind that because they were in the fridge, it may take a little longer than 2 hours since keeping it cool in the fridge slows down the activation of the yeast. A good tip is to let them rise in a warm place, so if your oven has a proof setting or sometimes if you’re cooking something on your stove you can place the container of dough balls next to you while you cook. Let us know how they turn out!
I made these gluten free!! Great recipe!
Hi Bernadette. Did you just replace the flour for gluten free flour?
The authentic conchas don’t have that much flavor in the dough, that’s why they have the topping.
I have made this recipe only once but I’ll be making it again.
They taste just like in México. 😃
Hey, so I’m a little confused about the time it takes to make these. It says the cook time is about 25 minutes, but then later in the recipe it says that you cook it for 2 hours. So how long does it really take to make these?
Hi Lilian! You’re right that’s a little confusing, we apologize for that! You have to let the dough rest and rise for 2 hours, and then you bake for 25 minutes. So total time is actually 2 hours and 45 minutes.
The vanilla topping comes out too sticky compared to the chocolate. Any tips? I put it in the freezer to make the dough more malleable but wanted to know if I was doing something wrong? When I assemble the first parts of the ingredients after it mixes it’s more like powdered snow. Then I have to go in by hand to knead it into a dough ball. The coco powder blends fine in one half but the liquid from the vanilla extract makes it too sticky and a different consistency
Hi Leslie! That’s odd, if it’s too sticky, you can try to add more flour a little bit at a time, maybe in 1/2 tsp increments. I don’t think you’re doing anything wrong, sometimes baking is just tricky!
I had kind of the opposite problem – the chocolate topping wouldn’t form together until I added a tiny bit of water to it. Once I did it worked just fine though.
did you freeze after the second rise and putting the sugar topping?
Hi Julia! Do you mind elaborating on your question? Are you wanting to freeze them raw to bake later?
Hi, I followed the recipe and somehow my conchas taste raw. They arent as fluffy, when i made the yeast it rose. when i left the dough sitting for 2 hours it rose. I baked them at 350 for 25 minutes and they still seemed raw. I dont know what i am doing wrong.
Hi Stacy! That’s odd, would you mind elaborating? We may be able to help!
Are you supposed to bake these?
Hello! Yes, these bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
When you read the instructions you have to search a little bit for the baking temp and time. You might want to just bullet that part of the instructions or label it clearly.
Hi Ken! Thank you so much for the tip! We will work on that.
My child only likes the “pink ones”. Any ideas on how to achieve that hue?
Hi Adriana! You can make the vanilla topping and then use food coloring to make it pink!
Hi, you can also use the strawberry nesquick and add some dye to that so it can be a darker pink.
I never thought of that! Thanks Claudia!
So easy to make followed just as the recipe says! They came out beautiful.
I just made these after trying conchas for the first time at our local cafe and falling in love. I’ve never actually made yeasted buns before and I was expecting my first try to be a disaster. But your recipe is so clear and easy to follow, they turned out absolutely delicious (I just need some practice on the shell pattern). I will definitely make these again! Thank you!