Conchas (Mexican Pastry)

 

I am married to a Mexican and he loves conchas.  I really wanted to make him authentic conchas and it took me a couple of tried to get it right.  He is extremely picky about his conchas and he told me this recipe was truly a winner.  I got the bread recipe from the San Antonio cookbook by the San Antonio junior forum.  The bread is "Pan de Huevo"  or egg bread.  The top I came up with by using a couple different recipes and modifying them to fit my taste.

Pan De Huevo

1 TBSP dry yeast

1 TBSP sugar

1/4 c warm water

3 2/3 c bread flour

1 tsp salt

1/3 c sugar

2 TBSP shortening

5 eggs slightly beaten at room temperature.

Topping

1 1/3 cup sugar

1 c butter

2 c flour

4 tsp cinnamon

4 tsp cocoa powder

First in a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and 1 tbsp of sugar in the warm water.  You want the water to be warm enough to wake up your yeast, but not hot enough that it will kill it.  I make the water about 100 to 110 degrees F.  Put this bowl aside and let the yeast do it's work.  After about five minutes you will notice that the yeast mixture is starting to get bubbles.  The yeast is producing carbon  dioxide, this is what allows bread to rise and gives it the airy soft texture.

While your yeast is working hard get a larger mixing bowl.  Add 3 cups of the flour, salt, sugar, and shortening.  Mix until you get a texture that resembles the picture on the right.  It is almost the same texture pie crust has before you add the water.  When the yeast is done doing it's work (about 5 minutes)  Add it too your flour mixture along with two eggs.  when this is completely mixed add the rest of the eggs.  Slowly add the rest of the flour.

Your dough should be smooth and elastic, yet slightly sticky.  To get the dough out, butter up your hands and your work surface.

Using your buttered fingers, not a rolling pin, gently flatten out your dough until it is a square about 1 1/2 inches thick.

Cut the square into 16 little squares. (4x4)  Roll those squares into balls.  If they aren't even, no sweat, just take a bit of dough from the bigger ones and add that to your smaller ones.  In the end, try to make your balls as even as possible so they cook evenly.  Place your dough balls two sheet pans, eight on each, and cover them with plastic wrap.  Store them in a draft free, warm place for about an hour and a half or until the balls have doubled in size.  A little side note, I left my conchas four a couple of hours because I got busy and they rose for too long.  This was bad because some of them deflated, and when the bread was baked it tasted really sour and disgusting.  Lesson learned, I had no idea you could leave bread to rise too long!

 

While your dough is rising, make the topping.  For the topping beat the sugar with the butter.  Stir in the flour until the mixture is a thick paste.  Divide into two parts.  In one half knead in the cinnamon and in the other half, the cocoa powder.  Shape each flavor into eight even balls (about 2 TBSP) and then place them in the refrigerator.

When the dough is done rising get your topping balls out.  Flatten each ball and place it over the dough balls.  Lightly press down with the palm of your hand.  The topping should completely cover the dough ball.  Make sure you do all chocolate on one tray and all cinnamon on the other cause they look similar and you will mix them up if you don't keep them separated.

Using a small knife, lightly cut the topping into a design.  It doesn't matter what the design is you can be creative.  I just did it the traditional way which is supposed to help the concha resemble a shell.  When you are done cover them again with plastic and let them rise a second time for about an hour and a half, or until they have doubled in size.  When they are done rising pop them in the oven at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until they are golden brown.  Make sure you bake them on the middle rack so the bottoms don't burn!

Serve warm with coffee or Mexican Hot Chocolate (Abuelitas by Nestle is the best!)