Conchas - Mexican Sweet Buns

I have a really, really good recipe for you today: Conchas – which can be described as Mexican sweet buns. You may not know this, but Mexico – especially Mexico City – has a long tradition of baked goods. I remember, growing up in Mexico City, going to the Panaderia (bakery) with my grandmother and getting freshly baked goods – in the morning and in the evening. I still remember the yeasty smell of the freshly baked bollillos  (rolls) which my grandmother used to make tortas (sandwiches). The baker would take them out of the hot oven and you could still feel their warmth through the paper bag. But what I remember best, are the sweet breads baked at the bakery: churros (which I would eat with freshly made hot-cocoa), conchas (with their sweet crispy and buttery cover), orejas (made with buttery puff pastry and sprinkled with raw sugar)… I could keep going on and on but I am getting too hungry and nostalgic.  When we visit my grandparents in Mexico City, one of my husband’s favorite things to do is to walk to the local bakery (the same one I used to go when I was growing up) and buy fresh bread. I think it is because, once you eat freshly baked goods, it is awfully hard to eat bread that has been sitting out in the grocery store for days. Or, it may be that the tantalizing smell of fresh bread is sort of addictive.

Back to today’s recipe. One of my favorite Mexican sweet breads are conchas. A concha is  a buttery sweet round bread that is topped with a buttery crust which looks similar to the outside of a sea-shell.  Hence their name – concha – which means “shell” in Spanish.  For the longest time I have looked for a recipe to make conchas. Last week, my search was over. I found a recipe that seemed to have the right ingredients and that had received stellar reviews. The weekend could not arrive fast enough for me to try this recipe. On Sunday, although the roads were somewhat messy thanks to Irene, I convinced my husband to go to the grocery store and buy the ingredients I needed. And I am glad I did, because three hours later, I was eating freshly baked conchas. They were not only delicious, but they took me back to the bakery in Mexico City where I used to buy them.

Of course, I had to save some and share them with my parents and brother. As soon as my brother saw the conchas, he eagerly asked me “can I have one?” A minute later, he had devoured the piece of bread and proceeded to tell me that I should open up a bakery. My parents loved them as well, and let me tell you, they are hard to please. Even the dog liked them – my brother’s dog stole a bite from a concha but  we managed to save the rest of it.

With Fall approaching, I recommend you try this recipe (which is really easy but time-consuming) and eat it with a cup of Mexican hot cocoa. I assure you, you won’t be disappointed.

Conchas (Mexican Sweet-Topped Buns)

Adapted from a recipe by Karen from www.food.com

Total Time: 3 hrs 20 mins

Yield: 12 Conchas

Ingredients

1 tablespoon or 1 packet  active dry yeast

1/2 cup lukewarm water (not hot because it will kill the yeast)

1/2 cup lukewarm milk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

3 ½  cups all-purpose flour ( a bit more if needed)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping Dough

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Directions

1.       Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water in a bowl.  

2.       In a mixer mix sugar and butter. When soft, add milk, salt, egg and vanilla. 

3.       When the yeast becomes bubbly (approximately 5 to 10 minutes), add to the mix. 

4.       Add the flour slowly and mix until smooth.

5.       Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. If you have a mixer, you can do this using the dough hook – it takes approximately five minutes.

6.       Place in a large greased bowl, then turn greased side up. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours. The dough is ready if it leaves an indentation when touched.

7.       Meanwhile, prepare the Topping Dough by mixing the sugar and butter until soft and then adding the rest of the ingredients. Once the topping is ready put it in the refrigerator until it is ready to be used.

8.       Once the dough has risen, divide it into 12 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and place on a greased cookie sheet.  

9.       Divide the Topping Dough mix into 12 equal parts. Pat each piece into a 3-inch circle. You may need to add extra flour since the “circles” will become sticky as your hands handle the dough.

10.   Place 1 circle of Topping Dough on each ball of dough, shaping it down over the ball.

11.   Make 5 or 6 cuts across the topping, using a table knife, to form a shell pattern.

12.   Let rise until doubled — about 40 minutes.

13.   Heat oven to 375 degrees F (190 Celsius).

14.   Bake buns until golden brown, about 20 minutes.