There’s Nothing Like a Good Concha. Here’s How to Make Them Great. (Published 2022) (2024)

FAQs

Are conchas Mexican or French? ›

Concha (Spanish, 'shell'), plural conchas, is a traditional Mexican sweet bread roll (pan dulce). Conchas get their name from their round shape and their striped, seashell-like appearance.

Conchas Ingredients

For the bread: warm water, yeast, all-purpose flour, evaporated milk, white sugar, melted butter, an egg, salt, and ground cinnamon. For the topping: white sugar, softened butter, all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract.

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.

But I'm here to say that not all conchas are dry and overly sweet, and at their best they're truly beautiful. A collection of stunning conchas and related pan dulce. I'm happy to be a part of a generation of bakers reviving and reclaiming this beloved pan dulce.

First, conchas are a type of pan dulce (sweet bread) that has been baked in Mexico due to the French influence on the bakeries during the Colonial period. They are called "conchas" because it is the Spanish word for shell and their shell-like pattern are commonly present.

Conchas are also known as Pan Dulce and Sweet Bread. This Mexican breakfast item is made of a fluffy, butter brioche-like dough topped with a streusel topping that is scored. These colorful Mexican breakfast item is a crowd favorite.

seashell [noun] the (empty) shell of a sea creature.

Mexicans traditionally eat Concha for breakfast or dinner, accompanied by hot chocolate or Champurrado. The latter is a warm, thick, chocolate-based Mexican drink made with corn- or maize flour and occasionally also containing anise seed or vanilla beans.

While Concha is not considered a healthy food, it does provide some nutritional value. It contains minerals like calcium, iron, and potassium. However, it's important to consume it in moderation due to its high sugar and calorie content.

If the topping is too soft and sticks to your hands, try dusting them with a bit of flour or even a coat of water. The conchas are ready for the oven. Let the baked conchas cool for at least 15 minutes before serving, then dig in.

How many flavors of conchas are there? ›

A concha's crust is typically composed of some kind of fat, sugar, and a little flour, traditionally made in one of three colors: white (vanilla), brown (chocolate), or pink. (Pink conchas are sometimes flavored with strawberry, but more often than not, they are simply dyed with food coloring.)

Pan dulce — sweet bread — comes in all shapes and sizes, with roots in Spain from six hundred years ago. While other Latin American countries have their spin on it, Mexicans made it their own, and today conchas are ubiquitous in LA.

One of the few differences is the aroma: The pastry shop lures guests in with the smells of sugar, butter, and dusty, toasted bread flour.

Conchas are best the day they are baked but will keep, tightly covered at room temperature for about 3 days. If you like, reheat in the oven at 350° until warm.

(Check dough using the windowpane test [see Note] between additions of flour. Too much flour will make it harder to shape and will create a denser final crumb).

Mexican ingredients such as corn flour, piloncillo (raw sugar cane), chocolate and vanilla as well as native fruits (pineapple, guava) and native vegetables (sweet potato, pumpkin) were added to some of the breads to make the pan dulce we're familiar with today.

For Chicanos, the concha has become a mascot. Not all pan dulces are created equal. Cuernitos, puerquitos, orejas, they each have their place, sure.

Concha (plural conchas, meaning "shell" in Spanish) is a traditional Mexican sweet bread roll (pan dulce). Conchas get their name from their round shape and their striped, seashell-like appearance. A concha consists of two parts, a sweetened bread roll, and a crunchy topping (composed of sugar, butter and flour).

In anatomy, a nasal concha (/ˈkɒnkə/; pl. : conchae; /ˈkɒnkiː/; Latin for 'shell'), also called a nasal turbinate or turbinal, is a long, narrow, curled shelf of bone that protrudes into the breathing passage of the nose in humans and various other animals.

Mexican breads and other baked goods are the result of centuries of experimentation and the blending of influence from various European baking traditions. Wheat, and bread baked from it, was introduced by the Spanish at the time of the Conquest. The French influence in Mexican Bread is the strongest.

Are conchas Spanish? ›

Conchas are a soft and sweet Mexican bread with a white topping that resembles the surface of a seashell. This is where the concha gets its name, since “concha” means “shell” in Spanish. The classic color of the topping is white, but it can also be pink, yellow, or brown (which is chocolate flavored).

Conchas are a sweet traditional Mexican bread (pan dulce) often eaten with a cup of hot chocolate or coffee, and no doubt with some good company. The name conchas, meaning shells in Spanish, comes from its unique seashell pattern.

Las Conchas is a community in the east of the municipality of Puerto Peñasco in the state of Sonora, Mexico. The area contains mainly homes owned by US citizens who take advantage of the region's proximity to the US border with Arizona.