Almond Conchas Recipes

CONCHAS RECIPE

Steps:

• Have each ingredient ready and measured (by weight) before starting, and thoroughly read the notes above. Mix the all-purpose flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer at medium speed, just to mix it well.
• Add the butter and mix well (using the stand mixer with the hook attachment), then mix in the eggs and vanilla extract and slowly pour the milk in little by little until the dough looks cohesive (you may need less or more milk, as some flours soak up more liquid than others). Keep beating the mixture for about 7 minutes at medium speed. Add a little more flour around the inside of the bowl (2-3 tablespoons), just enough for the dough to separate from the container. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky.
• YOUR DOUGH SHOULD FEEL VERY SOFT AND ELASTIC.
• Place the dough on your floured working table and knead it just enough to shape it into a ball.
• Place this ball in a large greased bowl to rest. Cover it with plastic wrap (or wax paper) and a kitchen napkin. Let the dough rest in a warm place for about 2 hours until it doubles in size. I usually turn the light on in my oven and place the bowl inside, close to the light. Be aware that if your kitchen is cold, the dough will take longer to rise. Be patient and do not try to proceed to the next step until the mixture has doubled in size.

ALMOND CONCHAS

Steps:

• Combine milk, evaporated milk, sugar, 1/3 cup canola oil, marzipan, and salt in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 50 seconds. Mix in egg, then yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Add 3 cups flour and mix well. Add enough of the remaining flour to bring dough together. Knead dough in the bowl until pliable, 5 to 6 minutes. Move dough to one side and grease bowl with 1/2 teaspoon oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make topping. Combine sugar and butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low speed for 1 minute. Increase speed to high and continue beating. Add marzipan, almond extract, and salt; beat until creamy. Add flour and beat until combined and pliable. Cover bowl and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
• Cut dough into 20 pieces. Shape into semi-flat rolls. Arrange them in the baking pan.
• Cut topping mixture into 20 equal pieces. Place each piece between 2 sheets of parchment paper and press into a 2-inch circle. Place 1 circle over each roll. Use a butter knife to score the tops in a decorative pattern.
• Cover baking pan with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled, 45 to 55 minutes.
• Bake in the preheated oven until puffed and golden, about 18 minutes.

CONCHAS (MEXICAN SWEET-TOPPED BUNS)

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl.
• Stir in milk, sugar, butter, salt, egg and 2 cups of the flour.
• Beat until smooth.
• Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.
• Turn onto a lightly floured surface.
• Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Place in a large greased bowl, then turn greased side up.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, about 1 1/2 hours.
• The dough is ready if it leaves an indentation when touched.
• Meanwhile, prepare Flavored Topping Dough.
• Punch dough down; divide into 12 equal pieces.
• Shape each piece into a ball; place on greased cookie sheet.
• Flavored Topping Dough.
• Beat sugar and margarine until light and fluffy.
• Stir in flour until mixture is the consistency of thick paste.
• Divide into 3 equal parts.
• Stir cinnamon into one part, vanilla extract into one part and orange peel into one part.
• Divide each part of dough into 4 equal pieces.
• Pat each piece into a 3-inch circle.
• Place 1 circle of Topping Dough on each ball of dough, shaping it down over the ball.
• Make 5 or 6 cuts across the topping, using a table knife, to form a shell pattern.
• Cover and let rise until double - about 40 minutes.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees F (190 celsius).
• Bake buns until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

CONCHAS

Steps:

• Make the dough: Whisk the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the milk, eggs and vanilla. Mix on the lowest speed to combine without the flour splattering out of the bowl, about 20 seconds. (If needed, use a spatula to push the flour mixture toward the hook.) Raise speed to medium-high and mix until the dough slaps and pulls away from the sides of the bowl and starts to form a smooth, elastic ball around the hook, 10 to 15 minutes. Stay close to your mixer because it will start jumping all over your counter.
• Reduce speed to low and add the butter gradually, in 3 to 4 additions. Once all butter is added, increase speed to medium-high. Continue mixing until the dough is again pulling away from the sides of the bowl, loudly slapping it and gathering into a very soft, elastic, silky and shiny mass that hugs the dough hook, 8 to 12 minutes. Again, stay close to your mixer because it will jump. The moment you stop beating the dough, it will relax into the bowl again.
• Transfer the dough to a large buttered bowl. To activate the gluten further, stretch and fold the dough: Using one or both of your hands, reach down between the greased side of the bowl and the dough, and lift the dough up out of the bowl and fold the dough over itself. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat the process three more times. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, place it in the refrigerator for the first rise and let it chill anywhere from 4 hours to 24 hours.
• Cover three 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Cover a small area of your countertop with a light layer of flour. Bring the dough out of the refrigerator and, using your hands or a bench scraper, cut it into 15 pieces, each about 76 grams, which is about a ⅓-cup scoop. One by one, pat each piece of dough into a flat shape on the floured surface, then draw the edges into the center, working your way around, pinching the dough together into the center of what should now be a ball. Turn the ball over, cup it with your hand and move it in circles, rolling it over the counter for a few seconds to make a neater round. Repeat with the remaining conchas and place 5 equally spaced balls on each of the 3 prepared baking sheets. Make sure there is a bit of flour on the counter before pressing each piece of dough, as the dough is very sticky.
• Make your preferred topping (see Tip): Combine all the ingredients for the selected topping flavor in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed until the ingredients begin to combine, about 20 to 30 seconds. Raise the speed to medium and mix to form a glossy and smooth mixture, about 2 minutes.
• Fill a small bowl halfway with warm water to wet your hands while you work to divide and shape the topping. Portion the topping with a soup spoon to create 15 portions that are about 30 grams each. Wet your hands thoroughly and roll one portion of the topping into a ball. Set the ball in one palm and, using the other hand, pat it out into a 3½-inch round, as if you were patting a thick tortilla. (The topping is very sticky and soft, like a thick frosting, so you should moisten your hands as needed.) Place the round disk over a concha and slide your fingers around the edges of the topping, pressing it lightly around the rim to gently adhere to the bun. The topping should not go all the way down to the parchment paper, but be at least about ¼ inch from it. Repeat to top the remaining conchas, keeping your hands wet throughout.
• To make a shell pattern, dip a concha mold into flour to coat and very gently press the mold on the topping from one side to the other in a rolling motion, doing so swiftly and with determination as you move from side to side. (Dipping the mold in flour prevents it from sticking to the topping and prevents the topping from peeling away from the dough.) The mold should make a shell-shaped mark on the concha topping, merely indenting it without breaking through to the dough. If you don't have a concha mold, you can make the shape with a dinner knife by dipping it in flour and marking each concha with curves, lines or squares, but avoiding piercing through to the dough.
• Cover the conchas with clean kitchen towels and set in a warm, draft-free area of your kitchen until they puff considerably, anywhere from 1½ to 2 hours. (They don't need to double in size.) At this point, the shaped toppings may have spread slightly, opening a bit more into the indented shapes.
• Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the conchas until golden brown and even more puffed, about 20 to 22 minutes. (If all three sheet pans don't fit in the oven at once, you can simply bake the third batch after you've baked the first two.) Remove from the oven.
• Let rest for a few minutes before serving. Conchas are best the day they are baked, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

CONCHAS

Steps:

• Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine yeast, water and milk. Add 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and let sit until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the butter, salt, eggs and flour. Mix on medium speed until the dough forms a smooth, elastic ball that pulls away from the bowl. It should be just a little bit sticky, not completely dry like bread dough. Use your hands to lightly coat the dough ball with the oil, then return it to the bowl. Cover with a dish towel and set aside to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 2 hours.
• When the dough has risen, butter two baking sheets. Punch the dough down lightly and use a knife or bench scraper to divide it into 12 balls (75 to 80 grams each). Arrange on the buttered baking sheets.
• Make the topping: Combine the ingredients in a medium bowl and use your fingers to mix and rub together until the mixture has the consistency of cookie dough. Divide the topping into 12 balls (each one will be about 13 grams, if you want to be exact about it). One by one, use your fingers to press and pinch each ball into a thin circle about 3 inches across. (You could also do this on a work surface, placing the ball between two pieces of parchment paper).
• Drape a flattened topping circle over the top of each bun, completely covering it. Lightly press any loose edges into the sides of the bun, making a snug coat on top.
• To make a shell pattern, use a sharp knife to slash parallel lines in the topping over the top of each bun - or you could make a spiral pattern, or score the tops in a criss-cross diamond pattern. Cover with a dish towel and set aside in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake buns until lightly browned on the tops and sides, about 20 minutes, rotating the pans after 10 minutes.
• Serve warm, or let cool and store overnight in an airtight container. Reheat gently or serve at room temperature.

CONCHAS AS MADE BY MAYA RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Make the dough: Add the milk to a microwave-safe liquid measuring cup. Microwave in 10-second intervals until the milk reaches 110-115°F (43-46°C). Add 1 teaspoon of sugar and the yeast to the milk and whisk to incorporate. Let sit for about 10 minutes, until very foamy.
• Pour the milk mixture into a large bowl, then add the eggs and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.
• Add the flour, remaining tablespoon of sugar, and salt and stir with a rubber spatula until a sticky dough comes together.
• Add the butter, 1 piece at a time, and work into the dough with your hands, making sure that each piece is incorporated before adding the next. The dough should be shiny, smooth, and elastic.
• Use the empty butter wrappers to grease the inside of a clean large glass bowl.
• Transfer the dough to the greased bowl, using a bench scraper or rubber spatula. Cover with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1-2 hours, until doubled in size.
• Remove the towel and place plastic wrap directly over the dough's surface. Refrigerate for 1 hour to chill so the dough is easier to shape.
• Make the shell topping: In a medium bowl, cream the butter and powdered sugar with a hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Continue beating on low speed until the mixture is smooth, 3-5 minutes.
• Add the pink food coloring and stir thoroughly with a spatula until the color is homogenous.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Turn the chilled dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With a bench scraper or knife, gently divide the dough into 10 equal pieces.
• Shape the pieces into balls by gently pulling the edges of the dough out and underneath, pinching at the bottom, forming a taut surface.
• Place 5 dough balls on each prepared baking sheet and cover with kitchen towels. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1-2 hours, until doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Scoop 1 tablespoon of the shell topping onto a piece of wax paper and roll into a ball. Place another piece of wax paper on top and roll out to a 4-inch (10 cm) circle, slightly larger than the risen dough balls. Repeat with the remaining topping so you have 10 circles total.
• Gently lay a circle of shell topping over each dough ball, pressing it lightly onto the surface. If the edges of the shell topping are sticking out, gently tuck them down and underneath the dough.
• Using a paring knife, slice lines through just the topping layer to create a shell pattern, being careful not to cut into the dough.
• Bake the conchas for 25 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
• Enjoy!

ALMOND CONCHAS

Steps:

• Combine milk, evaporated milk, sugar, 1/3 cup canola oil, marzipan, and salt in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 50 seconds. Mix in egg, then yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Add 3 cups flour and mix well. Add enough of the remaining flour to bring dough together. Knead dough in the bowl until pliable, 5 to 6 minutes. Move dough to one side and grease bowl with 1/2 teaspoon oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make topping. Combine sugar and butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on low speed for 1 minute. Increase speed to high and continue beating. Add marzipan, almond extract, and salt; beat until creamy. Add flour and beat until combined and pliable. Cover bowl and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking pan with parchment paper.
• Cut dough into 20 pieces. Shape into semi-flat rolls. Arrange them in the baking pan.
• Cut topping mixture into 20 equal pieces. Place each piece between 2 sheets of parchment paper and press into a 2-inch circle. Place 1 circle over each roll. Use a butter knife to score the tops in a decorative pattern.
• Cover baking pan with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled, 45 to 55 minutes.
• Bake in the preheated oven until puffed and golden, about 18 minutes.