Concha Dough Yeast Starter: 120 ml (130g) warm milk 2 ¼ tsp. (4g) or 1 packet active dry yeast 1 tsp. (4g) granulated sugar
Dough: 3 ¼ cups (500g) all purpose flour + ⅓ for dusting and kneading the dough ⅔ cup (140g) granulated sugar 2 whole eggs + 2 egg yolks 2 tsp. (8g) vanilla extract ½ cup (114g) or 1 stick unsalted butter 1 ½ tsp. (6g) salt
Sugar Topping: 1 ½ cup (228g) all purpose flour 1 ½ cup (160g) powdered sugar 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract 12 tbsp. (173g) of unsalted butter, room temperature Pinch of salt Pastel Food Coloring
Instructions Step 1: Yeast Starter Warm milk up to 105-110 degrees F. add the yeast and sugar to the warm milk, mix and set aside to rise/activate for 10 minutes.
Step 2: Concha Dough In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, and salt. In a small bowl combine the eggs, and vanilla. Mix the milk and yeast mixture into the egg mixture and set aside. Work the butter into the flour, then add the egg/milk mixture. Combine until it begins to form a rough shaggy ball of dough, pour out onto a work surface and knead for 10-12 minutes until the dough is smooth and when pressed into the dough bounces back. Place the dough in a buttered bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm draft free spot, I prefer to place it in the oven with the light on. Let the dough rest for 2 hours.
Step 3: Make Topping In a bowl combine the flour, powdered sugar, and salt. Add the vanilla extract and then work the butter into the flour mixture until it comes together into a ball. Determine how many colors you want for the topping and portion out the dough into that many balls. Add food coloring to each ball and mix until the color has been fully absorbed. Add more color if you want a vibrant color, less for a lighter pastel shade. Wrap up each in plastic wrap and set it aside.
Step 4: Shape Conchas After the dough has risen for 2 hours, pour it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using a kitchen scale try to portion the dough out into 8 – 10 equal pieces. Roll each portion of dough into a ball, shape the ball into an oval (egg) shape and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
Roll out sugar topping and cut out pieces large enough to cover the entire top and sides of the concha dough ball. Using a concha cutter, press down on the sugar topping gently to cut the shapes into the topping. Wrap the cookie sheet loosely in plastic wrap to keep the conchas from drying out as they rise for a second time. Allow these to rise for 45 to an hour and 15 minutes.
Step 5: Bake Conchas
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and remove the conchas from the oven while it preheats. Once the oven is at 325 degrees F. place the conchas in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes, until the conchas have puffed up and the bottoms are slightly golden brown. Once baked, remove the cookie sheet from the oven and allow the conchas to cool slightly on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. Once they have cooled down you can enjoy! These will last up to three days in an airtight container on the counter, they tend to get stale after 3 days. These are best enjoyed the day of.
