Description
These Chocolate & Vanilla Conchas are a delightful Mexican-style sweet bread featuring a soft brioche base topped with a unique and flavorful sugar cookie crust in both vanilla and chocolate. Perfectly twisted and shaped, these conchas are tender, beautifully baked to a golden finish, and ideal for enjoying with coffee or hot cocoa.
Ingredients
Brioche Dough
- 3 tablespoons warm water
- 1 envelope active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup evaporated milk
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
- Melted butter, for finishing
Cookie Topping
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
Instructions
- Bloom the yeast: Mix the warm water with the active dry yeast in a small bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes until it becomes foamy, indicating the yeast is activated.
- Make brioche dough: In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the bloomed yeast mixture, melted butter, sugar, evaporated milk, kosher salt, vanilla extract, and beaten eggs. Mix until well combined.
- Add flour and knead: Gradually add the flour to the mixer and knead on medium speed for 7 minutes until the dough is soft, elastic, and smooth.
- First proof: Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Prepare cookie topping dough: Using a hand mixer, cream together the room temperature unsalted butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Incorporate flour and vanilla: Fold in the all-purpose flour and vanilla extract to the creamed butter mixture until a cookie dough forms. Divide the cookie dough into two equal portions.
- Create chocolate and vanilla dough logs: Knead cocoa powder into one half of the cookie dough. Roll both vanilla and chocolate dough portions into 8-inch logs. Place the two logs side by side and twist them around each other. Roll the twisted log again into a smooth 8-inch log.
- Cut topping pieces: Slice the twisted log into 12 equal pieces using a knife or bench scraper. Set aside.
- Shape brioche dough balls: Divide the risen brioche dough into 12 even pieces and roll each into smooth balls. Place the balls on parchment-lined sheet trays, 6 per tray. Brush each ball with melted butter and cover with a tea towel. Repeat if using multiple trays.
- Top brioche balls with cookie dough: Using your hands or a rolling pin, flatten each sugar cookie topping piece into a 6-inch circle or enough to fully cover each brioche ball. Place each cookie topping over the brioche dough balls and gently press down.
- Shape conchas: Using a concha cutter, gently press to create the traditional concha pattern on the cookie topping of each ball.
- Second proof: Cover the shaped conchas and let them rise for an additional 30 minutes until slightly puffed.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 350 ºF (175 ºC). Bake the conchas on the middle rack for 18–20 minutes or until the cookie topping is lightly golden.
- Serve: Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly, and enjoy your chocolate and vanilla conchas warm with coffee or hot cocoa.
Notes
- Ensure the water used for activating the yeast is warm, not hot, to avoid killing the yeast.
- If you don’t have a concha cutter, you can use a sharp knife to gently score the cookie topping for a similar effect.
- The cookie topping can be made a day ahead and kept refrigerated wrapped in plastic wrap.
- You can substitute evaporated milk with whole milk if desired, adjusting the volume slightly to maintain dough consistency.
- Allow the conchas to cool on a wire rack to prevent sogginess on the bottom.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute butter with a plant-based alternative and milk with a suitable non-dairy milk.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican