Conchas (without food dye)

Welcome to the September edition of the Bread Baking Babes! Today also happens to be Mexican Independence Day, and since I am the this month's Kitchen of the Month, I decided it would be both fun and timely to challenge the BBBabes and all of the potential BBBuddies to head into the kitchen to bake up my personal favorite of all Mexican breads—CONCHAS!

Now, if you've been hanging around here for any amount of time, you may know that I've already shared two different concha recipes in the past—but it's been 4 years since the last time I did, so I think it's time to revisit them.

Conchas translates to shells in English, and they get their name from the beautiful sugar crust that tops them, since it is cut to resemble the shape of a seashell. If you have a good Mexican Panaderia (bakery) near you, you've probably seen these colorful sweet rolls before. If you've never tried them, I recommend getting to the bakery early and loading up a tray with a pile of them, still warm from the oven. Seriously, a concha and a cup of coffee is enough to bring a smile to anybody's face in the morning.

Conchas - One SHELL of a Roundup! #BreadBakingBabes

As the designated Kitchen of the Month for the Bread Baking Babes, my challenge to both the BBBabes and anybody else who wanted to join in as a BBBuddy was to bake a batch of my favorite Mexican pan dulce—CONCHAS!

I shared a recipe in the post for a basic sweet dough, that is enriched and very slack, similar to a brioche, as well as links to a few other recipes for conchas. All of them are basically the same, producing a tender, but sturdy, base for the real star of the show—the gloriously crumbly and sweet sugar shell.

I encouraged everybody to experiment with the not only the basic ingredients such as the fat and the sugar, but also the color, flavor, and cutting/forming of the topping. As a concha lover, I dreamed of the legions of submissions that would come rolling in...making me long for a hollow leg and the metabolism of my youth. But it turns out that only three brave souls stepped up to my challenge this month.

Enfrijoladas + I ♥ Mexican Bread

Who likes simple?  I do!  I do!  Well, you can't get much simpler than a plate of Enfrijoladas.  Really, I don't even have a recipe to to share.  It's one of those things for which you only need a method.  Basically, enfrijoladas are tortillas that have been lightly fried (not long enough to get crisp) and then dipped or covered in a bean sauce...then folded...and topped with goodies.  While I usually use pinto beans, you can really use any type you like.  You can see a mouthwatering black bean version over at Mely's place and another pinto bean version at Pily's place.

Here's a rundown of what you'll need and a guide for making them...

Enfrijoladas

corn tortillas
oil, for frying
cooked beans, with their juices
broth/stock/water
chiles &/or herbs and spices
toppings (such as crema, queso fresco, salsa, cilantro, pickled chiles, crumbled chorizo, chopped onion, fried egg)

Warm up a couple of cups or so of beans with their cooking broth.  Transfer them to the jar of a blender and add some dried, soaked chiles or some chipotle chile powder (and any other herbs or spices you'd like for flavoring- including salt).  Pour in a bit of your chosen liquid and blend.  Keep adding liquid until it is very saucy (loose).  Pour into a wide, rimmed dish.  Next, heat about a ¼" or so oil in a skillet.  When it's hot, quickly dip in one tortilla at a time and fry lightly, ~20-30 seconds.  Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat with more tortillas.

Dip fried tortillas carefully into bean sauce and then fold over onto a plate and top with your chosen toppings.  My personal favorite is a bit of crema, some salsa, some crumbled chorizo, an over-easy egg, and queso fresco.  Use as much or as little of the bean mixture as you like...some like it saucier than others.

note:  mine looks really thick because I was taking pictures outside...and it was cold.  I really didn't want to run in and make another plate, so really imagine the beans a bit looser on the plate.  Simple and delicious.

And now that we've talked about one simple make at home dish, let's talk about Mexican bread.  Sigh....how I adore thee.  Mexi and I headed over to the Panaderia the other day because he wanted to show me what Piedras look like.  He's been wanting me to make them, but I for the life of me, I haven't been able to find a recipe.  But if you now me at all, you know I can't step foot in there without piling up the Conchas.  Sure, I make them at home.  But I also buy them.  I love that we can walk into the "work area" and pick conchas that are still warm and soft from the oven...all piled up on sheet trays in tall racks.

I also can't resist grabbing either some Bolillos or some of the really big Telera rolls that we use for making Tortas.  And for fun, I add some molassesy Puerquitos (little piggy's) and I tried some eggy, raisin-studded Panuchas this time, as well.

And then the moment of truth...the finding of the Piedras (rocks).  Basically they are dense and spicy and sandy-textured.  Some were covered in sugar and some had a chocolate drizzle.  They reminded me of the English Rocks (another cookie resembling a rock) that I made way back when I was an apprentice.  I almost thought they could contain shredded apple and some finely chopped nuts.  There were a few raisins here and there.  Has anyone ever had them, heard of them, or seen a recipe for them?

It dawned on me as I was writing this that I could try to ask the bakers at the Panaderia for a recipe and then scale it down.  I think I'd make my smaller, though.  Those big ol' rocks are a lot to handle.  And they dry out quickly.  Mexi remembers them best fresh and hot (and in smaller proportion) from the oven when he was a kid, and that's the way I'd like to try to recreate them for him.

Happy weekend!

I am sharing this post with:

How to make Conchas

I've said it before, and I'll say it again...heck, I will SHOUT it from the rooftops- I LOVE CONCHAS!  Did you hear me all the way over there?  I can hear the echo...ooo...ooo.  While I love the recipe I've used up until now, but something pushed me to try another.  Wanna know what gave me that "push"?  That would be teaming up with mi amiga, Leslie from La Cocina de Leslie.  We decided to cook together...as together as we can get from two separate countries...and conchas were what we decided to make first.  You can read more about our plans at the bottom of this post.  These conchas differ from my others in both the dough and the sugar topping.  Both are enriched doughs, but this one is even more so (more eggs, more butter)...and it is soft and golden and as dreamy as can be.  This topping uses powdered sugar, whereas the other uses granulated sugar.  This topping ends up a bit puffier...and it slid a bit more in the oven. I think I may try mixing the two next time 'round, because neither is "just right" (in my mind).  Not that I'm complaining.  They are fantastic...just ask the fam and friends who literally beg me to make them more often.  Let me know if you have the perfect concha recipe in your arsenal.  Until then, these will definitely do.

CONCHAS
adapted from Pati's Mexican Table

makes 12-16 conchas

    For the dough
 392 g (14 oz.) bread flour + more as needed
 2 lg. eggs
 1 lg. egg yolk
 ¼ tsp. fine sea salt
 1 (¼ oz./ 7 g) packet dry active yeast
 ½ c. lukewarm water
 102 g (4 oz. / 8 Tbs.) unsalted butter, at room temeprature
 140 g (5 oz.) superfine sugar

    For the sugar topping
⅓ lb.  (~149 g / ~5.3 oz.) all purpose flour
⅓ lb. (~149 g / ~5.3 oz.) confectioners' sugar
140 g (5 oz. / 10 Tbs.) unsalted butter, at room temperature, diced
optional for colored sugar:  cocoa powder, food coloring (natural source or bottled)

    Extra butter or vegetable shortening to assemble the conchas
~~
    dough: Add flour, eggs, egg yolk, and salt to a mixer, set with the dough hook. Start the mixer at low speed.  Meanwhile, add yeast to water and stir until creamy and well dissolved.  Pour into the flour mixture and let mixer continue to work, now over medium speed, for ~3-4 minutes.

    Add the butter, and continue to beat for another 3-4 minutes.  Lastly add the sugar, continue mixing for another 3 - 4 minutes or until the dough is gooey, sticky, elastic and very smooth.

    Turn dough out of mixer, form into a ball and place in a greased bowl.  Cover with plastic or a kitchen towel and let rise at a warm room temperature until doubled in size, ~3-4 hours.

sugar topping: Place flour and confectioners' sugar in a large bowl.  Using your hands, incorporate the diced butter into the flour mixture.  Mix and knead it until its smooth and well combined.

You can leave the sugar topping white or color it.  I divided into four equal parts.  I left one white.  I worked ~1 tsp. cocoa powder into a quarter of the dough...1 drop red food coloring into a quarter of the dough (for pink)...and 1 drop yellow food coloring into a quarter of the dough.  Cover the sugar topping with plastic wrap so it won't dry out.

assembling the conchas: Grease heavy baking sheets with butter or vegetable shortening (or use parchment or a silpat). Rub a bit of butter onto your hands to make for easy rolling. Divide dough into 12 or 16 equal pieces and form into balls. Then, slightly press them flat, as in a thick disk. Leave ~2" in between each of the conchas so they will have room to expand.

    Divide your sugar topping into 12 or 16 equal pieces (same number as dough balls).  Form each into a ball and flatten into a thin disk.  Place a disk on top of each dough ball and lightly press down.  The sugar should cover basically the whole surface...it will pull away from the edges as the dough rises.

    If you have a concha mold, press it on the sugar topping.  If you don't have one, cut through the sugar topping with a knife, making shell-type lines.

Leave the prepared conchas in a warm area of your kitchen, uncovered, and let them rise again, for ~2 hours (until they've almost doubled in size).  Preheat the oven to 350° F during last 15-20 minutes of rise time.

Slide the conchas into the oven and bake for ~20 minutes, or until the conchas are just golden around the edges and have fluffed up.  Be careful that your oven is not hotter than it should be, or they outsides will get very dark and the sugar topping will discolor.  

Carefully remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.  I love to each them while they are still just warm.

I think I'm going to make it my next personal quest to find the ultimate Concha recipe.  While I pretty much love any concha, I want to recreate the fantastic ones that I buy from the Panadería at home.  Both I've tried so far have come close, but neither are quite "there".

I searched far and wide and was incredibly proud of myself when I finally found and ordered my concha presses.  Seriously, I had the hardest time locating any.  I still want to find a press so I can make long, wavy-type lines, but a knife will have to do for now.

What happens when two American girls who are both married to Mexican guys find out that although one of them lives in the U.S. and one of them lives in Mexico, they both love eating the same food?  Well, naturally they decide to get "together" the only way they can and cook up the same dishes.  Or perhaps take the same ingredients and talking about them in their own voice or using them in their own way. 

Leslie and I have teamed up to occasionally cook/bake/make a our own versions of the same food.  We want to see how similar (or how different) they turn out.  Other times we will pick an ingredient and use it however we choose...or maybe just talk about it.  Good food knows no borders and we hope to share the food we love with you.  It's not a competition, it's a showcase.  We will post on the same day as each other and would love to hear your thoughts on what we've made and how you make it. 

Join me (here at girlichef) and Leslie in her kitchen (at La Cocina de Leslie) for some delicious food.

✽✽Check out Leslie's conchas over at La Cocina de Leslie✽✽

I am sharing this post with:
*Yeastspotting!
Katherine Martinelli Friday Blog Hop: Mexican 

Making Conchas...one of my favorite treats!

I used to anticipate my morning jaunt to one of the local Mexican bakeries to buy Conchas and Bolillos and other warm, fresh, yeast-y goodies.  Okay, I still do.  But.  No longer do I have to worry if I am unable to make that jaunt...because I can make my favorite sweet bread right here at home now!  I always meant in the back of my mind to hunt down a recipe for Conchas.  You know how it goes...it was just way too easy not to.  But when one was handed to me, I no longer had that excuse. I was checking my reader when the word Concha landed right there in front of my face thanks Amanda.   So, now I can and do make my own Conchas...but I'll never give up my morning trips to the bakery completely!  That in itself is a comforting ritual that I enjoy.

Conchas
Mexican Sweet Rolls
recipe very slightly adapted (left out cinnamon in dough itself) from Amanda at Amanda's Cooking

Dough:
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/2 c. warm water (115-120 F)
1/2 c. warm evaporated milk (115-120 F)
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. butter, melted
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
4 c. (520 grams) all-purpose flour

Topping:
1/2 c. butter, softened
2/3 c. sugar
1 c. AP flour
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla

In a large bowl stir together yeast and warm water, let stand for ten minutes. Stir in evaporated milk, sugar, butter, egg, and salt. Stir in 2 c. flour. Gradually stir in remaining 2 c. flour  to make the dough.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead 3-5 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball and transfer to a greased bowl, turn the dough to coat. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 60-75 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the topping, in medium bowl, beat softened butter with mixer on medium for 30 seconds. Add  sugar, beat until well mixed. Stir in  flour, cinnamon, and vanilla.

Punch down the dough then cover and let stand ten minutes.

Divide dough into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place 3 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. press balls down slightly. Divide topping into 12 balls, pat each ball flat. Place one round of topping onto each dough ball. Use a sharp paring knife to cut grooves in the topping to resemble a scallop shell.

Cover rolls and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 F. Bake rolls 18-20 minutes, or until light golden brown. Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire racks.

Aren't they absolutely amazing!?  I refuse to wait to eat one until they're cool.  I love them all soft and warm and inviting.  I have it on good authority that these are better than the ones at the Mexican bakery.  Don't get me wrong, I still love those when they're freshly baked, too...but you know, there's just something about homemade.

I have to show you the inside...I'm ready for another batch!

These Conchas have been YEASTSPOTTED!

This is also being submitted to BYOB this month, created by Sandy of At the Baker's Bench and currently hosted by Cathy of Bread Experience.