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.

Boulou (Libyan Jewish Bread)

It's the first Tuesday of the month, and that means it's time for another edition of #TwelveLoaves! Our host this month is Karen from Karen's Kitchen Stories, and she's chosen Jewish Breads as our theme. Beyond bagels, Bialys, Challah, Babka, rye and matzo, I'm not familiar with many other types of Jewish bread, so I was really looking forward to this challenge.

I swear, the hardest part was deciding which type of bread to make. I've had Bialys on my to-make list forever. And while I've made rye before, I don't think I've ever made a true Jewish rye. I considered making a non-yeast bread like Matzo or Mandelbrot. I used to make bagels every weekend. Something intricate like a beautiful Babka or braided Challah just seemed like too much in this heat since our air conditioner is broken, making it a disgusting 86 degrees in the house without the oven on.

Cocoa Buns

There are certain photos or recipes that I see that once I've seen or heard about them, I can't get them off my mind.  I bookmark something.  Or I pin it.  And then I go back and check on it every once in a while.  You know, making sure it still looks and sounds irresistible.  And I'm slightly hesitant to admit that sometimes I'll do this for months on end before I actually wind up making "said item".  I don't enjoy torturing myself, it's just that time gets away from me.  And I suppose it doesn't help that I come across far too many things that grab my fancy.

Well, that is exactly what happened when I came across these Kakaoweckchen (Cacao Buns) on the #BakeYourOwnBread featured bread blog this month, Hefe und mehr.  This site is actually a bread-lover's dream...breadie-bliss!  While I marked lots of different things that I wanted to bake up in my oven, these buns were the thing that haunted me.  I knew I wouldn't be able to rest until I made some.

So yesterday, I made it happen.  The thing I was looking forward to the most was the brown dough peeking out through the white dough.  Unfortunately, my slashing skills leave much to be desired.  My first batch didn't visually please me the way I thought they would.  I need an intensive on slashing technique.  Plus, when I converted the celsius temperature (220°) to fahrenheit (428°), my oven seemed WAY too hot.  I lost that contrast in color.  Fortunately, I smelled them and knew I had to take them out after 15 minutes.  And though they were pretty dark on the outside, they did not burn and the insides were perfectly soft and fluffy.

It's times like this when I'm thankful for my tiny oven with only one rack.  I had a second chance.  I lowered the oven temperature to 350° F and made an extra slash in a couple of the buns (just to see how it would look)...and I slid the second batch in with a little prayer.

Turns out, I actually liked the way the "double-slashed" buns looked - they had that brown popping through that I was hoping for.  Plus, with the lowered oven temp, the two colors stayed distinct.  I will definitely be making the buns again soon in a lower oven with that "+" style slash.

And on another note...both my husband and my daughter went straight for the darker rolls when I said they were clear (picture taking complete).  They are two peas in a pod.  I would gravitate towards the lighter, two-toned buns.  They are partial to darkly baked bread and tortillas with burnt spots.  This just means that not a single roll was snubbed - so that's a good thing!

These buns are lightly sweet and very soft and fluffy in the center.  Know what the hubs said they reminded him of?  (My favorite) Conchas.  Minus that awesome sugary crust on top.

Cocoa Buns (Kakaoweckchen)

by Heather Schmitt-González

Prep Time: 5 hours (or up to overnight)

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Keywords: bake bread German

Ingredients (12 buns/rolls)

preferment

• 200 grams bread flour
• 250 grams milk, lukewarm
• 10 grams active dry yeast

for white dough

• half of the preferment
• 150 grams bread flour
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 30 grams (~2 Tbs.) butter, at room temperature
• 40 grams sugar
• 4 grams fine sea salt

for brown dough

• half of the preferment
• 150 grams bread flour
• 2 Tbs. cocoa powder
• 1 Tbs. water, room temperature
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 30 grams (~2 Tbs.) butter, at room temperature
• 40 grams sugar
• 4 grams fine sea salt

Instructions

for the preferment:

Dissolve yeast in the lukewarm milk and then mix with flour. Cover with plastic wrap and ferment in a warm place until risen and bubbly, up to 3 hours. At this point you can finish the recipe or refrigerate the preferment overnight. If you refrigerate it, remove from fridge and let sit at room temperature for an hour or two before continueing on.

for the dough:

Divide preferment (~425 grams total) evenly into 2 medium-sized bowls (it will be sticky). Add ingredients for white dough to one bowl and ingredients for brown dough to the other bowl.

Stir each bowl ingredients together with a wooden spoon (do white dough first if using same spoon), beating swiftly until all of the dry ingredients are absorbed into the wet and the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl. Dough will remain wet and sticky. Cover each bowl with plastic and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour to rise (should just about double).

Line two baking sheets with silpats or parchment paper.

One bowl at a time, turn risen dough out onto a heavily floured surface. Flour your hands and quickly knead the dough(s) until they are no longer sticky.

Divide each color of dough into 12 basically equal (41-43 grams each) portions and form them into balls. Make sure your work surface stays lightly floured to prevent sticking. Flatten the white dough into a disc using your hands. Wet your hands lightly and roll the brown dough ball around in your hands to lightly wet the surface. Set this lightly wetted brown dough ball on the top and in the center of the white dough disc. Gently pull the white dough up and around the brown dough. The dough should pull and stretch just fine. Once all the sides have been pulled up and around the center dough, pinch to close.

Turn dough over so that the seam is down and turn gently between cupped hands to re-form the dough. Set onto prepared baking sheet. I find it easiest to do each step with 6 pieces of dough at a time (form 6 discs, then wet 6 balls, then enclose the balls and form them). 6 buns fit comfortably on a half-sheet pan (regular sized baking sheet). Repeat until all the buns are formed.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature until risen, ~30 minutes. Slash the buns down the center (one line or a "+") after the first 10 minutes of rising.

Slide into preheated oven and bake for ~25 minutes or until lightly golden. Buns should register around 190°-200° F when a thermometer is inserted in the center. Slide buns onto a wire rack to cool.

Good warm (I like them best when slightly warm) or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container once completely cool.

notes:

If your oven is not big enough to bake two sheets at once, place one sheet in the refrigerator while one is rising. Once you've placed your first baking sheet in the oven, remove second sheet from fridge and let it rise at room tempeture while the first one bakes, slashing after 10 minutes. Place in oven after 30 minutes is up.

adapted from Hefe und mehr

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Yeastspotting

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.