Conchas Mexicanas

Fluffy, soft, and Slightly Sweet Sweet Bread with a Sugar Top~ Conchas are a traditional Mexican breads sold by vendors all throughout Mexico and some parts of California. These Mexican pastries are know for having bright and colorful sugar toppings that resemble shells which give them their name conchas, or shells in Spanish. Similar to how Americans consume donuts, conchas are most commonly eaten in the morning with coffee or a glass of milk. My first encounter with conchas was in high school during my freshmen year in Spanish class. I was intrigued by their beautiful colors and cultural background. I decided to try making a vegan version just to see if it was possible. And, I was pleasantly surprised. This recipe produces pillowy buns with a tender middle and crumbly sugar top. I hope you try this recipe out and let me know if you do.

Yield 10 conchas

Ingredients

4 cups bread flour

1 cup sugar

¼ cup vegetable shortening

¼ cup butter

4 Tbsp aquafaba

3/4 cups of unsweetened plain almond milk

2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast

1 tsp salt

Ingredients for "Pasta" or sugar topping

1 ½ cups of powdered sugar

1 ½ cups of flour

1 ½ cups vegetable shortening

1 tsp vanilla extract

Procedures

In a small saucepan, combine milk, sugar, butter, and vegetable shortening. Heat on low and turn off the heat right before the mixture comes to a simmer. The liquid should be warm to the touch but not hot and all of the butter should be melted. Remove from heat and add the active dry yeast. Stir and let sit for about 10 minutes to help bloom the yeast. In a large mixing bowl combine flour and the salt. Pour in the yeast mixture and stir until a shaggy ball forms.

Use your hand to knead the dough for about 7- 10 minutes or until the dough forms a smooth dough ball. Grease a clean mixing bowl with oil and place the dough bowl into the bowl. Wrap with plastic wrap or drape a damp towel over the bowl to prevent the dough from drying out.

Place the bowl in a warm area and let the dough rise for an hour and a half or until it has doubled in size.

Gently punch the air out or the dough ball and divide into 10 even pieces. Roll the pieces into individual dough balls and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet leaving at least 1 inch of room between each dough ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375.

Meanwhile, start the “pasta” or sugar topping by combing the vegetable shortening, flour and sugar into a medium mixing bowl and mix well. A slightly crumbly but moist dough should form. Divide the mixture into 10 even pieces and roll them into individual balls. To flatten the sugar topping, sandwich a dough ball between two pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap and press down with the palm of your and or with a plate to create a flat disk.

Gently place the disk on top of a dough ball and press the edges of the pasta down so they are touching the dough ball. Repeat with the other 9 balls.

Using a sharp knife cut slits into pasta dough to form ridges like a shell. Once the 30 minutes has elapsed and all the dough balls are draped with pasta, bake the conchas for 13-15 minutes or until the dough is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before serving.