Mexican Conchas Recipes

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl.
• Stir in milk, sugar, butter, salt, egg and 2 cups of the flour.
• Beat until smooth.
• Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.
• Turn onto a lightly floured surface.
• Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.
• Place in a large greased bowl, then turn greased side up.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place until double, about 1 1/2 hours.
• The dough is ready if it leaves an indentation when touched.
• Meanwhile, prepare Flavored Topping Dough.
• Punch dough down; divide into 12 equal pieces.
• Shape each piece into a ball; place on greased cookie sheet.
• Flavored Topping Dough.
• Beat sugar and margarine until light and fluffy.
• Stir in flour until mixture is the consistency of thick paste.
• Divide into 3 equal parts.
• Stir cinnamon into one part, vanilla extract into one part and orange peel into one part.
• Divide each part of dough into 4 equal pieces.
• Pat each piece into a 3-inch circle.
• Place 1 circle of Topping Dough on each ball of dough, shaping it down over the ball.
• Make 5 or 6 cuts across the topping, using a table knife, to form a shell pattern.
• Cover and let rise until double - about 40 minutes.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees F (190 celsius).
• Bake buns until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together the yeast and warm water. Mix in the milk, 3/8 cup sugar, 1/3 cup melted butter, salt, egg and half of the flour. Gradually mix in the remaining flour, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Turn the dough out onto a floured counter to knead as soon as it pulls together enough.
• Knead for 6 to 8 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place in a large greased bowl, and turn the dough to coat. Cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Make the topping while the dough rises. In a medium bowl, beat 2/3 cup sugar and 1/2 cup butter until light and fluffy. Stir in the flour until the mixture is the consistency of thick paste. Divide into two parts, and place one part in a separate bowl. Mix cinnamon into one half, and vanilla into the other half.
• When the dough is done rising, cut into 12 even-sized pieces. Shape into balls, and place on a greased cookie sheet, spacing about 3 inches apart. Divide each bowl of topping into 6 balls, and pat flat. Place circles of topping on top of the dough balls patting down lightly. Use a knife to cut grooves in the topping like a clam shell. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.

Steps:

• To make the dough: Heat the milk to 110 degrees F. Add the milk and yeast in the bowl of a heavy duty mixer. Let rest about 10 minutes. Add the flour, sugar, egg, salt, and vanilla and, using the dough hook, mix until well combined. Add the butter in 3 equal additions and mix until well combined. Knead in the mixer on low, about 5 minutes. Divide the dough into 1/4-ounce balls.;
• To make the topping: With an electric mixer, cream the lard and confectioners' sugar together in a bowl. Add the flour, baking powder, and vanilla and mix until combined. Roll out the topping on a floured surface into a thin sheet, about 1/8-inch thick. Use a biscuit cutter or knife to cut out circles that are large enough to cover the top of the dough balls.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Top each dough ball with a circle of topping and sprinkle them with sugar. Using the back of a pairing knife, scratch the image of a shell on the top of each concha. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes. Bake the conchas about 5 to 7 minutes.

Steps:

• Make the dough: Whisk the flour, sugar, salt and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the milk, eggs and vanilla. Mix on the lowest speed to combine without the flour splattering out of the bowl, about 20 seconds. (If needed, use a spatula to push the flour mixture toward the hook.) Raise speed to medium-high and mix until the dough slaps and pulls away from the sides of the bowl and starts to form a smooth, elastic ball around the hook, 10 to 15 minutes. Stay close to your mixer because it will start jumping all over your counter.
• Reduce speed to low and add the butter gradually, in 3 to 4 additions. Once all butter is added, increase speed to medium-high. Continue mixing until the dough is again pulling away from the sides of the bowl, loudly slapping it and gathering into a very soft, elastic, silky and shiny mass that hugs the dough hook, 8 to 12 minutes. Again, stay close to your mixer because it will jump. The moment you stop beating the dough, it will relax into the bowl again.
• Transfer the dough to a large buttered bowl. To activate the gluten further, stretch and fold the dough: Using one or both of your hands, reach down between the greased side of the bowl and the dough, and lift the dough up out of the bowl and fold the dough over itself. Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat the process three more times. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, place it in the refrigerator for the first rise and let it chill anywhere from 4 hours to 24 hours.
• Cover three 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Cover a small area of your countertop with a light layer of flour. Bring the dough out of the refrigerator and, using your hands or a bench scraper, cut it into 15 pieces, each about 76 grams, which is about a ⅓-cup scoop. One by one, pat each piece of dough into a flat shape on the floured surface, then draw the edges into the center, working your way around, pinching the dough together into the center of what should now be a ball. Turn the ball over, cup it with your hand and move it in circles, rolling it over the counter for a few seconds to make a neater round. Repeat with the remaining conchas and place 5 equally spaced balls on each of the 3 prepared baking sheets. Make sure there is a bit of flour on the counter before pressing each piece of dough, as the dough is very sticky.
• Make your preferred topping (see Tip): Combine all the ingredients for the selected topping flavor in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed until the ingredients begin to combine, about 20 to 30 seconds. Raise the speed to medium and mix to form a glossy and smooth mixture, about 2 minutes.
• Fill a small bowl halfway with warm water to wet your hands while you work to divide and shape the topping. Portion the topping with a soup spoon to create 15 portions that are about 30 grams each. Wet your hands thoroughly and roll one portion of the topping into a ball. Set the ball in one palm and, using the other hand, pat it out into a 3½-inch round, as if you were patting a thick tortilla. (The topping is very sticky and soft, like a thick frosting, so you should moisten your hands as needed.) Place the round disk over a concha and slide your fingers around the edges of the topping, pressing it lightly around the rim to gently adhere to the bun. The topping should not go all the way down to the parchment paper, but be at least about ¼ inch from it. Repeat to top the remaining conchas, keeping your hands wet throughout.
• To make a shell pattern, dip a concha mold into flour to coat and very gently press the mold on the topping from one side to the other in a rolling motion, doing so swiftly and with determination as you move from side to side. (Dipping the mold in flour prevents it from sticking to the topping and prevents the topping from peeling away from the dough.) The mold should make a shell-shaped mark on the concha topping, merely indenting it without breaking through to the dough. If you don't have a concha mold, you can make the shape with a dinner knife by dipping it in flour and marking each concha with curves, lines or squares, but avoiding piercing through to the dough.
• Cover the conchas with clean kitchen towels and set in a warm, draft-free area of your kitchen until they puff considerably, anywhere from 1½ to 2 hours. (They don't need to double in size.) At this point, the shaped toppings may have spread slightly, opening a bit more into the indented shapes.
• Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the conchas until golden brown and even more puffed, about 20 to 22 minutes. (If all three sheet pans don't fit in the oven at once, you can simply bake the third batch after you've baked the first two.) Remove from the oven.
• Let rest for a few minutes before serving. Conchas are best the day they are baked, but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Steps:

• Make the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine yeast, water and milk. Add 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and let sit until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the butter, salt, eggs and flour. Mix on medium speed until the dough forms a smooth, elastic ball that pulls away from the bowl. It should be just a little bit sticky, not completely dry like bread dough. Use your hands to lightly coat the dough ball with the oil, then return it to the bowl. Cover with a dish towel and set aside to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 2 hours.
• When the dough has risen, butter two baking sheets. Punch the dough down lightly and use a knife or bench scraper to divide it into 12 balls (75 to 80 grams each). Arrange on the buttered baking sheets.
• Make the topping: Combine the ingredients in a medium bowl and use your fingers to mix and rub together until the mixture has the consistency of cookie dough. Divide the topping into 12 balls (each one will be about 13 grams, if you want to be exact about it). One by one, use your fingers to press and pinch each ball into a thin circle about 3 inches across. (You could also do this on a work surface, placing the ball between two pieces of parchment paper).
• Drape a flattened topping circle over the top of each bun, completely covering it. Lightly press any loose edges into the sides of the bun, making a snug coat on top.
• To make a shell pattern, use a sharp knife to slash parallel lines in the topping over the top of each bun - or you could make a spiral pattern, or score the tops in a criss-cross diamond pattern. Cover with a dish towel and set aside in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake buns until lightly browned on the tops and sides, about 20 minutes, rotating the pans after 10 minutes.
• Serve warm, or let cool and store overnight in an airtight container. Reheat gently or serve at room temperature.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix sugar, yeast, salt, cinnamon and 2 cups flour. In a small saucepan, heat milk and butter to 120° -130°. Add to dry ingredients; beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Add eggs; beat on high 2 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough (dough will be sticky). Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Meanwhile, to make streusel, in a large bowl, beat butter, flour, sugar and vanilla until combined. Divide in half. Mix chocolate into 1 half; set aside. Punch down dough. Divide dough into 12 portions; form each into a 3-in. oval. Place 2 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. In a small bowl, whisk egg with milk; brush over dough. Divide plain streusel into 6 portions; roll each into a 3-in. circle. Place over half the rolls. Repeat with chocolate streusel and remaining rolls. Using a sharp knife, cut through streusel on top of rolls to resemble a clamshell. Cover with kitchen towels; let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°. Brush rolls with remaining egg wash. Bake until tops are lightly browned, 15-20 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
• Pour the salsa into a 13x9 pan and spread it evenly.
• Season the ground beef. Brown it in a skillet and drain, if necessary.
• Put the cream cheese and ground beef in a bowl and mix well.
• Spoon the ground beef mixture into the cooked shells and place each shell in the 13x9 pan.
• Evenly pour the taco sauce over the shells and top with the shredded cheese.
• Bake for about 20 minutes till cheese is lightly golden and sauce is bubbly.

Steps:

• Make the dough: Add the milk to a microwave-safe liquid measuring cup. Microwave in 10-second intervals until the milk reaches 110-115°F (43-46°C). Add 1 teaspoon of sugar and the yeast to the milk and whisk to incorporate. Let sit for about 10 minutes, until very foamy.
• Pour the milk mixture into a large bowl, then add the eggs and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.
• Add the flour, remaining tablespoon of sugar, and salt and stir with a rubber spatula until a sticky dough comes together.
• Add the butter, 1 piece at a time, and work into the dough with your hands, making sure that each piece is incorporated before adding the next. The dough should be shiny, smooth, and elastic.
• Use the empty butter wrappers to grease the inside of a clean large glass bowl.
• Transfer the dough to the greased bowl, using a bench scraper or rubber spatula. Cover with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1-2 hours, until doubled in size.
• Remove the towel and place plastic wrap directly over the dough's surface. Refrigerate for 1 hour to chill so the dough is easier to shape.
• Make the shell topping: In a medium bowl, cream the butter and powdered sugar with a hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Continue beating on low speed until the mixture is smooth, 3-5 minutes.
• Add the pink food coloring and stir thoroughly with a spatula until the color is homogenous.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Turn the chilled dough out onto a lightly floured surface. With a bench scraper or knife, gently divide the dough into 10 equal pieces.
• Shape the pieces into balls by gently pulling the edges of the dough out and underneath, pinching at the bottom, forming a taut surface.
• Place 5 dough balls on each prepared baking sheet and cover with kitchen towels. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1-2 hours, until doubled in size.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Scoop 1 tablespoon of the shell topping onto a piece of wax paper and roll into a ball. Place another piece of wax paper on top and roll out to a 4-inch (10 cm) circle, slightly larger than the risen dough balls. Repeat with the remaining topping so you have 10 circles total.
• Gently lay a circle of shell topping over each dough ball, pressing it lightly onto the surface. If the edges of the shell topping are sticking out, gently tuck them down and underneath the dough.
• Using a paring knife, slice lines through just the topping layer to create a shell pattern, being careful not to cut into the dough.
• Bake the conchas for 25 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
• Enjoy!