conchas are a typical Mexican bread, & I added a twist by swirling the chocolate & vanilla topping. make these scrumptious conchas for someone special or for thanksgiving because they will take a bit longer to make!
(makes 12 & takes 60 minutes active + 14 hours idle)
ingredients
1¼ oz envelope active dry yeast
½ cup + 2 tbsp whole milk
4 large eggs
6 tbsp granulated sugar
1¾ tsp morton kosher salt
4 cups + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
10 tbsp + ½ cup unsalted butter
⅔ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
procedure
1. warm whole milk to about 110°F. in a bowl, whisk yeast & warm milk. let sit 10 minutes for yeast to dissolve. in a small bowl, combine 3 eggs, 6 tbsp granulated sugar, & 1¼ tsp salt. add egg mixture, milk, & 3 cups flour to yeast mixture. cube 10 tbsp butter. add 10 tbsp butter one cube at a time. knead dough 15 minutes. cover bowl & chill 12 hours. press dough down & fold it over itself to deflate.
2. in a medium bowl, combine 1 cup + 1 tbsp flour, powdered sugar, ½ cup melted butter, ½ tsp salt, & vanilla. divide sugar topping in 2 bowls. to one bowl, add cocoa powder. divide vanilla & chocolate sugar toppings into 12 equal pieces. gently roll one vanilla ball & one chocolate ball into a single ball. cover & let sit.
3. divide dough into 12 equal parts & form them into cupped rounds. place 6 dough rounds on each of 2 parchment-lined baking sheets. in a small bowl, beat 1 egg with 1 tbsp water & brush dough rounds with egg wash. cut open sides of a small ziploc bag. place one piece of sugar topping on one side of open bag & fold other side over to cover. using a skillet, press down on ball to flatten into 4" diameter round. repeat with 12 sugar topping balls, peel, & place sugar topping onto dough rounds. let conchas rise in a warm place 1½ hours.
4. preheat oven to 325°. very lightly score into topping. make sure not to cut through topping. bake 25 minutes.