These sourdough conchas (one of Mexico’s most famous sweet breads) are made from a simple sourdough brioche dough and topped with a sugary, crunchy chocolate topping.
Why This Recipe Works
Mexican sweet breads are made with a sweet dough that is very similar to a French brioche (due to the French influence in Mexico’s bread culture).
To make sourdough conchas, all you need to do is make a batch of sourdough brioche dough, roll the dough into balls, and top the dough balls with a sugary craquelin topping (this part is actually the easiest thing to make). These sourdough conchas bake up lightly sweet and with a deliciously crunchy topping. I bet they’ll rival any good concha you’ve ever bought from a panadería – because homemade bread is always the best!
Ingredients You’ll Need for Sourdough Conchas
Main Dough Ingredients
- Bread Flour: I used the Bob’s Red Mill brand of artisan bread flour for this recipe. You can use any plain white bread flour that contains around 11-13% protein.
- Eggs: You’ll need three medium eggs for the brioche/concha dough. (Technically you’ll need about 150 grams of eggs once the three eggs are cracked into the bowl.) Eggs serve as the main liquid ingredient in brioche dough, providing tenderness and a unique texture to the final baked bread.
- Whole Milk: For richness and flavor, I prefer to use whole milk for this recipe. For the best result I would stick with whole milk instead of alternatives.
- Sourdough Starter: You’ll need a 100% hydration sourdough starter for this recipe (fed with equal parts water and bread flour).
- Butter, Softened: You’ll need an entire stick (113 grams or 1/4 lb.) of softened butter for this dough. It’s enough butter to make a very rich dough, but not so much that the dough becomes too difficult to work with.
- White Sugar: This dough recipe calls for white sugar to bring sweetness and softness to the dough. Although the conchas will be sweet, they will be on the lightly sweet side compared to other sweet breads.
- Salt: I used Kosher salt for this recipe, but sea salt or plain table salt will also work well.
Chocolate Topping Ingredients
- Vegetable Shortening: Vegetable shortening (i.e. Crisco) is traditional for making the crunchy toppings for conchas. See substitutions.
- Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar, or confectioner’s sugar, is added to the topping in equal parts to the shortening.
- Bread Flour: Bread flour is added to the topping in equal parts to the shortening and powdered sugar. See substitutions.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla will bring a subtle and flavorful sweetness to the topping.
- Cocoa Powder (Optional): Cocoa powder is essential for chocolate conchas. Either regular cocoa powder or Dutch processed cocoa powder will work fine. See substitutions.
Note: See recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and quantities.
Substitutions and Additions
- Vegetable Shortening: If you prefer not to use vegetable shortening in the chocolate topping, you could use an equal amount of butter or refined coconut oil instead. These will provide a slightly distinct flavor, but will produce the same crunchy effect in the topping.
- Bread Flour: For the topping only, you can substitute all-purpose flour instead of the bread flour. For the dough, however, higher-protein bread flour is recommended.
- Cocoa Powder: You can omit the cocoa powder for a plain vanilla flavored crunchy topping.
Ingredient Amounts
Starter Feeding
- Sourdough Starter, leftover – 25 grams
- Water – 75 grams
- Bread Flour – 75 grams
Main Dough
- Bread Flour – 450 grams
- Whole Milk – 100 grams
- Eggs – 150 grams (3 eggs)
- Sourdough Starter, active – 150 grams
- White Sugar – 40 grams
- Salt – 10 grams
- Butter, Softened – 113 grams (1/2 cup)
Chocolate Topping (La Cubierta)
- Vegetable Shortening – 120 grams (1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp)
- Powdered Sugar – 120 grams (1 cup)
- Bread Flour – 120 grams (1 cup)
- Cocoa Powder – 16 grams (2 Tbsp)
- Vanilla Extract – 4 grams (1 tsp)
Suggested Timeline
| Time | Step |
|---|---|
| 3:00 PM (Day 1) | Feeding the Sourdough Starter |
| 6:00 AM (Day 2) | Mixing the Dough and Adding the Butter |
| 6:30 AM | The First Rise (Bulk Fermentation) |
| 1:30 PM | Cold Fermentation in Fridge |
| 6:00 AM (Day 3) | Preparing the Chocolate Topping (La Cubierta) |
| 6:30 AM | Dividing and Shaping |
| 6:45 AM | The Second Rise (Final Proof) |
| 12:45 PM | Baking the Sourdough Conchas |
How to Make Sourdough Conchas
Step-by-Step Instructions
Feeding the Sourdough Starter
Take 25 grams of leftover sourdough starter out of the fridge. Feed your starter 75 grams of water and 75 grams of bread flour. Mix the flour, water, and starter around in the jar until it has a pancake batter-like consistency. Mark the top of the starter with a rubber band and cover the top of the jar loosely with a lid. Let the starter rise at room temperature overnight, for around 6-8 hours, or until it doubles in size.
Mixing the Dough and Adding the Butter
Prepare your butter ahead of time by cutting a stick of butter into small cubes. Let the butter sit out at room temperature to soften for a few hours, or overnight, before you mix your dough.
To make the dough, add the whole milk, eggs, sourdough starter, white sugar, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir thoroughly to break up the starter and the eggs. Then, add all of the bread flour.
Prepare the Dough for Butter: Using your stand mixer, mix the dough for 2-3 minutes on low speed until a rough dough forms and the dough stops sticking to the sides of the bowl. Once the dough pulls apart from the sides of the bowl, the dough is ready to accept the butter.
Add the Butter in Thirds: Add 1/3 of the softened butter to the dough and mix for 3-5 minutes on medium-low speed until all of the butter is incorporated and the butter is fully absorbed into the dough. Repeat this process two more times, adding 1/3 of the butter at a time, until the entire stick of softened butter is added to the dough. You’ll need to allow the dough to mix in the stand mixer for about five minutes each time that more butter is added. Don’t rush this process.
Develop the Gluten: Once all of the butter is absorbed into the dough, knead the dough on medium speed for 8 minutes. At the end of eight minutes, the dough should be fully developed and you should be able to perform an optional window-pane-test to ensure that the gluten is strong.
The First Rise (Bulk Fermentation)
Take the dough out of the mixing bowl and shape it into a tight ball on the counter. Transfer the dough into a glass bowl that has been greased with some butter. Cover the bowl with a lid or a sheet of plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 6-8 hours, or until doubled in size.
Cold Fermentation in the Fridge
After the dough has fully risen to double in size, move the bowl to the fridge so that the dough can develop some additional flavor during a long cold fermentation. Leave the dough to cold ferment for up to 24 hours in the fridge. The cold fermentation step is technically options; you can move on to dividing and shaping your dough directly after it has gone through the first rise.
Preparing the Chocolate Topping (La Cubierta)
Prepare the chocolate topping before you divide and shape the dough. To a mixing bowl, add the vegetable shortening, powdered sugar, bread flour, vanilla extract, and cocoa powder. Mix and squeeze the ingredients together with your hands until a solid, chocolatey dough has formed. Wrap the chocolate topping “dough” in greased plastic wrap and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
Dividing and Shaping
To divide and shape your sourdough conchas, take the brioche dough out of the fridge and flatten the dough into a disc on the kitchen counter. Cut the dough into twelve equally-sized pieces with a bench scraper (pieces should weigh roughly 84 grams each). Shape the pieces of dough into balls by stretching and folding them, and then roll them against the counter to smooth out the edges.
Arrange the balls of dough on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. (Twelve conchas can fit on one pan if you don’t mind them touching when they bake; use two pans if you want the conchas to remain perfectly round and separated from each other).
Take the chocolate topping “dough” out of the fridge and divide it into twelve equally-sized pieces. Roll the chocolate topping pieces into balls and then flatten the balls into very thin discs. Lay a chocolate disc on top of each shaped piece of concha dough.
Using a pizza cutter, cut a shell-shaped design into the top of each chocolate topping (see video). This design will separate and change its appearance as the sourdough conchas bake in the oven.
The Second Rise (Final Proof)
Cover the sourdough conchas with a sheet of greased plastic wrap. Let them rise at room temperature for 4-8 hours, or until the conchas are roughly doubled in size.
Baking the Sourdough Conchas
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) at least 30 minutes before you are ready to bake the conchas.
When the oven is preheated and the conchas have fully risen to double in size, slide the sheet pans into the oven and bake the conchas for 30-40 minutes at 350°F (180°C). Pull them out of the oven when the chocolate topping looks crunchy and the dough underneath is turning golden brown. Let the sourdough conchas cool on a cooling rack for 20-30 minutes, and then rip them apart and dunk them into hot coffee. Enjoy!
Sourdough Conchas
These sourdough conchas (one of Mexico’s most famous sweet breads) are made from a simple sourdough brioche dough and topped with a sugary, crunchy chocolate topping.
Ingredients
Starter Feeding
- Sourdough Starter, leftover – 25 grams
- Water – 75 grams
- Bread Flour – 75 grams
Main Dough
- Bread Flour – 450 grams
- Whole Milk – 100 grams
- Eggs – 150 grams (3 eggs)
- Sourdough Starter, active – 150 grams
- White Sugar – 40 grams
- Salt – 10 grams
- Butter, Softened – 113 grams (1/2 cup)
Chocolate Topping (La Cubierta)
- Vegetable Shortening – 120 grams (1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp)
- Powdered Sugar – 120 grams (1 cup)
- Bread Flour – 120 grams (1 cup)
- Cocoa Powder – 16 grams (2 Tbsp)
- Vanilla Extract – 4 grams (1 tsp)
Instructions
Feeding the Sourdough Starter
Take 25 grams of leftover sourdough starter out of the fridge. Feed your starter 75 grams of water and 75 grams of bread flour. Mix the flour, water, and starter around in the jar until it has a pancake batter-like consistency. Mark the top of the starter with a rubber band and cover the top of the jar loosely with a lid. Let the starter rise at room temperature overnight, for around 6-8 hours, or until it doubles in size.
Mixing the Dough and Adding the Butter
Prepare your butter ahead of time by cutting a stick of butter into small cubes. Let the butter sit out at room temperature to soften for a few hours, or overnight, before you mix your dough.
To make the dough, add the whole milk, eggs, sourdough starter, white sugar, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir thoroughly to break up the starter and the eggs. Then, add all of the bread flour.
Prepare the Dough for Butter: Using your stand mixer, mix the dough for 2-3 minutes on low speed until a rough dough forms and the dough stops sticking to the sides of the bowl. Once the dough pulls apart from the sides of the bowl, the dough is ready to accept the butter.
Add the Butter in Thirds: Add 1/3 of the softened butter to the dough and mix for 3-5 minutes on medium-low speed until all of the butter is incorporated and the butter is fully absorbed into the dough. Repeat this process two more times, adding 1/3 of the butter at a time, until the entire stick of softened butter is added to the dough. You’ll need to allow the dough to mix in the stand mixer for about five minutes each time that more butter is added. Don’t rush this process.
Develop the Gluten: Once all of the butter is absorbed into the dough, knead the dough on medium speed for 8 minutes. At the end of eight minutes, the dough should be fully developed and you should be able to perform an optional window-pane-test to ensure that the gluten is strong.
The First Rise (Bulk Fermentation)
Take the dough out of the mixing bowl and shape it into a tight ball on the counter. Transfer the dough into a glass bowl that has been greased with some butter. Cover the bowl with a lid or a sheet of plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 6-8 hours, or until doubled in size.
Cold Fermentation in the Fridge
After the dough has fully risen to double in size, move the bowl to the fridge so that the dough can develop some additional flavor during a long cold fermentation. Leave the dough to cold ferment for up to 24 hours in the fridge. The cold fermentation step is technically options; you can move on to dividing and shaping your dough directly after it has gone through the first rise.
Preparing the Chocolate Topping (La Cubierta)
Prepare the chocolate topping before you divide and shape the dough. To a mixing bowl, add the vegetable shortening, powdered sugar, bread flour, vanilla extract, and cocoa powder. Mix and squeeze the ingredients together with your hands until a solid, chocolatey dough has formed. Wrap the chocolate topping “dough” in greased plastic wrap and store it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
Dividing and Shaping
To divide and shape your sourdough conchas, take the brioche dough out of the fridge and flatten the dough into a disc on the kitchen counter. Cut the dough into twelve equally-sized pieces with a bench scraper (pieces should weigh roughly 84 grams each). Shape the pieces of dough into balls by stretching and folding them, and then roll them against the counter to smooth out the edges.
Arrange the balls of dough on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. (Twelve conchas can fit on one pan if you don’t mind them touching when they bake; use two pans if you want the conchas to remain perfectly round and separated from each other).
Take the chocolate topping “dough” out of the fridge and divide it into twelve equally-sized pieces. Roll the chocolate topping pieces into balls and then flatten the balls into very thin discs. Lay a chocolate disc on top of each shaped piece of concha dough.
Using a pizza cutter, cut a shell-shaped design into the top of each chocolate topping (see video). This design will separate and change its appearance as the sourdough conchas bake in the oven.
The Second Rise (Final Proof)
Cover the sourdough conchas with a sheet of greased plastic wrap. Let them rise at room temperature for 4-8 hours, or until the conchas are roughly doubled in size.
Baking the Sourdough Conchas
Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) at least 30 minutes before you are ready to bake the conchas.
When the oven is preheated and the conchas have fully risen to double in size, slide the sheet pans into the oven and bake the conchas for 30-40 minutes at 350°F (180°C). Pull them out of the oven when the chocolate topping looks crunchy and the dough underneath is turning golden brown. Let the sourdough conchas cool on a cooling rack for 20-30 minutes, and then rip them apart and dunk them into hot coffee. Enjoy!