Conchas are a classic Mexican sweet bread, loved for their fluffy texture and sweet, crunchy topping. With Halloween coming up, I’m excited to share a festive version—Halloween Pumpkin Conchas! These treats not only taste amazing but feature a fun pumpkin design, perfect for your seasonal celebrations. Follow this simple recipe to make your own spooky conchas at home.
Ingredients
For the Dough (Yields 6 Conchas):
- Flour: 180g
- Yeast: 3.5g
- Sugar: 25g
- Egg: 1
- Vanilla: 1/4 tsp
- Milk: 45ml
- Butter: 2 tbsp
- Salt: 1/4 tsp
For the Topping:
- Flour: 75g
- Sugar: 75g
- Butter/ Vegetable Shortening: 60g (1 1/2 tbsp)
- Pumpkin Spice (optional): 1/4 tsp
- Vanilla (optional): 1/4 tsp
- Food Coloring: orange, green and black
Tools:
Instructions
1. Prepare the Dough:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, yeast, and sugar. Add the egg, vanilla, and milk, and mix until a soft dough forms, about 3-5 minutes. Incorporate the butter and salt, and knead the dough until it's smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes on medium speed). Cover the dough and let it rise for about 1 hour, or until it doubles in size.
Once the dough has risen, divide it into 6 equal parts and shape each one into a dough ball. Lightly coat the top of each dough ball with softened butter or vegetable shortening. Cover and let them rise again until doubled in size, about 1 to 1.5 hours.
2. Make the Topping:
While the dough is rising, prepare the topping. Mix the flour, sugar, vanilla extract and pumpkin spices (optional), and butter/shortening together until a dough forms. Add orange food coloring to create a pumpkin hue, green food coloring for the pumpkin stem and black food coloring for details. Mix until the colors are evenly incorporated.
3. Shape and Decorate:
Roll out the topping dough and divide it into 6 portions. Flatten each piece, place it on top of the dough balls and decorate with details. Use a pumpkin pattern concha stamp to gently press a spooky pumpkin design onto each concha.
4. Bake the Conchas:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the conchas for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Allow them to cool before serving.