How to Make the Best Conchas, the Most Stunning Mexican Pastry (According to an Expert)

They’re sweet, beautiful, and well worth the time.

If there’s one breakfast treat that TikTok creator Chanel W. knows best, it’s conchas. A quick scroll through her Tik Tok, reveals adorable Mickey-shaped Conchas, which she smartly shapes with a cookie cutter, her Fresh Cream Conchas, and my personal favorite: Crème Brûlée Conchas, which are filled with a vanilla pastry cream and drizzled with torched caramel. As you can see from Chanel’s recipes, conchas are a  delicious way to get creative in the kitchen.

Since they are such eye-catching pastries, we decided to chat with the creator herself to learn how she became fascinated with this type of pan dulce (Mexican sweet bread), the origin of conchas, their rising popularity, and her tips for making them at home.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Related:12 Traditional Mexican Dessert Recipes

Where does your passion for conchas come from?

I have fond memories of spending weekends with my grandparents and having conchas for breakfast. On weekends when I would visit them in [the Southern California city of] Anaheim,my grandpa would take me to the local panadería. I would walk straight up to the clear cases of pan dulce, and I would spend minutes contemplating which of the gorgeous conchas I wanted to take home.

When I was older, I moved to Texas and lived in a city where conchas were not common. This inspired me to start baking them on my own. It took me more than five years to develop a recipe that met my expectations and memories. To this day, I am still adjusting my recipe to get it as close to how I remember the conchas of my childhood.

What are the key ingredients in conchas?

There are two major components to conchas. The first is a soft and enriched yeasted roll made of wheat flour, eggs, some sugar, milk, and fat from either butter, shortening, or lard. The bread can be flavored with Mexican vanilla and cinnamon and is sometimes sweetened with piloncillo, which is an unrefined cane sugar that has a similar profile to brown sugar. I do believe that traditionally the bread was left unflavored, however, I have not seen a recipe for conchas that did not include some sort of flavor in the dough.

The second component of conchas is the sugar topping. The sugar topping is made up of equal parts flour, sugar and typically shortening or butter. The topping can be flavored, traditionally with vanilla, chocolate, and sometimes cinnamon. The topping lends a sweet, crumbly texture, similar to a light sugar cookie. It adds sweetness to the overall pastry as well. When you bite into a freshly baked concha, you're getting the soft texture of the pillowy, spongy bread plus the crumbly, crunchier texture of the sugar topping. While the process can take hours, from preparing the dough to making the sugar topping and designing each shell before baking, they are always worth the time and effort.

So, how long does it take to make conchas?

For an experienced baker, the concha-making process can take up to 6 hours. Preparing and kneading the dough alone can take up to an hour, and then you have 3-4 hours of resting time for the dough to rise. Making the topping and scoring each concha can take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour depending on your skill level. For home bakers, it’s a full-day process.

For beginner bakers, I encourage them to break the process into two days and allow the dough to go through an overnight rise in the fridge. Prepare the dough the first day according to the recipe, and place it into a well-oiled bowl. Cover it with plastic and place it into the fridge to rise overnight. The next day, remove the dough from the fridge and shape it. The cold dough will be much easier to handle, and the flavor will improve as the dough ferments in the fridge. Allow the dough to come to room temperature and rise a second time, and proceed with topping the dough and scoring it per the recipe.

Where did the concha originate?

Many articles explain the origin of the concha as being similar to brioche or challah dough, owing to French bakers moving to Mexico and opening bakeries during the 17th century. Others believe that conchas were developed somewhat later—around the 19th century—when a baker decided to score the top of the streusel to resemble a seashell (concha is Spanish for seashell). Traditionally, conchas are dipped into hot beverages at breakfast time; the drier texture of the bread is perfect for soaking up hot coffee and hot chocolate.

Related:15 Mexican Pastry Recipes to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

Why do you think conchas are becoming more popular today?

Because conchas have always been a huge part of my life, it took me a while to notice they were becoming increasingly popular in the States. I think bakers and chefs have begun experimenting with conchas, pushing them beyond the staple breakfast pastry category. Conchas are versatile when it comes to flavor, design, and structure. Many panaderías sell conchas stuffed with fresh berries, cream, and Nutella, also known as Conchas Rellenas. You can stuff them with ice cream, decorate the streusel to represent little characters (like Sanrio or Disney), and infuse the topping with a variety of flavors, such as matcha or black sesame. The possibilities are pretty much endless, which alone is an inspiration for creativity to grow amongst concha bakers.

What advice do you have for beginners who want to try making conchas?

1. Use a stand mixer if possible: Concha dough is enriched with butter, eggs, and milk, so mixing by hand can be tedious because the dough is wet and sticky. If you are mixing by hand, oil your surface and hands rather than adding flour to prevent sticking, that way you're not adding too much flour to the dough. If too much flour is added, the conchas can become dense and dry as they bake.

2. Weigh your ingredients: If you plan to make conchas regularly, I highly suggest investing in a kitchen scale. It makes all the difference, and you'll yield consistently soft and tender conchas. You don’t have to worry about packing too much flour, which can result in denser and drier bread.

3. Be precise when scoring: When scoring the conchas, be sure to only score the topping and not the dough. Press gently so you don’t penetrate too deep. Use a small, sharp paring knife and clean it between uses so the cuts stay sharp and clean.

Get golden-brown conchas with the double-panning method: If your conchas are browning too quickly, use the double-panning method to prevent overcooked bottoms (and look into purchasing an oven thermometer to check for any hot spots!) Bake the conchas on two stacked baking sheets rather than one to slow down the heating process. This will result in perfectly golden-brown conchas.

Besides tips, what else should we know about conchas?

Conchas are delicate and beautiful, and they have to be made with love. They are a pastry that requires practice, patience, and a bit of technique, but they are very rewarding. The process is always an experience no matter how many times I make them.