Conchas: ℌ𝔞𝔩𝔩𝔬𝔴𝔢𝔢𝔫 𝔒𝔯𝔢𝔬

𝔚𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔡𝔰𝔱 𝔱𝔥𝔬𝔲 𝔩𝔦𝔨𝔢 𝔱𝔬 𝔏𝔦𝔳𝔢 𝔐á𝔰?

I know I don’t talk about myself and my own personal interests too often (and that’s my bad), but one thing you should absolutely know about me is that I love Halloween. I am a spooky, spooky girl.

I am that one coworker who requests days off just to celebrate.

So yeah, I’m absolutely gonna share a recipe for spooky conchas because they’re fun, and I hope you make them, share them with friends and have a hella scary time watching movies, dressing up, dancing with the dead, etc.

These conchas are like big, fluffy Oreo pan dulce. If you’ve never baked using black cocoa, it’s basically the same cocoa powder base used for Oreo cookies. It’s dark, it’s distinct - I cannot hide my excitement for how delicious it is. Black cocoa will elevate literally any chocolate recipe, it’s absolutely worth buying

Black cocoa can be purchased online - check Amazon for quick shipping!

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HALLOWEEN OREO CONCHAS

Makes: 12 conchas | Cook Time: 48 minutes | Chill Time: 6-12 hours (overnight)

concha dough (45 minute prep)

• 450 grams bread flour

• 50 grams black cocoa powder

• 30 grams milk powder optional

• 100 grams light brown sugar

• 1 tsp. kosher salt

• ¾ tsp. ground cinnamon (Ceylon preferred)

• 180 ml whole milk plus 1 teaspoon honey (or sugar) warmed to 100-110 F

• 13 grams active dry yeast

• 3 large eggs 150 grams

• 165 grams salted butter cold and cubed

concha topping (pasta; 15 minute prep)

orange pasta

• 60 grams shortening

• 60 grams confectioners’ sugar

• 60 grams flour all purpose or bread

• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

• pinch of salt

• orange gel color

black cocoa pasta

• 60 grams shortening

• 50 grams confectioners’ sugar

• 10 grams black cocoa

• 60 grams flour all purpose or bread

• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

• pinch of salt

• black gel color optional

cookies

• 12 Halloween Oreos

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

• 1 stand mixer w/ dough hook attachment

• 1 concha stamp or small paring knife

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INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare the Concha Dough

1. Warm the whole milk and honey to 100-110 F. Add the yeast and allow to activate for at least 5 minutes. If you don’t have a thermometer, the temp. of the milk should be just warm to the touch, not hot.

2. To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the bread flower, milk powder, black cocoa powder, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Whisk until fully combined.

3. Make a well at the center of the flour mix and add in the yeast and milk mixture, eggs and cold, cubed butter.

4. Attach the bowl to the stand mixer and knead using a dough hook at medium speed (I alternate between speeds 4-5) until a soft, supple dough forms and pulls cleanly from the sides. This can take up to 30 minutes, sometimes 40 if you live in a warmer place like me.

Tip: Resist the urge to add extra flour to the dough as it kneads. At first, the dough is going to look way too wet and weird and you’re gonna be like “ahhhhh this isn’t right”. But it is! However, if your dough has been mixing for at least 15 minutes, and you’re not noticing any stretch beginning to form, I suggest adding 1 tablespoon of flour, but NO MORE THAN 2 TABLESPOONS. Trust me, I’m a very impatient aries but good bread takes time, so let it do it’s thing and trust the process.

5. Move the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and allow it to rise in a warm place for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until about doubled (from my experience, chocolate dough can take a little longer to rise, so don’t feel discouraged if the process takes a little longer compared to traditional dough).

6. Press the air out of the risen dough and cover securely with plastic wrap. Place the dough into the fridge for 12 hours for an overnight proof. Buenas noches.

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Next Day: Shape the Dough

1. Lightly oil a clean surface or dough mat, and turn the cold concha dough out straight from the fridge, pressing the dough down gently to expel any air.

2. Cut the dough into 12 pieces, weighing roughly 90-95 grams each. Roll the pieces into balls and place them onto two parchment lined 13 x 18” sheet pans, seam side down. You can fit 6 dough balls onto each sheet (and here’s a demonstration video if you’ve never rolled dough before).

3. Be mindful-the dough is cold, so it may require some massaging between the hands before rolling. Press the dough into the surface of your counter using your palm a few times to make it more pliable(?), then roll.

4. Cover the dough balls loosely and allow the dough to rest and come to room temperature (about 45 minutes to an hour) while preparing the topping (pasta).

Prepare the Topping (pasta)

Orange Pasta-

1. To a bowl or stand mixer bowl, combine the shortening, flour, a pinch of salt and confectioners’ sugar. Combine using a large rubber spatula or paddle attachment (on low speed) until a shaggy dough forms.

2. Add in the vanilla extract at this stage, followed by a drop or two of orange gel color. Adjust as needed to your liking.

3. As the mixture comes together, remove the pasta and massage it between your hands, kneading until smooth. The warmth of your hands will help the flour absorb the shortening.

4. Cover in plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature.

Black Pasta-

1. Just as the previous steps, combine shortening, flour, black cocoa powder, a pinch of salt and confectioners’ sugar in a bowl or stand mixer bowl. Combine well util a shaggy dough forms, using either a rubber spatula or paddle attachment.

2. Add in the pure vanilla extract, followed by a drop or two of black gel color.

3. As the mixture comes together, remove the pasta and massage it between your hands, kneading until smooth. The warmth of your hands will help the flour absorb the shortening.

4. Cover in plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature.

Pasta tip: If your pasta is too dry or crumbly, adjust with a little more vanilla extract or shortening. You can also add more food color in this case. Massage the dough between your hands to warm up the shortening and help everting incorporate. Once it’s smooth and no longer cracks, it’s ready for baking.

Stuff the Conchas

1. To stuff the conchas with oreos, grab a dough ball and flip it upside down. Use your fingers to tear and pull the underside apart to create a crevice.

2. Place an Oreo cookie right into the center of the crevice.

3. Gently pull the dough back over the cookie and pinch the seam back together.

4. You can re-roll the dough at this point, or just secure the seam tightly and place it back onto the sheet tray, seam-side down.

5. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Assemble the Conchas

1. Separate the pasta into 12 equal-sized pieces, 6 pieces per color. Each piece should weigh roughly 30 grams each.

2. Roll each piece between your hands to form a smooth ball.

3. Press each piece of pasta between two pieces of plastic wrap using anything with a flat bottom, such as a cake pan, tortilla press of a heavy book (my personal favorite). Flatten each piece until they’re roughly 4-4.5 inches in diameter and thin.

4. Gently remove the top layer of plastic wrap, and drape the topping onto the concha dough, pressing down onto the dough a little to secure it.

5. Repeat until all the dough has been topped.

6. Using a concha stamp dipped in flour (or a smooth paring knife), score each concha with a seashell design. Be sure to not press too hard - only penetrate the topping, not the dough.

Paring Knife Tip: If using the paring knife method, create the first line at the center of the concha. Drag the knife from the top down gently, and taper it slightly as you approach the bottom (like the inner curve of a crescent moon). Repeat 2-3 more lines on either side of the middle line, curving in the same direction.

7. Once all the conchas have been scored, cover them again and allow them to rise for another hour, or until the dough is visibly large and the concha topping has begun to separate (this may take up to 2 hours).

Bake the Conchas

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F/165 C for 30 minutes.

2. Bake each tray of conchas one at a time for a total of 24 minutes or until domed and fully baked, depending on your oven. Rotate the tray at the 12 minute mark for even baking.

3. Allow the conchas to cool on a wire rack for about 15-20 minutes before enjoying.

I hope you all have a hella spooky time making these conchas.

Channey <3