National Culinary Review May/June 2024

A deep dive on how one ACF pastry chef prepares this Latin American breakfast fave // By Robert Wemischner

What’s tender, somewhat sweet and has a shell resembling that of a tortoise? If you answered concha (meaning “shell” in Spanish), you hit the breakfast pastry jackpot. These ubiquitous sweet rolls, with their origins in Mexico, are found throughout North, Central and South America. Though eaten any time of day, these buns, part of the pan dulce category, are most commonly enjoyed as morning treats and have evolved to feature locally grown whole grains and even sourdough.

Concha dough resembles a French brioche, but the distinguishing difference is a cap on top called la pasta, which itself is in the rich cookie dough family and is traditionally made with sugar, flour and some sort of fat, often lard in Mexican versions. Some say conchas are a holdover from the French bakers who came to Mexico in the early to mid-19th century and often made choux sable, in which pâte à choux dough (eclair paste) is topped with a thin sheet of sweet dough before baking. In the case of the leavened conchas, the design cut into the top dough

ACF Chef David Carachure, executive chef, Center Stage Catering, Rocky Mount, Va., demonstrates how to make Mexican concha (credit: Eli Schopp).

From top left: Step 1) make the concha dough, proof until doubled in size, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight; Step 2) divide dough into 2-ounce pieces and roll into balls; Step 3) make concha topping and flatten between plastic sheets using a tortilla press; Step 4) Place flattened toppings on top of each dough ball and score to resemble a seashell design, then bake until golden brown (credit: Eli Schopp).

becomes more defined as the roll expands during baking. Another explanation posits that in the earlier days with adobe ovens, the top dough protected the roll from drying out in the intense and often uncontrollable heat.

ACF Chef David Carachure , executive chef at Center Stage Catering in Rocky Mount, Va., calls upon his heritage when making his favorite conchas (his parents are from the Mexican states of Guerrero and Oaxaca) — but adds his own twists. “I love to use canela, the Mexican cinnamon, Abuelita chocolate and freeze-dried strawberries,” he says. “Although concha cutters with seashell or tortoise designs are commonly used, I also like to incise the topping by hand for a truly artisanal touch.”

For ease of handling and best flavor development, Chef Carachure makes the base dough the day before

baking, allowing for a bulk fermentation overnight in the refrigerator. To give the topping a bit of lift and lighter texture, he includes a small amount of baking powder. This mixture is pre-portioned and rolled into small balls and then flattened using a tortilla press. The topping part is then draped over the dough balls, which are then given a final proof before baking.

“Although freshly baked are best, as they stale slightly even hours after baking, they can be refreshed with a quick dip into a beverage accompaniment,” says Chef Carachure, who prefers to dip his conchas in atole, a masa-based beverage sweetened with cane sugar (piloncillo), vanilla and cinnamon that’s called champurrado when Mexican chocolate is added. Breakfast of champions, indeed.

For Chef Carachure’s concha recipe, visit acfchefs.org/recipes .