In the Nicaraguan culture, we don’t really have many sweet breads. We have a few great desserts, don’t get me wrong, but not as many to choose from like they do in other parts of Latin America. Because of this we would visit the Mexican bakery a lot when I was a kid and so I grew up eating conchas all the time. I liked the vanilla one better. I also would sometimes get those large sprinkle or chocolate chip cookies. I loved those because they tasted like almond and were a bit drier than normal cookies, but I digress. Whenever I visit the Mexican market near me, I still treat myself by getting a pan dulce. I wanted to create a version of them for my blog but give them a seasonal twist. These Pumpkin Conchas are soft, slightly sweet and actually so much fun to make. Homemade pumpkin sweet dough (basically just pumpkin cinnamon roll dough) topped with a pumpkin spice sugar crust. It’s my new favorite concha flavor and I think it just might be yours as well!
In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 5 1/2 cups of the flour, brown sugar, salt, pumpkin pie spice and yeast. Mix until evenly distributed.
**Tip: I like to use instant yeast because you don’t have to “bloom” it in warm water first the way you do with active dry yeast. It makes making bread a lot easier! But if all you have is active dry yeast, bloom it in the warm water (with a pinch of sugar) first until foamy. Then proceed as directed.**
Add in the warmed water, milk, eggs, pumpkin and softened butter. Mix with the dough hook attachment until well combined and the dough begins to come together. Add as much of the remaining flour as needed to form a smooth and somewhat sticky dough, that pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
**Note: Although we don’t have to bloom the yeast, I still recommend warming up the water and milk because the dough will just come together easier if the liquid ingredients aren’t cold. The butter won’t work into the dough if it is cold, so make sure it is softened.**
Knead on high for about 8 to 10 minutes to create a soft dough. It’ll still be slightly sticky. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel. Set in warm spot and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
**Tip: I like to place it in the oven (turned off, of course) with the light on. The light will create enough ambient warmth, making the perfect environment for the dough to rise.**
Punch the dough down to release the air and then transfer to a well-floured work surface. Cut into twelve even pieces, each weighing about 130 grams. Working with one piece at a time, roll into a tight smooth ball.
**Tip: It might be easier to roll on a less floured part of the work surface at this point. Use a bench scraper to move the flour to one side and then roll on the cleared surface. Add in a bit of flour at a time as needed.**
Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Allow enough space in between each for rising, six to a baking sheet will do. Continue to roll the dough until they’re all shaped. Cover each baking sheet loosely with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel. Let rest for 30 minutes.
**Tip: I love using my digital kitchen scale for this because it ensures that all of the conchas are the same size. If you don’t have a scale, you can just eye ball the pieces. To do this easily, I like to cut the dough in half, then each half in half, then each half into thirds. That way you’ll end up with 12 pieces of dough that are roughly the same size!**
While the dough is rising, make the topping! Beat the shortening, powdered sugar and vanilla until fluffy.
**Note: You can do this by hand, or with a stand mixer or even a hand mixer if you have it. By hand wouldn’t be that hard, especially since its not all that much dough to mix.**
Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice and salt and stir until combined. It might look like coarse sand and it might not come together right away but you ca use your hands to knead it into a smooth dough.
Roll out on a floured work surface to about 1/4-inch thick. Use a 4-inch round cookie cutter to cut out circles. Then use a sharp pairing knife to score lines on top. Also do not be scared or nervous. It’s a finicky dough but you’d be surprised by how sturdy it can be. Man handle it if you want to.
**Note: Make sure you *just* score the top and do not cut all the way through. If you cut all the way through the topping will separate too much and might fall off during baking as the rolls rise.**
**Tip: Some people also find it easier to skip out the rolling out and cutting part. You can divide the topping dough into twelve equal pieces and then roll out each piece into a round circle, freehand. Score and place on top as directed.**
Place a circle top onto each risen dough. Rework the topping and re-roll as needed to cover each roll. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven until lightly golden brown around the edges, about 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheets to room temperature before serving. Although they taste delicious warm, they should cool down completely because it’ll allow the bread’s texture to be just right.
Conchas are best if eaten the day of, but if you have any leftovers, make sure to store them in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 2 days. The longer they sit the drier they’ll get, but that just makes them perfect for dipping into coffee or hot cocoa.
If you want to make the topping chocolate flavored, you can reduce the flour by 2 tablespoons and then add in 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder instead! Pumpkin and chocolate go hand in hand!
If you’ve never had conchas before, you’ve been missing out, but now is the time to change that. This recipe might seem a bit complicated, but honestly it’s no more labor intensive than cinnamon rolls. This is actually just my dough recipe from the pumpkin sugar buns (swapped out granulated sugar for brown sugar instead). It’s a great weekend baking project and so I hope you’ll give it a try soon! Let me know what you think below. Stay safe out there, my friends.
Pumpkin Conchas
Ingredients
Dough:
- ½ cup warm water about 105 to 115 degrees
- ½ cup milk warmed
- 1 cup pumpkin purée
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- ¼ cup softened unsalted butter diced
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 2 1/4-ounce (about 4 1/2 teaspoons) packets instant yeast
- 5½ to 6 cups all-purpose flour
Topping:
- ½ cup vegetable shortening
- ½ cup powdered confectioner’s sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- To make the dough, in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, milk, pumpkin, eggs, butter, sugar, salt, pumpkin pie spice, yeast, and 5 1/2 cups of the flour. Mix with the dough hook attachment until well combined and the dough begins to come together. Add as much of the remaining flour as needed to form a smooth and somewhat sticky dough, that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Knead on high for about 8 to 10 minutes to create a soft dough. It'll still be slightly sticky. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel. Set in warm spot and allow to rest until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
- Punch the dough down to release the air and then transfer to a well-floured work surface. Cut into twelve even pieces, each weighing about 130 grams. Working with one piece at a time, roll into a tight smooth ball. It might be easier to roll on a less floured part of the work surface at this point. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Allow enough space in between each for rising, six to a baking sheet will do. Continue to roll the dough until they're all shaped. Cover each baking sheet loosely with plastic wrap and a damp kitchen towel. Let rest for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- To make the topping, beat the shortening, powdered sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Add the flour, pumpkin spice and salt and stir until combined. Use your hands to knead into a smooth dough. Roll out on a lightly floured work surface to about 1/4-inch thick. Use a 4-inch round cookie cutter to cut out circles. Then use a sharp pairing knife to score lines on top. Just score and do not cut all the way through. Place a circle top onto each risen dough. Rework the topping and re-roll as needed to cover each roll. Bake until lightly golden brown around the edges, about 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheets before serving. Enjoy!
Thanks for posting this recipe. I made these this morning, they turned out great and taste wonderful. I did have to make another half batch of topping to have enough even though I rolled it 1/4”:thick. I am looking forward to topping my next batch of Conchas with chocolate like you mentioned.
these are fun, love the texture too, and pumpkin spice sugar crust, wonderful, thank you!