Pumpkin Conchas
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. Because of this we would visit the Mexican bakery a lot when I was a kid. I grew up eating conchas all the time. I liked the vanilla one better. Sometimes I 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!
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!
Pumpkin Conchas
Equipment
- Mixer
- Bowl
- Baking sheet
- Kitchen scale
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
- 4 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 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!
