Lemon Blueberry Conchas

Innovative Spin on Mexico's beloved concha with a guaranteed softness for days!

Ok wait, before anyone hates me for tampering with one of Mexico’s beloved and treasured sweet breads, hear me out. I have nothing against the classic chocolate or vanilla concha. This lemon blueberry concha is so fragrant. The tang from the blueberries and lemon zest pair perfectly with the sweet top crust. The bread itself is soft and buttery, beckoning for a second concha and a third…until all that's left are the streusel crumbs you are picking up one moist finger at a time.

Soft and Fluffy lemon blueberry conchas with a crisp, sweet crust. — Lemon Blueberry Conchas

If you love lemon and blueberries, try my Lemon Blueberry Scones!

Any tips?

‍Tangzhong method: This ensures that the conchas stay soft for DAYS! Its really easy and only takes a couple of minutes at most. So, please don't skip this step. Also this specific recipe is designed specifically for this method.
Streusel Crust: I have learned the hard way. Use shortening instead of butter for the topping. Butter has a higher melting point so it will spread more, leaving you with a thinner top crust. So if you want beautiful, thick, crispy tops stick to shortening. Also, I used a kettle lid to mark the tops. When marking the design, DO NOT GO DEEP. A light indentation will do. Going deep makes the crust crack and fall apart more easily.
‍Yeast: liquids too hot can kill the yeast. Warm water between 120-130 F is good. Perhaps use a thermometer for the first time, just to know what 120F feels like. It feels warm enough for a finger to be in 3 seconds, but everyone has a different tolerance to heat. If the water is too hot to touch then it's definitely too hot for the yeast.

Any Tools?

Stand mixer with a dough hook or your hands.

Something to mark the tops. A kettle lid works great! Or a metal cup with a thin edge. Or a straight up knife.

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Lemon Blueberry Conchas

Soft, fluffy, buttery bread with the tang of lemon zest and blueberries pair perfectly with the sweet, crispy, purple crust.

Serves

8 conchas

Total Time: 2 ½ hrs

Ingredients

Bread

210 grams (1 ¾ cup) All Purpose Flour

60 grams (¼ cup) Sugar

1 egg

66 grams (¼ cup; ½ stick) Butter (room temp)

120 grams (½ cup) Milk

½ packet (1 teaspoon) instant Yeast

½ teaspoon Salt

½ teaspoon Vanilla

Zest of 2 lemons

⅓ cup of Blueberries (precisely 32 berries)

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Topping

50 grams Shortening

50 grams powdered Sugar

60 grams All purpose Flour

½ teaspoon Vanilla

Blue gel food coloring

Red gel food coloring

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Technique

Proof yeast by adding to a ¼ cup of warm milk w/ 1 teaspoon of sugar. If the yeast does not puff up then start again.
Take 1 ½ Tablespoons of flour from the Bread ingredients and the remaining ¼ cup of milk and put them in a small saucepan on medium heat. Stir constantly till a thick paste forms.
Add paste to a mixing bowl with sugar, proofed yeast milk, and butter. Stir to cool.
Add egg and vanilla. Stir.
Add the rest of the flour and lemon zest. Use a mixer with a dough hook to mix for 6 minutes. Alternatively, you can knead bread by hand on a clean surface with extra flour. It will take longer, perhaps 10 min.
Add Salt. Continue to mix for 2 more minutes until dough is no longer sticking but pulling apart from the sides.
Remove dough and knead by hand on a surface with flour. Here you can feel the dough. It should be soft and sticks just slightly.
Put in a bowl that has been greased with butter.
Proof in a warm area for 1 ½-2 hrs, depending on the warmth, till doubled in size. 1hr is enough for an oven with a proof setting.
In the meantime, make topping by creaming shortening with powdered sugar. Gradually add flour.
Add gel food coloring till desired color. I did increments of 1 red drop per 2 blue drops.
Divide the topping into 8 balls and flatten into discs.
Once bread is proofed add blueberries and divide into eight 70 gram balls.
Butter the tops of the bread and place the purple discs on top.
Mark the tops like the indentations of a shell. Or whatever the Picasso in you wants to do.
Proof for another 45 minutes - 1hr.
Bake at 325F for 22-25 min.

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Updated

December 7, 2022