If you've been inside a Mexican supermarket you've probably seen Conchas, a sweet brioche bread with a crunchy streusel topping, in the bakery section. I'd never eaten them before but was always intrigued by the beautiful shell colors of the buns. It wasn't until I saw Thida Bevington give A Cozy Kitchen's recipe a try did I feel compelled to make them myself.
Admittedly, the first batch of conchas I made did not impress me at all. Granted, they looked fantastic, and even authentic I would say, but the taste wasn't to my liking. The bread itself was too dough-y and felt quite dry. I was in search of the light and fluffy interior that you would get from breads made using tangzhong, a water roux.
On my second attempt I swapped out the dough for the pineapple bun (bolo bao) recipe from Cook's Illustrated. Eureka! The conchas came out fantastic! Purists, pardon this blasphemous variation but I challenge you to have a taste and tell me they buns aren't amazing!
