Conchas, Mexican shell sweet buns
Soft, vanilla scented enriched buns with a crackled sugar shell, the classic Mexican bakery breakfast.
- Time3 hr
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.32 a head
- Oven180°C (160°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Mix the bread flour, caster sugar, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add the eggs, warm milk and vanilla and stir to a shaggy dough.
- 2
Add the soft butter in three goes, kneading each in before adding the next. Knead for 10 minutes by hand or 6 minutes in a mixer, until smooth, silky and stretchy.
10 min - 3
Cover the bowl and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour, until doubled in size.
60 min - 4
Make the topping. Beat the butter and icing sugar until pale, then work in the plain flour and vanilla to make a soft paste. Split in two and knead the cocoa into one half if you like. Roll each piece into a log, wrap and chill.
- 5
Divide the dough into 10 pieces and roll each into a smooth ball. Place well apart on two lined baking trays and brush with beaten egg. Slice thin discs of topping, press one gently onto each ball and score a shell pattern with a knife. Leave to rise for 45 minutes until puffy.
45 min - 6
Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Bake for 18 minutes, swapping the trays halfway, until golden under the shell and the buns sound hollow when tapped. Cool on a rack. They are best the same day.
18 min
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
