Bread & BakingMedium

Conchas (Mexican Sweet Bread)

Name: Conchas (Mexican Sweet Bread)
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 58 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 120 g Sugar; 120 g Icing sugar for the crust; 1 tsp Esencia de Vanilla; 500 g Plain flour; 120 g Flour for the crust; 3 Eggs; 120 ml Lukewarm milk; 7 g Levadura seca; 80 g Vegetable shortening for the crust; 80 g Butter suavizada; 0.5 tsp Salt

4.0(1 rating)

58 min (40 prep + 18 cook) Medium 12 servings Nacional

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 20 Mar 2026 · Updated: 22 Jun 2026

Iconic Mexican sweet bread with a crunchy sugar shell shaped like a seashell. The quintessential bakery bread of Mexico.

About this recipe

Conchas are Mexico's most popular sweet bread, featuring a soft brioche-like base covered with a crunchy shell of shortening, sugar and flour scored in a seashell pattern.

History & Origin

Conchas are undoubtedly the most emblematic and consumed sweet bread in Mexico, instantly recognisable by their decorative crust that simulates the lines of a seashell. Their origin dates back to the 19th century, when Mexican bakery experienced its golden age fusing French techniques with local ingredients. During the Porfiriato (1876-1911), Mexico invited French bakers to modernise the bakery industry. Mexican bakers adapted their techniques to create something entirely new. The concha is a perfect example of this fusion. The decoration of the crust is done with a special mould that presses the concentric lines. The two classic versions are vanilla (white or pink crust) and chocolate (brown crust), though today there are many variants. In Mexico, the concha is much more than a bread: it is a ritual. It is eaten in the morning with milky coffee, in the afternoon as a snack, or at night with warm milk. The act of going to the bakery to choose your sweet bread with metal tongs is a cultural experience every Mexican knows.

Estimated cost

£7.20

Total cost

£0.60

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

310

Calories

Protein

46g

Carbohydrates

12g

Fat

Fibre

180mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Dissolve the levadura in the milk warm with a tablespoon of sugar. Leave to rest 10 minutes until espume.
2
Mix the flour, the sugar and the salt. Add the eggs, the vanilla and the mixture of levadura. Knead 10 minutes until you get a dough elástica. Fold in the butter little by little.
💡 La dough should be soft, elástica and despegarse of the hands. Knead with paciencia.
3
Shape a ball, cubre with a trapo damp and deja leudar 1 hour in a lugar cálido until duplique its size.
4
For the topping (costra): mix the vegetable shortening with the icing sugar and the flour until you have a smooth paste. Divide into 12 small balls.
5
Knock back the dough and divide it into 12 equal portions. Shape into smooth balls and place on a greased baking tray.
6
Flatten each ball of topping between two sheets of plastic and place one on each bun. Using a concha mould or a knife, mark the classic shell-line pattern.
7
Leave to prove for 30 more minutes. Bake at 180°C for 15-18 minutes until the topping is firm and the bun golden.

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Edmond Bojalil

Founder, Recetas Mexas

Mexican from Puebla, IT professional and foodie. Author of 1000+ authentic Mexican recipes adapted for home kitchens worldwide. Based in Madrid since 2018.