Air Fryer Conchas
Description
These air fryer conchas are soft, fluffy Mexican pan dulce with a crisp, sugary shell topping. Made from scratch and baked at 320°F, they're perfect with coffee or hot chocolate.
Ingredients
Concha dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, 360 g
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 100 g
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, 113 g
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup milk, 120 ml whole milk, warmed to 105–110°F, plus 1–2 tablespoons if the dough is stiff
- 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast, 7 g, 1 packet active dry yeast
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Concha topping
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 60 g
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 60 g
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened, 57 g
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gel food coloring, optional
Instructions
- Stir the yeast and a pinch of the sugar into the warm milk. Let stand 5–10 minutes, until foamy.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and remaining sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
- Add the yeast mixture, then the flour and salt. Mix until a dough forms, then knead 8–10 minutes by hand or 5–6 minutes in a stand mixer with the dough hook, until smooth and slightly tacky.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot 1–1 1/2 hours, until doubled.
- Punch down the dough and divide into 8 equal pieces, about 100 g each. Shape into smooth balls and set each on a parchment square cut to fit your air fryer basket.
- For the topping, mix the flour, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla into a smooth paste. Tint portions with gel coloring if desired.
- Divide the topping into 8 pieces. Press or roll each into a 1/8-inch-thick round, wide enough to cover the top of a dough ball.
- Flatten each dough ball slightly. Press a topping round firmly on top, then score a shell pattern into the topping only.
- Cover loosely and let rise 45 minutes–1 hour, until puffy. Refrigerate any that won't fit in the first batch for the last 15 minutes.
- Preheat the air fryer to 320°F for 3 minutes. Place 3–4 conchas in the basket on their parchment, 1 inch apart.
- Air fry 10–13 minutes, until the bottoms are golden and the center reads 190°F. Tent loosely with foil if the tops darken early.
- Cool on a wire rack at least 10 minutes. Repeat with the remaining conchas.
Equipment
- Air fryer (5-quart or larger)
- Kitchen scale
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Stand mixer with dough hook (optional)
- Plastic wrap
- Parchment Paper
- Small rolling pin
- Paring knife or concha cutter
- Instant-read thermometer
- Wire cooling rack
Notes
- ir fryer size: Most 5- to 6-quart baskets fit 3–4 conchas at a time.
- Instant yeast: Use the same amount and mix it straight into the flour; skip step 1 and add the milk with the eggs.
- Chocolate topping: Replace 2 tablespoons of the topping flour with unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Make ahead: Refrigerate the dough overnight after the first rise. Rest 30 minutes at room temperature before shaping.
- Storage: Airtight at room temperature up to 2 days, or frozen up to 2 months. Reheat at 300°F for 2–3 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ServingCalories: 453kcalCarbohydrates: 68gProtein: 13gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 320mgPotassium: 244mgFiber: 3gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 92IUVitamin C: 0.003mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 3mg