Chocolate Conchas

Another Saturday, another King Arthur's ExtraOrdinary Bread recipe to try. I made the chocolate version of their Cinnamon Conchas.

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 1/4 cup (59g) warm water
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 8 ounces sourdough starter (or 4 ounces water and 8 ounces (120g) all-purpose flour)
• 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, white reserved
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (99g) granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons (43g) butter, softened
• 1 1/4 teaspoons (8g) salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2.75 cups (330g) all-purpose flour

Topping:

• 1/2 cup (99g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 5 tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, softened
• 3 tablespoon cocoa powder (optional)
• 2/3 cup (78g) all-purpose flour



• 1 egg white (reserved from above)

Instructions:

1. To make the dough: Add water, yeast, and the sourdough starter into your bread machine bowl while you weight out rest of the ingredients.
2. Add the rest of the dough ingredients in the order recommended for your bread machine.
   (I put the wet ones in first.)
3. Let the bread machine knead and proof the dough on the dough cycle. It will form a very sticky, squishy dough. The dough will not clean the sides of the bowl as dough for even brioche dough will.
   
   
4. To make the topping: Mix the sugar, salt, cinnamon, cocoa, and softened butter together until smooth.
   (I used my small stand mixer bowl.)
   
   
5. Do NOT use the egg white in the topping!
   
6. Add in the flour in two additions, mixing to make a thick cookie-batter like dough.
   
   
7. To prepare the rolls: After the dough cycle ends, transfer the dough to a floured work surface.
8. Divide the dough into 15 pieces (about 59g each).
9. Roll each piece into a ball, and space on a Silpat or parchment-lined baking half-baking sheet.
10. Divide the topping into 15 portions (about 19g each).
11. Roll the topping pieces into a small bowl, then flatten each small ball into a 3" disk by squishing between plastic wrap with your fingers or a small bowl.




12. Lightly beat the reserved egg white. Brush the top of each shaped roll with some of the beaten white, then drape with one of the topping disks.
    
    
    
    
13. Use a sharp knife to cut designs into the topping disks, but do not cut into the dough ball.
    
    
    
    
14. Let the rolls rise for 30 to 45 minutes, covered in plastic wrap, until they're noticeably puffy.
15. Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the center near the end of the rising time.
16. Bake the rolls for 20 to 24 minutes, until the dough part is golden brown and the topping is fairly firm.
17. Remove the pan from the oven, and let rest on a wire rack until the conches are cool enough to handle.
18. Store well wrapped for three days at room temperature; freeze for up to a month.

 

Carole's Notes:

We liked this!

The recipe is light adapted from https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/recipes/cinnamon-conchas-recipe