Conchas

Conchas, a beautiful and tasty pastry with a sugar dough on top, what could be better than that!
Originating from Mexico the colonial era when the French were bringing over things like brioche and baguettes. With its colorful shell like sugar topping and semi sweet bread it is truly wonderful

For the dough:
1 cup Whole Milk divided
3 Teaspoons Dry Active Yeast
5 1/3 cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 Teaspoon Salt
5 Large Eggs cracked into a small bowl
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Paste
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter room temperature

For the sugar:
2 1/4 cup Flour
1 3/4 cup Powdered Sugar sifted
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Good Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Paste
1 cup Vegetable Shortening cubed

Warm 1/4 of your milk in a microwave safe cup and warm it up in ten second increments, make sure it isn’t super hot or it will kill your yeast.
Put your warm milk in a a mixing bowl and add your yeast and a pinch of sugar. Wait fifteen minutes or until yeast is bubbly.

While your yeast proofs mix together flour, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl

Once yeast has proofed add the rest of the milk, use the stand mixer on low with hook attachment ,mix together eggs and vanilla. Add your flour mixture in a little at a time until homogeneous, once all flour is added add the butter.

turn your mixer to high and knead for roughly five minutes. Then put your dough into large greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap, then put into a warm dark place for a hour and a half

In a large bowl mix together powdered sugar, baking powder, and salt. Then add your vanilla and vegetable shortening, use your hands to work it together. It should have a crumbly play dough consistency. Add your gel coloring in now and work it in with your hands. Leave your sugar topping in room temperature

Once your dough has risen punch it down, be sure to grease your hands and flour your workspace. Cut your dough into 12 different pieces and tuck the corners into a ball.

Lay your balls of dough onto a parchment paper lined baking tray and tear the sugar into smaller balls, roll them out and place them on the dough balls

Cut the sugar in a curved line. Then put a towel over the Conchas and let them rise for another 20-30 minutes

Once done with their second rise place them in a preheated 350 degree over for About fifteen to twenty minutes or until the sides are light golden brown. Let them rest for 15 minutes and then serve warm.