Cocoa Concha
Part 1: Sponge
Ingredients
Method- 398g Whole Milk (heated to 32°C)
- 235g Bread Flour
- 8g Instant Yeast
- 8g Honey
- 20g Crimson Red Cocoa Powder
- 20g Carbon Black Cocoa Powder
- Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix for about 2 minutes. Mixture should be smooth and should have developed some gluten.
- Cover tight with plastic wrap and proof for about 30 minutes in a warm spot. Should double in size.
Part 2: Concha Topping
Ingredients
Method- 270g All Purpose Flour
- 200g Powdered Sugar
- 64g Butter (room temp.)
- 150g Vegetable Shortening
- 20g Vanilla Paste or Extract
- 48g Crimson Red Cocoa Powder
- Cream the butter and shortening until smooth.
- Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Cream until smooth.
- Add in the flour and cocoa powder and mix until even.
- Spread the mixture out between two sheets of parchment to a ¼ cm thick.
- Using a cookie cutter, cut rounds into the rolled out dough. Freeze. Cookie cutter size should be ¼ cm bigger than the dough itself when pressed down.
- Once set, you will be able to pop out the circles much easier. Reserve and keep chilled until ready for use. Scraps can be re rolled.
Part 3: Final Dough
Ingredients
Method- 100g Whole Eggs (room temp.)
- Sponge (see previous section)
- 250g Bread Flour
- 160g Sugar, Granulated
- 10g Salt
- 115g Butter (room temp.)
- Combine the entire sponge with the eggs, flour, salt and sugar, in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook.
- Mix on medium speed for about 10 minutes. Scrape the hook and bowl frequently.
- Mix until almost full gluten development. Dough should begin to pull from the sides of the bowl.
- At this point, add in the butter in three parts, a few pieces at a time.
- Once all of the butter is in, mix to full gluten development. You are looking for a smooth texture, slightly tacky, but does not stick to your fingers when touched, and pulls entirely away from the bottom of the bowl.
- Knead the dough by hand on the counter top to even it out. Place the dough in a greased bowl to proof, covered with plastic wrap. It should double in size, about 1 hour.
- Punch the dough down and portion to 55 grams.
- Roll each portion into rounds. Place each piece onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Spacing them about 3 inches apart. 8 pieces per half sheet.
- Cover the trays tight with plastic wrap and chill for about an hour. This step will help relax the dough.
- Pull the dough out and press down to flatten to about 6 cm wide.
- Place a round of the concha topping on top of the dough and press to adhere, down the sides as well.
- Using a round cookie cutter, gently press it through the topping starting at one end. Use enough pressure to cut through the topping, but not the dough.
- Pre heat the oven to 205°C
- Cover with plastic and proof for another hour. Conchas are ready when doubled in size and jiggle when the tray is gently shaken.
- Place the trays in the oven and reduce the temperature to 180°C
- Bake for 8-10 minutes.
