pumpkin
concha muffins
(pumpkin manteconchas)
Pumpkin concha muffins are soft, pillowy bread rolls full of caramelized pumpkin flavor, each adorned with a warm and crunchy pumpkin spice streusel topping.
These pumpkin concha muffins pair well with a hot cup of cafecito or cocoa on a cozy Autumn morning.
We are using bread flour for this recipe, and European butter for extra flavor due to it’s higher fat content. The texture of these conchas are so soft, and the crumb tears beautifully because the bread is so enriched and lightly sweetened.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Bread Flour
- Dark Brown Sugar May be substituted with light brown.
- Ground Cinnamon I’d suggest using Ceylon cinnamon if you have access to it.
- Whole Milk
- Active Dry Yeast
- Whole Eggs
- Pumpkin Puree You’ll need one 15 ounce can.
- Kosher Salt
- Salted European Butter Cold and Cubed for this recipe.
- Shortening
- Confectioners’ Sugar
- Pumpkin Spice
- Pure Vanilla Extract
Caramelizing Pumpkin Puree
We will need 9 ounces of caramelized pumpkin for this recipe. This process is simple, and guarantees no wasted pumpkin puree. 15 ounces of pumpkin puree straight from the can is cooked on medium-high heat until visibly darker, and all the liquid has evaporated. This process intensifies the flavor of the pumpkin and reduces any unwanted excess moisture.
Any time I use pumpkin in a recipe – I caramelize it first. It’s a quick 15-20 minute process that makes such a huge difference in baking. It’s caramelized and deep and rich, and so worth the little time and effort.
Muffins Pans and Liners
You will need 2 muffin pans, along with muffin liners. I use jumbo muffin pans, which yields a total of 12 bakery-sized concha muffins. For this sized pan, you will need to purchase jumbo liners (can be found on Amazon).
If you don’t have jumbo muffin pans, you can use 2 standard muffin tins. You’ll bake 24 standard muffin sized conchas, rather than 12 jumbo.
You can make your own liners with parchment paper, which you probably already have on hand. Here’s my favorite TikTok tutorial for that process: Parchment Paper Liners Tutorial
step by step: the process
Caramelize the Pumpkin Puree
Place the pumpkin puree in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
Cook and stir frequently so the puree doesn’t burn. Continue to cook until the puree is darker in color (burnt orange almost), and visibly drier. This process takes 15-20 minutes – cook all of that moisture out!
The pumpkin is ready when it’s thickened and caramelized, and quite dry but still spreadable.
Allow the pumpkin to cool until warm to the touch. You should be left with about 9 ounces of pumpkin, or about 1 measured cup, heaping.
Prepare the Concha Dough
Heat the milk with a touch of honey or teaspoon of sugar until just warm to the touch, 100-110 F. Stir in the active dry yeast and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
The yeast will activate and foam, however if you find your yeast remains flat after 10 minutes, it’s possible the yeast is expired or the milk was too hot. Repeat the step if necessary.
To the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the bread flour, brown sugar, kosher salt and cinnamon. Whisk together well.
Make a well at the center of the dry ingredients using your hand. Add in the the eggs, followed by the caramelized pumpkin, milk and yeast mixture, and the cold cubed butter.
Use a rubber spatula to combine until a shaggy dough forms.
Attach the bowl to the stand mixer with a dough hook attached. Knead on speed 3 for about 10 minutes.
Increase the speed to 4 and allow the machine to work it’s magic – the dough will knead for roughly 25-30 minutes at this point.
Resist the urge to add more flour – trust the process. If you check on the dough every 10 minutes or so, you will see the gluten begin to form as strands stretch and pull around the dough hook.
The dough is ready when it is smooth, supple, and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl. The dough will be quite soft to handle – oil your hands if necessary.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled large bowl and cover with a tea towel. Allow the dough to rise for an hour to an hour and a half, or until doubled. Prepare the concha topping while the dough rises.
Prepare the Topping (Pasta)
To a medium bowl, combine the flour, confectioners’ sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin spice, salt and shortening. Use a rubber spatula or your hands to press the shortening and dry ingredients together until it becomes clumpy and shaggy.
At this stage, add in the vanilla extract.
Use your hands to press the ingredients together until a smooth dough forms. The warmth of your hands will help the shortening absorb the flour.
Continue to knead the concha topping until it’s smooth and homogenous. It should be soft and pliable like sugar cookie dough.
Wrap the dough securely in plastic wrap and set aside (at room temperature) until ready to use.
Pasta Tip: The pasta should be soft and smooth like cookie dough. You should be able to mold it in your hand without it breaking or cracking.
If it feels too wet or soft, incorporate more flour 1 tablespoon at a time. If the topping is too crumbly or dry, incorporate another tablespoon of shortening instead, or a little more vanilla extract.
Shape the Concha Dough
Remove the risen dough from the bowl and turn it out onto a lightly oiled surface. Press the dough with your hands to expel any air.
Cut the dough into 12-24 equal sized pieces (12 for jumbo muffin pans, and 24 for standard muffin pans). If weighing, about 95 grams for 12 pieces, and about 45 grams for 24 pieces.
Form each piece of dough into a ball by flattening each piece, and then bringing the edges of the dough together into a tight ball. Pinch the bottom together and placing the pinched side down onto your surface.
Cup your hand over the dough, gently press with your palm, and rotate your hand in a circular motion. You should feel the dough roll with the pressure of your palm while your fingers keep it in place.
Repeat until each dough ball is shaped.
Optional: Combine a large egg with a tablespoon of milk. Brush each dough ball with the egg wash.
Assemble the Concha Muffins
Take the concha topping (also known as pasta) and separate it into 12 equal sized pieces (or 24). For 12 pieces, they will be roughly 30 grams each, and 15 grams for 24 pieces.
Place a piece of pasta between two pieces of plastic wrap. Use a cake pan, pie plate or tortilla press to flatten the topping into a round. You can flatten the topping more using your hands.
Peel away the top plastic sheet and gently place the flattened pasta onto the dough, pressing down gently. Repeat the process until all the dough has been topped.
Score the Conchas
There are two main methods for creating the shell designs for conchas. You can use a concha stamp (be sure to flour the stamp between uses), or you can use a sharp, smooth paring knife to create the lines of the shell designs yourself.
If you are using the paring knife method:
- Start your first line at the center of the concha. Gently press into the topping, careful to not penetrate the dough, and drag the knife down to create a tapered line, sort of like the inner edge of a crescent moon.
- Use the middle line as a guide to complete both sides of the concha, creating 3-4 more lines on both sides that curve in the same direction as the middle line.
- Be sure to clean your knife as needed in between cuts.
Carefully transfer each dough ball into a muffin liner. I like to take the liner and gently spread it open to make a bit more space. Gently nestle the dough right into the center of the liner, and transfer to the muffin tin.
Allow the concha muffins to rise for another 45 minutes to an hour, or until the topping has separated and the dough is visibly larger.
Bake the Conchas
Bake the concha muffins in an oven preheated to 325 F for 22-24 minutes, depending on your oven. Both pans will fit just fine in the oven – rotate the pans at the 12 minute mark
The conchas will become golden and evenly browned as they bake. If your conchas are not as browned at the 24 minute mark, let them bake for another 2-3 minutes for a little more color.
These conchas pair beautifully with a cup of coffee, or a spiced beverage, and will keep wrapped for up to 4 days. Happy Autumn!
Pumpkin Concha Muffins
Equipment
- Stand Mixer w/ dough hook attachment
- 2 jumbo muffin tins or standard muffin tins standard muffins will yield 24 total muffins for this recipe
- muffin liners or parchment
- 1 smooth paring knife or concha stamp
- 1 Rubber Spatula optional
- 1 bench scraper optional
Ingredients
The Concha Dough
- 425 grams bread flour
- 100 grams dark brown brown sugar may use light brown as a substitue
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon powder best option for this recipe is Ceylon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 120 ml whole milk warmed to 100-110℉
- 10 grams active dry yeast
- 9 ounces caramelized pumpkin puree
- 2 large eggs
- 165 grams salted European butter cold and cubed,
Concha Topping (Pasta)
- 120 grams flour all-purpose or bread flour
- 60 grams light brown sugar
- 60 grams confectioner's sugar
- 120 grams shortening
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 pinch kosher or sea salt
Egg Wash (optional)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon whole milk or water
Instructions
Caramelize the Pumpkin Puree
- Cook 15 ounces of pumpkin puree over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until most of the liquid has evaporated and the pumpkin is darker in color and visibly drier.
- The pumpkin is ready when it’s thickened and caramelized (about 15-20 minutes of cooking), and quite dry but still spreadable. Set aside to cool.
Prepare the Concha Dough
- Heat the milk with a touch of honey or teaspoon of sugar until just warm to the touch, 100-110 ℉ / 37-43℃. Stir in the active dry yeast and allow to sit for 10 minutes or until foamy.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the bread flour, brown sugar, kosher salt and cinnamon. Whisk together well.
- Create a well at the center of the dry ingredients and add in the the eggs, 9 ounces of caramelized pumpkin, the milk and yeast mixture, and the cubed butter.
- Use a rubber spatula to combine until a shaggy dough forms.
- Attach the bowl to the stand mixer with a dough hook attached. Knead on speed 3 for about 10 minutes.
- Increase the speed to 4 and allow the dough to knead for about 25-30 minutes. The dough is ready when it's smooth and pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled large bowl and cover with a tea towel. Allow the dough to rise for an hour to an hour and a half, or until doubled.
Prepare the Topping (Pasta)
- To a large bowl, combine the flour, confectioners’ sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin spice, salt and shortening. Use a rubber spatula or your hands to press the shortening and dry ingredients together until it becomes clumpy and shaggy.
- Add in the vanilla extract, and use your hands to press the ingredients together until a smooth dough forms.
- Cover and set aside until ready to use.
Shape the Concha Dough
- Remove the risen dough from the bowl and turn it out onto a lightly oiled surface. Press the dough with your hands to expel any air.
- Cut the dough into 12-24 equal sized pieces. If weighing, about 95 grams for 12 pieces, and about 45 grams for 24.
- Roll each piece of dough into a ball.
- Optional: Combine a large egg with a tablespoon of milk. Brush each dough ball with the egg wash.
Assemble the Concha Muffins
- Take the concha topping dough (also known as pasta) and separate it into 12 equal sized pieces (or 24). For 12 pieces, they will be roughly 30 grams each, and 15 grams for 24.
- Place a piece of pasta between two pieces of plastic wrap. Use a cake pan, pie plate or tortilla press to flatten the topping into a round.
- Peel away the top plastic sheet and gently place the flattened pasta onto the dough, pressing down gently. Repeat the process until all the dough has been topped.
Score the Conchas
- Score the conchas with a shell design, using either a floured concha stamp or a small and smooth paring knife.
- Carefully transfer each concha into a muffin liner. I like to take the liner and gently spread it open to make a bit more space. Gently nestle the dough right into the center of the liner, and transfer to the muffin tin.
- Allow the concha muffins to rise for another 45 minutes to an hour, covered, or until the topping has separated and the dough is visibly larger.
Bake the Conchas
- Bake the concha muffins in an oven preheated to 325 ℉ / 165℃ for 22-24 minutes, depending on your oven. Both pans will fit just fine in the oven - rotate the pans at the 12 minute mark.
- Allow the conchas to cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before enjoying.
Is it possible to use milk alternatives or dairy free milks?
Yes, however I’d use a high fat alternative, such as full-fat oat milk.
Does the baking time change if you’re doing the smaller muffin size? I’m assuming that’s just a regular cupcake mold?
For a standard muffin pan size, you can bake both pans at the same time and start with 20-22 minutes. I’d keep an eye on them to see how much they have browned after the halfway mark at 10 minutes, hope this helps!