Up-and-coming bakers are putting a new spin on conchas.
There’s a pillowy soft tradition of pretty conchas in San Francisco. Just hop off the BART train at 24th Street, occasionally to a blast of mariachi music. Then stroll down 24th Street into the historic heart of the Mission, past colorful murals and papel picado crossing overheard. Within the space of a few blocks, you can spot half a dozen old school Mexican bakeries with pan dulce racked up in the windows. Including the most iconic shape, conchas decorated like seashells, and topped with a sugary crust in white, pink, or chocolate. Grab a pair of tongs to fish one out of the case. Dunked into coffee or hot chocolate, they make a sweet breakfast for only a few bucks.
But in the past few years, there’s been a new generation of bakers daring to revisit the simple pleasure. Raquel Goldman from Norte54 in San Francisco started rolling conchas during the pandemic, inspired by summers with her grandmother in Mexico City, but going richer with real butter and quality ingredients. At La Cheve in Napa, the popular bakery and brunch spot that found a permanent home in 2020, the Cisneros family went wild with flavored fillings and rainbow toppings.
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