Conchallah (Challah with Mexican Concha Topping)

Method

1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the lukewarm milk (about 38 °C) in a bowl, add the bread flour, salt, beaten egg and oil, mix, then knead on the worktop for 10 min, until smooth, elastic and stretchy enough not to tear when pulled thin.

   Add in this stepLukewarm milk 90 mlInstant dried yeast 4 gSugar 25 gStrong bread flour 250 gSalt 1 tspBeaten egg, weighed 50 gNeutral vegetable oil 30 ml

2. Put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and leave somewhere warm for 1 h, until doubled.

3. For the concha topping, beat the soft butter with a spatula until creamy, mix in the icing sugar, then the plain flour, cinnamon and vanilla until it comes together like soft play dough. Too sticky: a little more flour; crumbly: a little more butter. Wrap and keep at room temperature (chilled, it hardens and won't roll).

   Add in this stepSoft butter (for the topping) 30 gIcing sugar 30 gPlain flour (for the topping) 40 gGround cinnamon ½ tspVanilla extract ½ tsp

4. Knock back the dough, divide into three, roll each into a 35 cm rope and braid into a three-strand loaf on a lined tray.

5. Roll the topping between two sheets of baking paper to about 3 mm thick. Cut wide pieces to cover each bump of the braid and press them on gently with your palm. Lightly score a shell pattern with the back of a knife, without cutting into the dough. Leave uncovered to rise for 40 min, until puffy and the topping starts to crack.

6. Bake (oven) at 175 °C for 25 min, until the sides of the braid are golden-brown while the topping stays pale (88 to 90 °C inside). If the topping darkens, cover loosely with foil.

   oven

7. Cool on a rack for 30 minutes. The topping is fragile, so slice with a bread knife in a gentle sawing motion. Lovely with coffee or hot chocolate.