History

Pan dulce arrived with Mexican baking traditions and became a fixture of San Antonio's West Side panaderias and Market Square. Mi Tierra has baked it around the clock since 1941, and family bakeries across the city keep the conchas, marranitos, and seasonal pan de muerto coming. The self-serve tray-and-tongs ritual is a daily part of Mexican-American life in the city.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Egg

Make it at home

Yield Makes 8 conchasHands-on 40 minTotal 3 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g bread flour
  • 7g instant yeast
  • 80g sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 120ml warm milk
  • 80g soft butter
  • Half teaspoon salt
  • For the topping: 100g icing sugar, 100g butter, 100g flour, with cocoa or cinnamon to flavour

Method

  1. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, eggs, and warm milk into a dough, then knead in the soft butter until smooth.
  2. Cover and prove until doubled, about 90 minutes.
  3. Make the topping by creaming the butter and icing sugar, then working in the flour and flavouring into a soft paste.
  4. Divide the dough into 8 balls. Flatten a disc of topping over each, then score the shell pattern with a knife.
  5. Prove 45 minutes, then bake at 180C for 18 to 20 minutes until the bread is golden and the topping is set.

Tip from the editors. Score the topping deeply so the cracks open into the classic shell shape as the conchas rise and bake.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat pan dulce

Pan dulce in San Antonio

Mi Tierra Panaderia ★ 4.2

market-squareOpen 24 hours dailyWalk-in onlyTraditional Mexican pan dulce

Mi Tierra's 24-hour panaderia at Market Square turns out traditional pan dulce around the clock, from everyday conchas to Day of the Dead pan de muerto.

Tip: Open 24 hours, so pan dulce is available any time. The conchas and seasonal pan de muerto are the classics.

Worth the queue: Conchas and Day of the Dead pan de muerto

218 Produce Row, San Antonio, TX 78207 Book →

Panifico Bake Shop ★ 4.1

west-sideDaily, early morningWalk-in onlyMade-from-scratch Mexican pan dulce

Panifico Bake Shop on the West Side makes scratch Mexican pan dulce, with pig-shaped marranitos and raisin-topped piedras the picks; go early for the bake.

Tip: The marranitos (pig-shaped cookies) and raisin-topped piedras are the picks. Go early for the freshest bake.

Worth the queue: Marranitos and piedras

602 NW 24th St, San Antonio, TX 78207 Book →

Bedoy's Bakery ★ 4.0

tobin-hillDaily, early morningWalk-in onlyMexican pan dulce and pastries

Bedoy's Bakery is a long-running Tobin Hill family panaderia where conchas and empanadas are the staples, cash-friendly and busy through the morning rush.

Tip: A long-running family panaderia; the conchas and empanadas are the staples. Cash-friendly and busy in the morning.

Worth the queue: Conchas and empanadas

803 W Hildebrand Ave, San Antonio, TX 78212 Book →

La Panaderia ★ 4.1

Mexican bakery breakfast$$downtownDaily, breakfast and lunchWalk-in

La Panaderia's downtown cafe does a Mexican-bakery brunch of chilaquiles and breakfast tacos with a cafe con leche; finish with a concha from the counter.

Order: Chilaquiles, breakfast tacos and a concha.

Tip: The chilaquiles and a cafe con leche make the brunch; finish with a concha. A walkable downtown brunch stop.

301 E Houston St, San Antonio, TX 78205 Book →

More cities are in research. Want pan dulce covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

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