Concha/La Norteñita

If you know where to look, there are little bakeries all over the Eau Claire area. By these, I refer to the ones that churn out muffins and loaves of bread and rolls and such, even if the name of the restaurant or business doesn’t immediately make you think “baked goods.” There is one that, in its sign sub-heading, says “bakery,” though I had driven past countless times. It was finally time to make a stop, at La Norteñita, and…look at the concha I found:

When I got there, one of the staffers led me to the racks of baked goods, to literally pull out the trays and pick what I wanted. Sooooo many choices, and I went with three items (including a cross bun and a cinnamon half-moon); for this post, I’m going to highlight the concha.

As you may know, concha essentially translates to seashell in English, thus giving name to the appearance of this sweet roll. The topping is cut before the baking process, thus leading to the “seashell” effect afterwards. It’s really one of the prettiest designs you’ll see on a baked good.

I went with the plain concha (La Norteñita also had strawberry and chocolate ones while I was there). The inner dough is light, with a tinge of sweetness, and the same applies to the crust and topping. Oftentimes, having something roll-like can get pretty heavy and rich, and you have to pace yourself in what you order. Not with the concha — despite the size, it goes down easy, leaving you satiated. And, if you wanna share, you can try cutting it in a way unlike most items:

So, in conclusion, if you’re looking for some different types of baked goods, go to London Road and stop into La Norteñita — I think I have a new bakery to add to my weekend roll rotation.