Conchas: the pattern comes from a separate topping

Useful to know

Conchas are Mexican sweet buns with a characteristic topping. King Arthur prepares that layer separately from the yeast dough and shapes it over the portions. [1]

Cuts form a pattern in the topping rather than replacing preparation of the bun. Check the layer’s thickness and placement. A shell pattern on arbitrary dough does not automatically reproduce the same texture and flavour.