Description
Melon Pan is a Japanese sweet bread with a soft, fluffy interior and a crispy cookie crust. Despite its name, it doesn’t contain melon flavor, but its appearance resembles the outer skin of a melon.
Ingredients
For the Bread Dough:
225 g bread flour (1¾ cups + 2 Tbsp, plus more for dusting)
25 g cake flour (3½ Tbsp)
1 tsp kosher salt
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
1¼ tsp instant yeast
1 large egg
50 ml whole milk
50 ml water
35 g unsalted butter (2½ Tbsp, cubed)
For the Biscuit Dough:
60 g unsalted butter (¼ cup, ½ stick, or 4 Tbsp, cubed)
100 g granulated sugar (½ cup)
1 large egg
200 g cake flour (1⅔ cups)
½ tsp baking powder
For the Topping:
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
Instructions
- Prepare the Bread Dough: In a large bowl, combine the bread flour, cake flour, salt, and sugar. Whisk well, then add the yeast, egg, milk, and water. Mix until the dough comes together, then knead by hand or with a stand mixer for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Gradually add the butter and knead until absorbed. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1-2 hours until it doubles in size.
- Make the Biscuit Dough: In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Sift in the cake flour and baking powder, then stir until just combined. Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces, roll them into balls, and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
- Shape the Melon Pan: Once the bread dough has risen, punch it down and divide it into 10 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Flatten each biscuit dough ball and place it over the bread dough, wrapping it around the dough. Press gently to seal. Coat the top with granulated sugar and score a crisscross pattern with a knife.
- Final Proof: Place the shaped melon pan on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for about 50 minutes, until it has puffed up.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Bake the melon pan for 13-15 minutes, or until the biscuit crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
Notes
Storage: Store melon pan in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The bread will remain soft, but the cookie crust may soften.
- Freezing: You can freeze melon pan for up to 1 month. After baking, let them cool completely, then wrap individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe bag.
- Reheating: Reheat by wrapping in foil and placing in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for 5-10 minutes, or until warmed through.
- Flavored Melon Pan: Add flavored extracts, such as vanilla or almond, to the bread or biscuit dough for a different twist.
- Chocolate Chip Melon Pan: Add a handful of chocolate chips into the biscuit dough for a sweeter treat.
- Mini Melon Pan: For smaller portions, divide the dough into 15 or 20 pieces instead of 10.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Japanese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 melon pan
- Calories: 270 kcal
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 37g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 50mg
