Melon Pan is a type of sweet cookie bread made in Japan and popular in China and Taiwan. It is a bread bun encased in cookie or pastry dough. The name is not Japanese but rather a combination of the English word melon and the Portuguese word pan, meaning bread. This pastry, which is also called melon bun, is traditionally not flavored like a honey melon, but the top looks like melon skin as a result of the baking process. The bread is prevalent throughout Japan, and there are many references to it in popular culture.
Variety of Japanese Sweet Breads
There are many types of Japanese sweet bread available, such as Melon Pan, Anpan, and Shokupan.
Melon Pan can come with different colors and flavorings such as caramel, chocolate, custard, matcha and strawberry.
Japanese Melon Pan in Modern Cuisine
In Japan or other Asia countries you might see Melon Pan can serve with different flavored fillings with flavored creams, ice cream, syrups and fruits.
Serving and Enjoyment
The best ways to enjoy Japanese Melon Pan, whether as a breakfast treat or afternoon snack and desserts. Always good to pairings with a cup of green tea or matcha.
Melon Pan Recipe:
Bread dough
300g Baker’s Flour
40g softer butter chopped
30g sugar
1/2 tsp salt
160ml full fat milk
1 large egg
5g dry yeast
Cookie dough
200g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
70g butter
70g Sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
Food colour (optional)
Granule sugar for sprinkle
Bread Dough
Make the bread dough. Leave the milk out until is room temperature. Can microwave the milk for 20 seconds until is room temperature. Pour 10-15mls of milk into a small cup put dry yeast and a pinch of sugar. Cover it with some clip wrap for 10mins. Use a stand mixer with the dough hook whisk attachment. Medium small to medium speed. Pour all the dry ingredients (sifted baker's flour and salt) into the mixing bowl. Mixed them for a few seconds. Add the milk and yeast mixture, then milk and eggs until its all combined. Then add the softer butter, small amount at a time until all mixed well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let the dough rise in a warm place until it doubles in size—about 2 hours.
Cookie Dough
Make the cookie dough. Use a stand mixer with a cookie dough hook whisk attachment. Whisk together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. In a small bowl, beat the egg. Whisking constantly, gradually add the beaten egg to the butter mixture.
Sift the cake flour and baking powder together over the butter and egg mixture whisked to incorporate. Transfer the cookie dough to a sheet of plastic wrap and roll it to form a log. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
Steps:
When the dough is done rising, lightly dust a work surface with all-purpose flour. Gently tip the dough out of the bowl and onto the floured work surface. Use a bench scraper to divide it into 8 to 10 equal pieces.
Shape the dough into balls. With both hands cupping a piece of dough, gently roll the dough piece back and forth across your work surface until it forms a smooth ball. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces. Cover the dough balls with a sheet of plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Divide the cookie dough into 8-10 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and then flatten it into a disc.
Cover each dough ball with a cookie dough disc, stretching and pressing the cookie dough to cover the entire top of the bun. Sprinkle each cookie-dough-covered dough ball with granulated sugar and use a bench scraper or knife to slash a crosshatch pattern into each one.
Arrange the dough balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet and let them rise once again in a warm place until they’ve nearly doubled in size, about an hour.
Heat the oven to 170 to 175 degrees bake the buns until the tops are golden brown, about 18-20 minutes.
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