Melon Pan [Melon-Shaped Bun]

Name: Melon Pan [Melon-Shaped Bun]
Yield: 10 buns
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 35 g unsalted butter, room temperature; 50 g granulated white sugar; 30 g lightly beaten egg; 110 g low protein wheat flour/cake flour; 1/4 tsp pandan paste, can be substituted with 1 tsp matcha powder; 110 g high protein wheat flour/bread flour; 40 g low protein wheat flour/cake flour; 18 g granulated white sugar; 1/4 tsp salt; 1 tsp instant yeast; 80 ml milk, warm to 40-50°C or follow your yeast product instruction; 20 g lightly beaten egg; 14 g unsalted butter, room temperature

Spoonful Passion @spoonfulpassion

Canada

Nope there is no melon in the bread. Thought I should note that first. Melon Pan is a Japanese sweet bread with a crisp cookie crust. It was originally made to resemble the shape of a melon. Newer recipes nowadays do incorporate melon, but here I am using pandan as the flavoring and the color.

Spoonful Passion @spoonfulpassion

Saved

Ingredients

10 buns

Cookie Crust
35 gunsalted butter, room temperature
50 ggranulated white sugar
30 glightly beaten egg
110 glow protein wheat flour/cake flour
1/4 tsppandan paste, can be substituted with 1 tsp matcha powder
Bread dough
110 ghigh protein wheat flour/bread flour
40 glow protein wheat flour/cake flour
18 ggranulated white sugar
1/4 tspsalt
1 tspinstant yeast
80 mlmilk, warm to 40-50°C or follow your yeast product instruction
20 glightly beaten egg
14 gunsalted butter, room temperature

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Steps

1

Youtu.be/nb9H_KNQ0ok
2

Cookie dough: In a medium bowl, whisk butter until creamy. Then whisk in sugar until thoroughly combined.
3

Add egg and whisk until well-blended.
4

Switch to a silicone spatula and mix in flour until almost combined. Then add pandan and mix thoroughly.
5

Transfer onto a cling wrap. Wrap and refrigerate until firm.
6

Bread dough: In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Make a well on its center.
7

Pour milk and egg into the center. Using a wooden spoon, stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture until all dry is absorbed.
8

Transfer dough onto work surface and start kneading with your hands for about 1 minute. Then wrap butter into the dough.
9

Continue kneading. It will be messy and oily. But the more we knead, the less sticky it becomes. Add a little flour onto the work surface and the dough if it is easier for you to knead.
10

After 10-15 minutes of kneading, the dough will become smooth, elastic and not sticky. Transfer into a bowl. Cover the bowl with a cling wrap. Let it ferment for about 1 hour or until double in size.
11

Meanwhile, divide cookie dough evenly into 10 balls. Refrigerate again with a cover.
12

After bread dough has doubled in size, release the gas inside by pressing it down. Transfer onto work surface and divide evenly into 10 balls. Cover them with a cling wrap to prevent drying out.
13

Press a chilled cookie ball between two pieces of parchment paper to a thickness of about ¼-inch. You can use a dough scraper or anything with a flat side to press.
14

Take one bread dough and roll again to release any gas. Remove the top parchment paper from the cookie dough. Then place the dough ball onto the center.
15

Flip over so the cookie dough is facing up and remove the second parchment paper. Gently press to wrap all sides of dough ball with the cookie dough. The bottom part of dough ball can be left unwrapped.
16

Dip the ball into a bowl of granulated sugar (2 tbsp) to coat the cookie dough. Then use a dough scraper or knife to gently score criss-cross or any pattern onto the cookie.
17

Place on a baking sheet and cover with a cling wrap. Repeat with the rest. Let them sit and rise until one and a half times bigger.
18

Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F or 200°C for 12 to 15 minutes.