So Cute! Turtle-Shaped Melon Bread

Name: So Cute! Turtle-Shaped Melon Bread
Yield: 15 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 300 grams Bread (strong) flour; 5 grams Salt; 6 grams Dry yeast; 50 grams Sugar; 30 grams Shortening; 1 Egg (Medium); 50 grams Milk; 80 grams Water; 230 grams Cake flour; 3 grams Baking powder; 100 grams Unsalted butter; 1 Egg (Medium); 80 grams Sugar; 1 tsp Matcha; 1 few drops Melon oil; 10 grams White Chocolate; 30 chips Chocolate chips

cookpad.japan @cookpad_jp

I've made lots of turtle-shaped melon bread before, usually with live yeast but this time I wanted to write an easier recipe that uses more orthodox ingredients. This recipe took a lot of effort but I just really wanted to see my little turtle army at the end.

It's going to take a lot of effort to shape these turtles but please try and get it done as quickly as possible! When creating the lattice pattern it's better to make shallow cuts. If they're too deep, the shell can crack. If you don't fix the head and feet on properly with egg whites then they will most likely come off whilst baking. You can use icing instead of white chocolate for the eyes if you prefer. Recipe by Asaemon

cookpad.japan @cookpad_jp

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Ingredients

15 servings

300 gramsBread (strong) flour
5 gramsSalt
6 gramsDry yeast
50 gramsSugar
30 gramsShortening
1Egg (Medium)
50 gramsMilk
80 gramsWater
Shell
230 gramsCake flour
3 gramsBaking powder
100 gramsUnsalted butter
1Egg (Medium)
80 gramsSugar
1 tspMatcha
1few drops Melon oil
Eyes
10 gramsWhite Chocolate
30chips Chocolate chips

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Steps

1

Let's make the shell first. Add some softened butter to a bowl with some sugar and cream the two together well.
2

Add 1 beaten egg a little at a time.
3

Combine the flour, matcha and baking powder and sift into the mixture. Add the melon oil and fold in gently with a spatula until the dough forms a ball.
4

It should look like this.
5

Once it's all come together, split the dough into 15 equal parts and shape them into balls. Wrap them in cling film and leave to rest for 1 hour in the refrigerator It's probably easiest to do everything up to this point the day before you intend to bake.
6

Take all of the ingredients listed for the body, from the strong bread flour to water, and add to the bread maker and press start. If it's winter please warm the milk and water up a little. Let the dough knead for 15 minutes and prove for 50 minutes.
7

When proved, split the bread dough into 15 equal parts and roll into balls. Split each ball into 1 body, 1 head and 4 feel and roll each piece into a ball. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.
8

Take the cookie dough for the shell from Step 5 and flatten each ball out with the palms of your hands between 2 sheets of cling film. Wrap each flattened shell over the top of each bread body neatly. Score in some lines with a scraper to create the traditional melon bread lattice pattern and attach the feet and head to the body by using beaten egg whites as a kind of glue.
9

Please make sure that the turtle heads are bigger than the feet. They should look a bit like this photo. Cover loosely with cling film and allow to prove for a second time somewhere warm for 40 minutes.
10

Bake for 13 minutes in an oven preheated to 180℃. These turtles tend to burn easily so please keep an eye on them.
11

Once baked, leave to cool on a rack.
12

Make some eyes with some melted white chocolate and chocolate chips. Use the blunt end of a skewer to attach the eyes and once dry you're done.