Melon Pan Recipe – Japanese Melon Bread in 3 Flavors

Three Melon Pan bread with original, matcha, and chocolate flavor.

5 from 1 vote

Melon Pan Recipe – Japanese Melon Bread in 3 Flavors

This homemade melon pan recipe gives you soft, fluffy bread covered with a sweet, crunchy cookie crust. I divided the cookie dough into three flavors, so you can make classic, matcha, and chocolate melon pan from the same batch!

Prep Time2 20

Cook Time20

Total Time2 40

Course: Bread and Buns

Cuisine: Asian, Japanese

Diet: Halal

Servings: pieces

Calories: 330kcal

Author: Claudia

Equipment

1 mixer
1 plastic dough scraper
1 Baking tray
1 Rolling Pin
1 kitchen scale
1 plastic sheet

Ingredients

Bread Dough

240 gr bread flour
10 gr milk powder
50 gr sugar
4 gr instant yeast
36 gr egg
115 gr water cold
36 gr butter unsalted
3 gr salt

Cookie Coating

60 gr bread flour
25 gr powdered sugar
30 gr butter
12 gr egg
1 gr matcha powder
1 gr cocoa powder

Instructions

Cookie Topping

In a bowl, mix the bread flour, powdered sugar, and 12 g beaten egg together. Stir until combined, then add the room-temperature butter. Mix and knead gently until a smooth dough forms.
Divide the cookie dough into 3 equal portions. Add matcha powder to one portion and cocoa powder to another, leaving the third portion plain. Divide each flavor into 2 equal pieces, making 6 pieces in total. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to prevent the dough from drying out.

Bread Dough

Sift the bread flour and milk powder into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar, instant yeast, and 36 g beaten egg. Mix until no dry flour remains.
Add the butter and salt. Continue kneading for about 17–18 minutes, or until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and can be stretched thinly without tearing easily.
Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Remove the plastic wrap and gently press the dough to release the air. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces, shape them loosely into balls, cover with plastic wrap, and let them rest for 10 minutes.
After resting, take one piece of dough and flatten it with a rolling pin.
Flip the dough over so the smooth side is facing down. Bring the edges toward the center and pinch them together to form a round bun.
Take one piece of cookie topping and roll it into a thin circle between sheets of plastic wrap. Place the bread dough in the center with the smooth side facing down, then gently wrap the cookie dough around the top and sides of the bun.
Turn the bun over so the pinched side is facing up. Gently press the cookie-covered side into a bowl of caster sugar, making sure the surface is evenly coated.
Use a plastic scraper or knife to gently score lines across the cookie topping to make the classic melon pan pattern. Be careful not to cut too deeply into the bread dough.
Repeat with the remaining bread dough and cookie toppings, including the matcha and chocolate flavors. Arrange the buns on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Let the buns rise again until they are about doubled in size. Bake in a preheated oven at 356°F (180°C) for 18–20 minutes, or until the plain melon pan is lightly golden.
Remove from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack. Enjoy them as they are, or serve with a little butter or a scoop of ice cream.

Notes

Use the exact amount of egg. Since the beaten egg is divided between the bread dough and cookie topping, weigh it carefully so neither dough becomes too wet.
Knead until the dough passes the windowpane test. The bread dough should be smooth, elastic, and able to stretch thinly without tearing easily. This helps give the melon pan a soft, fluffy texture.
Keep the cookie dough covered. The topping can dry out quite quickly, so keep the portions under plastic wrap while you work with the bread dough.
Let the divided bread dough rest before shaping. The 10-minute rest makes the dough easier to roll and shape without springing back.
Roll the cookie topping between plastic sheets. This keeps the soft cookie dough from sticking to your rolling pin and makes it easier to lift and wrap around the bun.
Cover only the top and sides of the bun. Keep the pinched seam of the bread dough underneath and leave the bottom mostly uncovered so the bun can expand properly.
Coat the topping with sugar before scoring. The caster sugar gives melon pan its slightly crunchy, sparkly crust.
Score gently. Make the crisscross pattern on the cookie topping without cutting deeply into the bread dough underneath. The lines will open more as the buns proof and bake.

Nutrition