Melon Pan [Melon-Shaped Bun]. You can adjust the amount to taste. Great recipe for Melon Pan [Melon-Shaped Bun]. Nope there is no melon in the bread.

It was originally made to resemble the shape of a melon. Newer recipes nowadays do incorporate melon, but here I am. Melon pan is Japanese sweet bread made to resemble the shape of melon through its crisp cookie crust. You can have Melon Pan [Melon-Shaped Bun] using 15 ingredients and 18 steps. Here is how you achieve it.

Ingredients of Melon Pan [Melon-Shaped Bun]

You need of Cookie Crust.
You need 35 g of unsalted butter, room temperature.
It's 50 g of granulated white sugar.
It's 30 g of lightly beaten egg.
It's 110 g of low protein wheat flour/cake flour.
It's 1/4 tsp of pandan paste, can be substituted with 1 tsp matcha powder.
You need of Bread dough.
You need 110 g of high protein wheat flour/bread flour.
Prepare 40 g of low protein wheat flour/cake flour.
You need 18 g of granulated white sugar.
It's 1/4 tsp of salt.
Prepare 1 tsp of instant yeast.
You need 80 ml of milk, warm to 40-50°C or follow your yeast product instruction.
It's 20 g of lightly beaten egg.
Prepare 14 g of unsalted butter, room temperature.

It is quite similar to Mexican conchas, Chinese pineapple bun, and Korean soboro bun. This melon bun traditionally does not contain any melon. There are some Melon Pans that include chocolate chips, cocoa powder, or even matcha, and some bakeries put custard (cream) inside the bun. In recent years, a lot of bakeries started to add real pureed melon or melon syrup (from either real melon or the green melon syrup we use for shaved ice) in the dough to add "melon" flavors or color.

Melon Pan [Melon-Shaped Bun] instructions

Youtu.be/nb9H_KNQ0ok.
Cookie dough: In a medium bowl, whisk butter until creamy. Then whisk in sugar until thoroughly combined..
Add egg and whisk until well-blended..
Switch to a silicone spatula and mix in flour until almost combined. Then add pandan and mix thoroughly..
Transfer onto a cling wrap. Wrap and refrigerate until firm..
Bread dough: In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Make a well on its center..
Pour milk and egg into the center. Using a wooden spoon, stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture until all dry is absorbed..
Transfer dough onto work surface and start kneading with your hands for about 1 minute. Then wrap butter into the dough..
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..
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..
Meanwhile, divide cookie dough evenly into 10 balls. Refrigerate again with a cover..
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..
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..
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..
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..
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..
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..
Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F or 200°C for 12 to 15 minutes..

The Melon pan and the pineapple bun from Hong Kong are very similar. The Japanese style is lighter in weight and taste, slightly dryer and has a firmer outer layer (including top cookie crust) which resists flaking. Its Hong Kong counterpart should be treated with care as the top cookie crust tends to flake easily. These traditional melon buns from the Land of the Rising Sun ( JAPAN ), are just as popular as pineapple buns from Hong Kong and are devoured in their millions every year! A melonpan (メロンパン meronpan?) (also known as melon pan, melon bun or melon bread) is a type of sweet bun from Japan, that is also popular in Taiwan, China and Latin.