Melon pan – Japenese sweet buns
I always wanted to prepare these sweet Japanese buns called melon pan (メ ロ ン パ ン meronpan) and when I finally when I found a recipe made by a blogger (Nami), who’s blog is all about Japanese cuisine, I knew I absolutely need to make them. I must admit they are delicious. The inside of the melon pan is not too soft and has a delicate milky flavor. The outer part is the gem that makes this bread a special treat. It is a shortcrust, traditionally not dyed, sweet at the right point and crispy. There are many variations of melon pan that use for example food dye, chocolate chips or various types of cream for the filling.
Melon pan – Japanese sweet buns
Ingredients
Buns
- 225 g bread flour
- 25 g cake flour
- pinch of salt
- 40 g sugar
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 60 ml warm milk
- 60 ml water
- 1 room temperature egg
- 40 g soft butter I used butter made by Lurpak
- 1 tsp vanilla extract optional
Cookie crust
- 60 g soft butter I used butter made by Lurpak
- 100 g sugar
- 1 egg
- 200 g cake flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- food dye optional
Instructions
Instructions melon pan
- Mix warm milk with sugar and active dry yeast in a cup or a bowl. Let rest for 5 minutes until it becomes foamy.
- In another bowl or stand mixer place two types of flour and salt. Add water at room temperature, egg and start mixing. Then add yeast with the milk and knead for about 5 minutes.
- At this point add soft butter and knead for about 10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and very elastic. Create a ball, place in a container, cover with a towel and let it grow in a warm place until it doubles in size about 1 – 2 hours.
- The rising times are approximate, it can take more or less time depending on the temperature of the environment, the freshness of the yeast, the strength of the flour and other factors not related to the recipe.
Instructions for cookie crust
- Beat butter with sugar until it becomes light anf frothy for a couple of minutes. Add egg and whisk until incorporated.
- Add sifted flour and baking powder and work briefly to incorporate. Divide the dough and add a drop of food dye into each piece. This step is optional but adds a bit of fun. Work briefly and place in the refrigerator for at least half an hour before using them.
How to assemble melon pan
- Deflate the dough and divide it into 10 pieces. Briefly work each ball to create a round bun. Cover and place in a warm place for 15 minutes.
- Divide the cookie dough into 10 parts. Roll out each part in a circle and place the leavened dough ball on it. Remember that the bottom of the ball must match the bottom of the pastry.
- Wrap the cookie crust around the bun, close it and remove the excess dough. Place your buns on a baking sheet covered with baking paper with the part of the closure facing down. Carve each ball with a knife creating a net and place in a warm place, covering with a cotton cloth, for about 1 hour.
- Bake in preheated oven at 180 ° C for 13 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them cool completely before serving.
Note from the author of this recipe
- I just want to tell you that I really appreciate that you have decided to prepare my recipe. If you like it, I would be very happy and it could be a huge help for me if you follow me on my official social channel such as instagram where I publish every time a new recipe comes out. To become my follower just search for foodohfood in your instagram or click on this link: https://www.instagram.com/foodohfood/ and press Follow. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Barbara. ^_^
Notes
Nutrition
lot of love. B.
If you like this recipe may I recommend: Easy yogurt buns cooked in a frying pan
Recipe notes
This recipe was created thanks to the collaboration with Lurpak. Excellent Danish butter perfect for professional pastry making and for homemade use.
