Learn how to make Melon Pan, a classic Japanese sweet bread covered in a thin layer of crisp biscuit/ cookie crust with grid line pattern on top.
Do you think about the foods that you used to enjoy in your childhood and still long for them once in a while? Kashi pan (菓子パン) or Japanese sweet bread has a special spot in my heart, especially my favorite Anpan (あんパン) and these Melon Pan (メロンパン).
Living abroad, there are not too many Japanese bakeries that sell freshly baked kashi pan; therefore I had to learn to make them mself. Today I’ll show you how to make Melon Pan with both the hand kneading method as well as the stand mixer method. Are you ready? You’ll soon be able to make these freshly baked Melon Pan in your own kitchen!
Watch How To Make Melon Pan【Hand Kneading】
Watch How To Make Melon Pan【Stand Mixer】
Melon Pan is a classic Japanese Kashi Pan, I’ll show you how to make this delightful treat either by hand kneading or with a stand mixer.
What is Melon Pan?
Melon Pan is sweet bread covered in a thin layer of crisp biscuit/cookie crust with grid line pattern on top. The Japanese word for bread is “pan (パン)”, which came from the Portuguese word for bread. Now why is it called “melon“?
Does it taste like melon? No, traditionally the bread does NOT include melon flavor or the fruit itself. Then why is it called Melon Pan if there is no melon flavor?
There are a few different theories for the origin of Melon Pan’s name (still no conclusive theory even today).
Some say that the original melon pan was invented during the Meiji Era. The bread resembled an oriental melon (マクワウリ) with the parallel lines on the crust, and was filled with sweet white bean paste (shiro-an) inside. During that time, the oriental melon was sold as “melon” so they started to call this “Melon Pan”.
By Sanjo (Own Photo (Own work)) [GFDL or CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
In Taisho Era, the similar round bread with biscuit/cookie crust was introduced to western and southern western Japan (Osaka and Hiroshima area), and they named it “Sunrise (サンライズ)” bread. Later on, this round Sunrise bread started to be sold as Melon Pan throughout Japan, as the appearance resembles a muskmelon, which was (and still is) highly prized fruit.
Today, if you visit the Kansai area, the football shape bread you see above with white bean paste filling is what they call Melon Pan. They still refer to the round bread with biscuit crust Sunrise bread (while it’s known as melon pan everywhere else). Our local Andersen bakery that started in Hiroshima also calls their Melon Pan “Sunrise”. In Shikoku Island, Melon Pan is called “Koppepan (コッペパン)”.
Other theories on the origin of the name says the word “melon” comes from “meringue (メリンゲ)”, which is placed on top of the bread dough before being baked. Maybe we’ll find out the Melon Pan’s origin one day. Who knew Melon Pan is quite mysterious bread?!
Variations of Melon Pan
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. However, for today’s recipe I made my Melon Pan with classic ingredients.
There’s no doubt kneading the dough in a stand mixer is much easier and faster. But I want to encourage everyone to make bread with your hands once in a while even though you have a stand mixer.
It does require more time and effort, but when I knead dough with my hands I feel it’s different. The difference in taste might be too subtle to recognize but maybe there’s that extra special ingredient … called love 🙂
To be completely honest the hand kneading method and stand mixer method both tasted the same to our family. Perhaps it’s because I am not an expert baker. I will say using the stand mixer was much easier and requires a lot less manual work compared to hand kneading. Let me know if you do try both method and tastes the difference.
Bread Similar to Melon Pan in the World
- Pineapple Bun – Hong Kong, Taiwan, China (We buy this bread from a Chinese bakery and it’s delicious! The biscuit/cookie crust is not as crispy or firm as Melon Pan, so it flakes very easily. Pineapple buns are softer and fluffier than Melon Pan.)
- Soboro Bread – Korea
- Rotiboy (Mexican coffee bun) – Malaysia
- Conchas (Mexican sweet bread) – Mexico
Does your country have similar bread like Melon Pan?
I hope you will enjoy making this Melon Pan recipe! If you try it, don’t forget to share your picture on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter with #JustOneCookbook. Thank you so much for reading, and till next time!
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Melon Pan
Video
Ingredients
Main Dough
- 1 ¾ cup bread flour (1 Tbsp bread flour is 7.5 g; 1 ¾ cup + 2 Tbsp to be precise; more for sprinkling; If you use a measuring cup, fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off. Otherwise, your flour ends up with more than 225 g.)
- 3 ½ Tbsp cake flour (1 Tbsp cake flour is 7.5 g; No cake flour? Make homemade cake flour with flour and corn starch)
- 1 tsp kosher/sea salt (I use Diamond Crystal; use half for table salt)
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 1 ¼ tsp instant yeast (see Notes if you use active dry yeast)
- 1 large egg (50 g w/o shell) (beaten)
- 3 Tbsp whole milk (3 Tbsp + 1 tsp to be precise; keep at 86ºF/30ºC; I highly recommend using whole milk instead of reduced-fat milk)
- 3 Tbsp water (3 Tbsp + 1 tsp to be precise; keep at 86ºF/30ºC)
- 2 ½ Tbsp unsalted butter (cut into small cubes and at room temp)
Biscuit Dough
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter (at room temp)
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 large egg (50 g w/o shell) (beaten)
- 1 ⅔ cup cake flour (No cake flour? Make homemade cake flour with flour and corn starch)
- ½ tsp baking powder
Toppings
- 2 Tbsp sugar
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. I have 2 videos for this recipe: the hand-kneading method and the stand mixer method.
★ Hand Kneading Method (Step 1 & Step 2)★
Step 1 - Making Main Dough
- In a large bowl, combine 225 g (1 ¾ cup + 2 Tbsp) bread flour, 25 g (3 ½ Tbsp) cake flour, 40 g (3 Tbsp) granulated sugar, and 3 g (1 tsp) kosher salt.
- Add 4 g (1 tsp) instant dry yeast and 1 large beaten egg to the bowl with dry ingredients.
- Add 50 ml (3 ½ Tbsp) milk and 50 ml (3 ½ Tbsp) water, both at 86ºF (30ºC). Using a silicone spatula or your fingertips, gently mix the ingredients together until they are combined.
- In the beginning, the dough is very sticky and wet, but keep mixing until it forms a loose, sticky ball. Also, use the dough to pick up the flour on the sides of the mixing bowl. This step should take about 2 minutes. Transfer the dough from the bowl to a lightly floured work surface.
- Press the heels of your hands into the dough, pushing forward slightly. Fold the top half of the dough in half back toward you. Then rock forward on the lower part of your palm to press it flat.
- Turn the dough slightly (to clockwise), fold it in half, and rock into it again with the lower part of your palm. Knead the dough to lengthen and stretch the gluten strands in the dough. Repeat for 5 minutes or so. Tip: If the dough doesn't seem to be losing its stickiness, sprinkle more flour over the top and work it into the dough. You can lightly dust your hands with flour to keep the dough from sticking too much.
- After kneading for 5 minutes and the dough gets more elastic, press and stretch the dough, about 10 inches (25 cm). Then put small cubes of 35 g (2 ½ Tbsp) unsalted butter on top of the dough. Roll up the dough tucking the butter in, and then continue the kneading process.
- Your hands, dough, and the work surface will get oily and messy in the beginning. Don't’ be panic. I recommend using a metal/silicone dough scraper to collect the dough stuck on the work surface once in a while and keep kneading.
- As you knead, the dough will absorb the butter and it will eventually become very smooth and easier to work with. Finally, start banging the dough onto the work surface and fold it over away from you. This helps develop the gluten (elasticity). Bang the dough, turn it 90 degrees, and knead it, using the lower part of your palm. Continue this process for 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth, supple, and silky. Tip: Don’t let go of the dough when you are banging onto the work surface and don’t let it rest for too long between turns.
- When the dough gets silky and smooth, pull the end of your dough with your thumb and fingers. Keep spreading the dough with your fingers, stretching the dough into thin translucent membrane. This test is called Windowpane Test to see if the dough's gluten has been developed enough. If the dough tears, the gluten isn’t quite ready yet. Knead the dough for another 2 minutes and test again.
- Shape the dough into a ball by pulling all sides of the ball to the bottom and pinching them together. Place the dough in a bowl (the seam on the bottom).
- Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 1-2 hours. I use a Proof setting (100ºF/38ºC) in my oven.
Step 2 - Making the Biscuit Dough
- In a large bowl, add 60 g (About 4 Tbsp) unsalted butter and mix with the silicone spatula until it becomes smooth.
- Add 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar and mix with the silicone spatula until they blend well together.
- Slowly add a very small amount of 1 large beaten egg (46-50 g/ml) into the bowl and blend well together before you add another small amount of the egg. Continue until all the egg is well blended.
- Sift 200 g (1 ⅔ cup) cake flour and 2 g (½ tsp) baking powder into the mixture.
- Using the silicone spatula, mix well until the dough is not floury. Collect the dough and make it into a ball.
- Measure the weight of the biscuit dough. It should be around 400-410 g. Remember the weight as you’ll need it later (to measure ⅒ of the dough).
- Roughly cut the dough into 10 pieces.
- Starting from the big piece, measure the weight again till it weighs ⅒ of the total weight (in my case, 40-41 g). If it’s heavier, pinch off the dough and add the extra dough to a smaller dough, by stuffing the extra into the inside of the smaller dough.
- Roll the 10 pieces of biscuit dough into 10 balls. Place them on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and rest in the refrigerator for 10 minutes until it hardens a bit.
★ Stand Mixer Method (Step 1 & Step 2)★
Step 1 - Making Main Dough
- In a stand mixer bowl, combine 225 g (1 ¾ cup + 2 Tbsp) bread flour, 25 g (3 ½ Tbsp) cake flour, 40 g (3 Tbsp) granulated sugar, 3 g (1 tsp) kosher salt, and 4 g (1 tsp) instant dry yeast. Whisk all together.
- Set your mixer with a dough hook attachment.
- Add 1 large beaten egg and 50 ml (3 ½ Tbsp) milk and 50 ml (3 ½ Tbsp) water, both of which have been kept at 86ºF (30ºC), to the bowl with dry ingredients.
- Start kneading on low speed (speed 2). Use a silicone spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl a couple of times.
- Continue to knead until it clings to the hook and cleans the sides of the bowl.
- Once the dough starts to come together, add the butter and continue to mix at low speed until the butter has been incorporated. Then increase speed to medium and knead until the dough is silky, smooth, and elastic.
- When the dough gets silky and smooth, pull the end of your dough with your thumb and fingers. Keep spreading the dough with your fingers, stretching the dough into a thin translucent membrane. This test is called Windowpane Test to see if the dough's gluten has been developed enough. If the dough tears, the gluten isn’t quite ready yet. Knead the dough for another 2 minutes and test again.
- Shape the dough into a ball by pulling all sides of the ball to the bottom and pinching them together. Place the dough in a bowl (the seam on the bottom).
- Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 1-2 hours. I use a Proof setting (100ºF/38ºC) in my oven.
Step 2 - Making the Biscuit Dough
- In a clean stand mixer bowl, add 60 g (About 4 Tbsp) unsalted butter and 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar.
- Mix until well blended and smooth.
- Slowly add a very small amount of 1 large beaten egg (46-50 g/ml) into the bowl and blend well together before you add another small amount of the egg. Continue until all the egg is well blended.
- Sift 200 g (1 ½ cup + 2 Tbsp) cake flour and 2 g (½ tsp) baking powder into the mixture.
- Mix until it’s incorporated and the dough is not floury. Then take out the dough and form it into a ball.
- Measure the weight of the biscuit dough. It should be around 400-410 g. Remember the weight as you’ll need it later (to measure ⅒ of the dough).
- Roughly cut the dough into 10 pieces.
- Starting from the big piece, measure the weight again till it weighs ⅒ of the total weight (in my case, 40-41 g). If it’s heavier, pinch off the dough and add the extra dough to a smaller dough, by stuffing the extra into the inside of the smaller dough.
- Roll the 10 pieces of biscuit dough into 10 balls. Place them on a baking sheet lined with silicone baking mat or baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and rest in the refrigerator for 10 minutes until it hardens a bit.
★ Everyone Follows the Following Steps (Step 3-5)★
Step 3 - Shaping the Main Dough
- Once the dough has doubled in size, dust your index finger with flour and put it in the center of the dough. If the hole doesn’t close, then the dough is ready for the next step.
- Remove the dough with a silicone dough scraper and transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Press the dough with your hands to release gas in the dough and deflate.
- Fold the dough in thirds and then fold in thirds again. Flip to keep the seam side on the bottom. Shape the dough into a ball. To close the seam line, rotate the dough (clockwise) with both hands while the seam line is touching the work surface.
- Measure the weight of the main dough. It should be around 460-470 g. Remember the weight as you’ll need it later (to measure ⅒ of the dough).
- Using a dough scraper, roughly cut the dough into 10 equal pieces. Starting from the big piece, measure the weight again till it weighs ⅒ of the total weight (in my case, 46-47 g).
- If it’s heavier, pinch off the dough from the center and add the extra dough to a smaller dough, by stuffing the extra into the inside of the smaller dough. Knead to combine well. Shape each dough piece into a nice round ball, pulling from all the sides and tuck into the bottom. Place the dough on your left (right) palm, and rotate it with your right (left) hand, keeping the seam side on the bottom.
- Put the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Cover the dough with plastic wrap (I use a portable cupcake holder lid) to prevent it from drying. Rest the dough for 15 minutes at room temperature.
Step 4 - Final Shaping
- Put the biscuit dough on the lightly floured work surface and flatten the dough with your hand.
- Using a rolling pin, roll out into 4 inch (10-12 cm) flat rounds. Continue the rest until the main dough is ready.
- After 15 minutes of resting, flatten the main dough with your hand and fold in thirds.
- Then fold in thirds one more time and pinch both ends to shape the dough into a ball.
- Pull the dough from all sides towards the seam on the bottom. Place the dough on your left (right) palm, and rotate it with your right (left) hand a few times, keeping the seam side on the bottom.
- Place the biscuit dough on your palm and put the main dough in the middle, seam side facing up.
- Then flip to show the biscuit dough on top. Gently pull all sides of the biscuit dough wrapping around the main dough.
- Coat the biscuit dough with granulated sugar (2 Tbsp) and remove the excess sugar. Then using a dough scraper or knife, gently score the biscuit dough into a crisscross pattern (I score 3 lines each side).
- Place the dough on the baking sheet, seam side on the bottom. Cover the dough with plastic wrap to prevent from drying.
- Let the dough rise in a warm place until the dough rises one and a half (1.5 x) in size, about 50 minutes (I used the Proof setting (100ºF/38ºC) in my oven).
- When the dough has risen halfway, preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Note: If you are using the oven for proof, you have to transfer the dough to a warmer place so you can preheat the oven.
Step 5 - Baking
- Bake at for 13-15 minutes. Toward the end of baking if you see the bread is not being browning evenly, rotate the bread once so that the bread gets an even color.
- Once the bread is baked, transfer to a wire rack. Let it cool for 5 minutes, and enjoy!
To Store
- Once the bread is cooled completely, individually wrap it in plastic to prevent it from drying. Then put it in an airtight container or bag and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to a month. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator or microwave to warm up inside. Then bake it in the oven at 350ºF (180ºC) until crispy on the outside.
