Learn how to make freshly baked Melon Pan in your own kitchen! This classic Japanese sweet bread is covered in a thin and crisp cookie (biscuit) crust with a signature gridline pattern on top. Knead it either by hand or with a stand mixer.
Do you think about the foods that you used to enjoy in your childhood and still long for them once in a while? Japanese sweet bread, or what we call kashi pan (菓子パン), 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 sweet breads; therefore I had to learn to make them myself. Today I’ll show you how to make Melon Pan with both the hand-kneading method as well as the stand mixer method.
What is Melon Pan?
Melon Pan is sweet bread covered in a thin layer of crisp biscuit crust with a crisscross 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? Traditionally, the bread does not include melon or its flavor. So why did it end up with this name?
There are a few different theories for the origin of this sweet bread’s name, but there’s 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 parallel lines on the crust and was filled with sweet white bean paste called shiroan inside. During that time, the oriental melon was sold as “melon” so they started to call this “Melon Pan.”
In Taisho Era, a 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) a 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. Our local Andersen bakery that started in Hiroshima also calls their Melon Pan “Sunrise”. In Shikoku Island, it’s called “Koppepan (コッペパン)”.
Other theories on the origin of the name say 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 name’s origin one day. Who knew this is quite a mysterious bread?!
How to Make Melon Pan
The Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Bread Dough
- Bread flour – Weigh your flour using a kitchen scale or use the “fluff and sprinkle“ method and level it off.
- Cake flour – Learn more about cake flour and how you can make it using all-purpose flour and cornstarch.
- Kosher salt
- Granulated sugar
- Instant yeast
- Large egg
- Whole milk – I highly recommend using fullfat milk for this recipe.
- Water
- Unsalted butter
For the Biscuit Dough
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Large egg
- Cake flour
- Baking powder
Hand Kneading Method
Stand Mixer Method
Variations of Melon Pan
There are some varieties 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 version with classic ingredients.
Bread Similar to Melon Pan in the World
Does your country have similar bread to Melon Pan?
- 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
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Melon Pan
Video
Ingredients
For the Bread Dough
- 1¾ cups bread flour (1¾ cups + 2 Tbsp, to be precise; plus more for dusting; weigh your flour or use the “fluff and sprinkle“ method and level it off)
- 3½ Tbsp cake flour (weigh your flour; you can make Homemade Cake Flour)
- 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1¼ tsp instant yeast (for active dry yeast, see Notes)
- 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell) (beaten)
- 3 Tbsp whole milk (3 Tbsp + 1 tsp, to be precise; at 86ºF/30ºC)
- 3 Tbsp water (3 Tbsp + 1 tsp, to be precise; at 86ºF/30ºC)
- 2½ Tbsp unsalted butter (cubed; at room temperature)
For the Biscuit Dough
- ¼ cup unsalted butter (½ stick or 4 Tbsp; cubed; at room temperature)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell) (beaten)
- 1⅔ cups cake flour (weigh your flour; you can make Homemade Cake Flour)
- ½ tsp baking powder
For the Topping
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
Instructions
- Before You Start: I highly encourage you to weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale for this recipe. Click on the “Metric" button at the top of the recipe to convert the ingredient measurements to metric. If you‘re using a cup measurement, please follow the “fluff and sprinkle“ method: Fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle the flour into your measuring cup, and level it off. Otherwise, you may scoop more flour than you need.
- Gather all the ingredients. I have 2 videos to help you with this recipe: The hand-kneading method and the stand mixer method. Once you‘ve made the bread dough and biscuit dough—either by hand or using a stand mixer—proceed to Steps 3–5.
★ For the Hand-Kneading Method (Steps 1 & 2) ★
Step 1: To Make the Bread Dough
- Mix: To a large bowl, add the first four dry ingredients for the bread dough—1¾ cups bread flour, 3½ Tbsp cake flour, 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, and 3 Tbsp granulated sugar. Whisk to combine.
- Next, add 1¼ tsp instant yeast to the bowl and whisk to combine. Then, add 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell), beaten.
- Add 3 Tbsp whole milk and 3 Tbsp water, both at 86ºF (30ºC). Using a silicone spatula or your fingertips, gently mix the ingredients together until combined. Tip: I highly recommend using whole milk instead of reduced-fat milk.
- In the beginning, the dough will feel very sticky and wet, but keep mixing until it forms a loose, sticky ball. This step should take about 2 minutes. Also, use the dough ball to pick up any flour on the sides of the mixing bowl. Transfer the dough from the bowl to a work surface lightly dusted with bread flour.
- Knead: To knead the dough, press the heels of your hands into the dough, pushing forward slightly. Fold down the top half of the dough back toward you. Then, rock forward on the lower part of your palm to press it flat and away from you.
- Rotate the dough clockwise slightly, fold the dough down in half, and rock into it again with the lower part of your palm. Knead the dough to lengthen and stretch the gluten strands to make the dough more elastic. Repeat this rotate, fold, and knead process for 5 minutes or so. Tip: Lightly dust your hands with bread flour to keep the dough from sticking too much. If it's still too sticky to knead, sprinkle a tiny bit of bread flour on top and work it into the dough. Add only the minimum necessary to keep the dough from sticking to your hands, as adding too much flour will make the dough dry and hard. Aim for a moist, soft dough that is smooth and pliable and holds a ball shape.
- Add the Butter: After kneading for 5 minutes, the dough will get more elastic. Next, press and stretch the dough until it‘s a flat log about 10 inches (25 cm) long. Put the small cubes of 2½ Tbsp unsalted butter (at room temperature) all over the top of the dough. Roll up the dough, tucking in the butter. Then, continue to knead as before.
- Your hands, the dough, and the work surface will get greasy and messy in the beginning. Don‘t panic; the dough will eventually absorb the butter as you continue to knead. I recommend using a metal or silicone dough scraper once in a while to collect the dough stuck on the work surface. Keep kneading.
- Slam and Fold: Once the dough becomes very smooth and easy to work with, “slam and fold“ the dough to further develop its gluten (elasticity). First, hold one end of the dough and slam the other end onto the work surface. Bang! Next, fold the bottom end up and over away from you. Then, knead the dough with the lower part of your palm. Pick up the dough, turn it 90 degrees, then repeat this slam-and-fold process. Continue for 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth, supple, and silky. Tip: Don’t let go of the dough when you are banging it onto the work surface and don’t let it rest for too long between turns.
- The Windowpane Test: When the dough feels silky and smooth, it‘s time for the windowpane test to see if the dough‘s gluten is well developed. Either pull on a part of the dough or tear off a small piece. Hold the dough in both hands and gently pull it into a square with your fingers. It should be very elastic, smooth, and shiny. If it‘s strong enough to stretch to a super-thin membrane without tearing and light can pass through the center, your dough passes the test. If the dough tears easily or doesn‘t stretch, the gluten isn’t quite ready yet. Knead it again for another 2 minutes and test again.
- Form the dough into a ball by pulling and tucking all edges toward the bottom and pinching them together. Place the dough in a bowl with the seam side down.
- Bulk Fermentation: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1–2 hours. I use the Proof setting (100ºF/38ºC) in my oven. Tip: If you live in a cooler environment and your oven doesn't have a Proof setting, place small baking dishes of boiling water at the four corners on the lower-middle rack. Then, place your dough in a bowl in the center of the rack and close the door. The steam and heat from the boiling water will create a warm environment for bulk fermentation. If you live in a warmer environment, you may not need to do this; your proof time also may be shorter.
Step 2: To Make the Biscuit Dough
- Mix: To a large bowl, add the small cubes of ¼ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature) and mash it with the silicone spatula until it becomes smooth.
- Add ½ cup granulated sugar to the butter. Mix with the silicone spatula until well blended.
- Slowly add a very small amount of 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell), beaten, to the bowl and blend well with the butter mixture. Then, add another small amount of the beaten egg and blend. Continue until all the egg is well incorporated.
- Sift 1⅔ cups cake flour and ½ tsp baking powder into the mixture.
- Using the silicone spatula, mix well until the dry ingredients are just incorporated. Collect the dough with your hands and roll it into a ball.
- Divide: Weigh the biscuit dough on a scale. The total dough weight for 10 melon pan should be around 400–410 g. Remember this weight, as you’ll need it later to measure one-tenth portions of the dough.
- Roughly cut the dough into 10 pieces for 10 melon pan.
- Divide the total dough weight by 10 (for 10 melon pan) to get the target weight of each dough piece (in my case, 40–41 g). Weigh the biggest piece first. Pinch off some dough if it‘s heavier than the target weight, then weigh again. Repeat until the dough piece reaches the target weight. Repeat with the other dough pieces, pinching off a bit of dough from a larger piece or adding some to a smaller piece by stuffing some dough inside.
- Pre-Shape: Roll the 10 pieces of biscuit dough into 10 balls. Place them on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and rest in the refrigerator for 10 minutes until it hardens a bit so it‘s easier to handle. Then, proceed to Step 3: To Divide and Pre-Shape the Bread Dough.
★ For the Stand Mixer Method (Steps 1 & 2) ★
Step 1: To Make the Bread Dough
- Mix: In a stand mixer bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the bread dough—1¾ cups bread flour, 3½ Tbsp cake flour, 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, 3 Tbsp granulated sugar, and 1¼ tsp instant yeast. Mix together with a hand whisk.
- Set the mixer bowl on the stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment.
- Add 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell), beaten, to the dry ingredients. Then, add the 3 Tbsp whole milk and 3 Tbsp water, both at 86ºF (30ºC). Tip: I highly recommend using whole milk instead of reduced-fat milk.
- Start the mixer on low speed (Speed 2) to combine the ingredients. Use a silicone spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl a couple of times.
- Continue to mix until the dough clings to the hook and cleans the sides of the bowl.
- Add the Butter and Knead: Once the dough starts to come together, add the small cubes of 2½ Tbsp unsalted butter (at room temperature). Continue to stir on low speed until the butter is incorporated and no streaks remain. Then, increase the speed to medium (Speed 4 or 6) and knead until the dough is silky, smooth, and elastic.
- The Windowpane Test: When the dough gets silky and smooth, stop the mixer and use the windowpane test to see if the dough's gluten is well developed. Either pull on a part of the dough or tear off a small piece. Hold the dough in both hands and gently pull it into a square with your fingers. It should be very elastic, smooth, and shiny. If it's strong enough to stretch to a super-thin membrane without tearing and light can pass through the center, your dough passes the test. If the dough tears easily or doesn't stretch, the gluten isn’t quite ready yet. Knead the dough for another 2 minutes and test again.
- Form the dough into a ball by pulling and tucking all edges toward the bottom and pinching them together. Place the dough in a bowl with the seam side down.
- Bulk Fermentation: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1–2 hours. I use the Proof setting (100ºF/38ºC) in my oven. Tip: If you live in a cooler environment and your oven doesn't have a Proof setting, place small baking dishes of boiling water at the four corners on the lower-middle rack. Then, place your dough in a bowl in the center of the rack and close the door. The steam and heat from the boiling water will create a warm environment for bulk fermentation. If you live in a warmer environment, you may not need to do this; your proof time also may be shorter.
Step 2: To Make the Biscuit Dough
- Mix: Set a clean mixer bowl on the stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the small cubes of ¼ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature) and ½ cup granulated sugar to the mixer bowl.
- Stir the butter and sugar on medium low (Speed 4) until well blended and smooth.
- Slowly add a very small amount of 1 large egg (50 g each w/o shell), beaten, to the bowl and blend well with the butter mixture. Then, add another small amount of the beaten egg and blend. Continue until all the egg is well incorporated.
- Sift 1⅔ cups cake flour and ½ tsp baking powder into the mixture.
- Mix well until the dry ingredients are just incorporated, then stop the mixer. Take out the dough and form it into a ball with your hands.
- Divide: Weigh the biscuit dough on a scale. The total dough weight for 10 melon pan should be around 400–410 g. Remember this weight, as you’ll need it later to measure one-tenth portions of the dough.
- For 10 melon pan, roughly cut the dough into 10 pieces.
- Divide the total dough weight by 10 (for 10 melon pan) to get the target weight of each dough piece (in my case, 40–41 g). Weigh the biggest piece first. Pinch off some dough if it‘s heavier than the target weight, then weigh again. Repeat until the dough piece reaches the target weight. Repeat with the other dough pieces, pinching off a bit of dough from a larger piece or adding some to a smaller piece by stuffing it inside.
- Pre-Shape: Roll the 10 pieces of biscuit dough into 10 balls. Place them on a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Cover with plastic wrap and rest in the refrigerator for 10 minutes until it hardens a bit so it‘s easier to handle. Then, proceed to Step 3: To Divide and Pre-Shape the Bread Dough.
★ For Both Hand-Kneading and Stand Mixer Methods (Steps 3, 4, & 5) ★
Step 3: To Divide and Pre-Shape the Bread Dough
- The Finger Test: Once the dough has doubled in size, dust your index finger with flour and use it to poke the center of the dough. If the hole does not close up when you remove your finger, then the dough is ready for the next step. If the dough closes up immediately, then proof the dough a little longer.
- Deflate and Roll: Remove the dough from the bowl with a silicone scraper and transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Press the dough with your hands to release any gas in the dough and deflate it.
- Fold in the sides of the dough in thirds, and then fold the bottom and top in thirds. Flip over to keep the seam side down. Roll 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.
- Divide: Measure the total weight of the bread dough. It should weigh around 460–470 g for 10 melon pan. Remember the weight, as you’ll need it later to measure one-tenth portions of the dough.
- Using a dough scraper, roughly cut the dough into 10 equal pieces for 10 melon pan. Divide the total dough weight by 10 (for 10 melon pan) to determine the target weight of each dough piece (in my case, 46–47 g). Weigh the biggest piece first. Pinch off some dough if it‘s heavier than the target weight, then weigh again. Repeat until the dough piece reaches the target weight.
- Repeat with the other dough pieces, pinching off a bit of dough from a larger piece or adding some dough to a smaller piece by stuffing it inside. Knead to combine well. Pre-shape each dough piece into a nice round ball, pulling from all the sides and tuck the edges into the bottom. Place the dough on the palm of your non-dominant hand, and rotate it with your dominant hand, keeping the seam side on the bottom.
- Rest: 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: To Shape the Melon Pan
- Roll the Biscuit Dough: While the bread dough is resting, shape the biscuit dough. Put one ball of the biscuit dough on a lightly floured work surface and flatten it with your hand.
- Using a rolling pin, roll it out into a 4-inch (10–12 cm) flat circle. Set aside. Continue to roll out the rest of the biscuit dough pieces.
- Shape the Bread Dough: After 15 minutes of resting, the bread dough is ready to shape. First, flatten a ball of bread dough with your hand. Then, fold the top and bottom in thirds.
- Then fold in the left and right sides in thirds. Pinch both ends together to shape the dough into a ball.
- Pull the dough from all sides towards the seam on the bottom. Place the bread dough on the palm of your non-dominant hand and rotate it with your dominant hand a few times, keeping the seam side on the bottom. Set aside. Repeat to shape the remaining balls of bread dough.
- Assemble the Melon Pan: To shape the melon pan, place a biscuit dough circle on your palm and put the bread dough ball in the middle, seam side up.
- Then flip them over together to show the biscuit dough on top. Gently pull all sides of the biscuit dough down to wrap around the bread dough. Don’t cover the base of the bread dough ball with the biscuit dough. Set aside and repeat to shape the rest of the melon pan dough.
- Add the Sugar Topping and Score: Put 2 Tbsp granulated sugar for the topping in a small bowl. Dip to coat the biscuit dough in the sugar and remove the excess sugar. Using a dough scraper or knife, gently score the biscuit dough in a crisscross pattern, about ⅛ inch (3 mm) deep. I scored 3 lines horizontally and 3 lines vertically. Repeat with the rest of the melon pan dough.
- Place the melon pan dough on the baking sheet, seam side down. Cover the dough with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying.
- Final Proof: Let the dough rise in a warm place until it increases one-and-a-half (1½) times in size, for about 50 minutes. I used the Proof setting (100ºF/38ºC) in my oven.
- Preheat the Oven: When the dough has risen halfway, preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Make sure to set the oven rack in the middle position. Note: If you are using the oven for final proofing, you have to transfer the dough to a different warm place so you can preheat the oven.
Step 5: To Bake the Melon Pan
- When the oven is preheated well, remove the plastic wrap and place the baking sheet with the melon pan dough in the oven. Bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for 13-15 minutes, or until the biscuit crust is a light golden brown. Toward the end of baking, if the melon pan are not browning evenly, rotate the tray once so that the crust gets an even color. Do not overbake, or the melon pan will be dry.
- Once the melon pan are done baking, remove them from the oven and 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 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.
Hi!
How would I go about making matcha biscuit dough?
Hi Diana! You can add matcha powder to the biscuit dough along with the flour. Start with small amount, maybe 1-2 tsp? I haven’t tried it, but gradually sift matcha powder and see how it is. 🙂
i love melonpan
Thank you Judy! Me too! 🙂
なみさん、レシピをありがとうございます‼︎
お疲れ様でした‼︎
Your site is really wonderful, it is so well explained, with much photos and videos. I am so glad I found it. I wanted to have the genuine recipe for melon pan so I checked in japanese but やはり the language level was too high for me to understand. So I found your site and am delighted about it !
Yet, if you have a small spare time could you help me out ? Because I left the dough rise 3 hours (and it wasn’t as well as yours), it didn’t seem to rise or enough at least… So when I put it in the oven, it didn’t rise. It stayed as before unbaked : small. I tried baking it again and again but nothing happened… So i tried to eat and it was delicious. So I know your recipe is awesome.
Do you have any clue about why it didn’t rise ? Maybe I didn’t let it rise enough… I was kind of in a hurry… Yet I let it 3 and 1h… Or do you think it’s about the ingredients ? Because I live in France and I was so surprised to see that we don’t have the same flours, yeast, and even salt ! So I seeked for even things over the net and thought I had it… For the yeast we don’t have any rapid dry as you mentioned at all… So I melted it in hot milk…
If you ever have any clue on why it didn’t rise at all, I’d be really glad to read it because I love melon pan so much !!
長すぎるコメントを申し訳ございません‼︎読んでくださってありがとうございます‼︎
Hi Camillle! コメント、どうもありがとう!
I’m not sure how the yeast you used works, but considering that yeast was okay, maybe you might have left the dough out at room temperature for too long. If that’s the case, the dough loses its structure and ability to hold air pockets and just collapses. Maybe that’s why it didn’t rise? Bread making is hard to troubleshoot as I was not there to watch. 🙁
I think you can use other flour to make this bread but it might be different in texture. I don’t think the flour was issue here. It must be the yeast and how the dough was during resting time.
Bonjour Camille,
J’habite aussi en France et j’ai eu le même problème avec la levure sèche traditionnelle, qu’il faut activer dans le lait tiède. Après 1h30 elle n’avait toujours pas levé. J’ai refais une nouvelle pâte avec cette fois de la levure fraîche (11g) et là c’ était parfait.
Ces melon pan sont délicieux, mon fils qui est un grand fan de cuisine japonaise était aux anges. Merci Nami pour cette recette.
Mary
YAAAAAAAAAS COOOONCHAAAAASSSS!!!!!
Hi Sara! Sorry I missed your comment. YES! It’s SO similar to conchas!! 🙂
Hi Nami!
I made this today, and it was super tasty! I’ll definitely be making melon pan again. Thanks for the recipe, I’ll be sure to check out other ones as well!
I’m so happy you tried this recipe! Thank you very much for your kind feedback! 🙂
Hey,
So I just wanted to say that in some steps you maybe made it look a bit more complicated than it is ?? (like “rotate the dough CLOCKWISE” ?) It might be nice for beginners to have detailed instuctions on how to work the dough (fold, knead, rotate etc.) but you don’t have to do it exactly like that. The recipe looks kind of intimidating like this, with so many steps to follow, when it’s actually just a sweet bread dough topped with cookie crust. I know, yeast can be a little b*tch, but it’s more about getting a feeling for the dough than rotating in a certain direction or folding an exact amount of times in exactly the same way.
No hate, I just thought it would be sad if some people thought they can’t do it because it looks so long and complicated.
Other than that, I really want to thank you. I ate one every Day in Japan and I’ve had this Melonpan craving ever since I left Japan. After seeing your pictures, I want them even more, so I’ll make some today!!!
Hi Schnabel! Thank you so much for your feedback! Mr. JOC told me similar thing in the past.
I told him the same, but I guess I’m used to super detailed instructions which are very common in Japan (we love getting instructions…).
I’ve learned bread making from Japanese cookbooks and as a beginner bread maker, I really love how detailed each step was written. Without it (and there was no video), I probably wouldn’t know if I was doing the right thing. So I used the same approach to write this recipe (and all my recipes).
I also learned that many JOC readers don’t necessarily follow method by watching my video (but watch it as reference), so I wrote exactly how you have to do in each step… I receive a lot of feedback from beginner cooks that my detailed recipes helped and overcame their fear of cooking. So I apologize in advance if my steps are tedious and long…
Plus, my English is not very good, so I can’t make a point in a short sentence and end up with 3 extra sentences… LOL.
I really appreciate your feedback. Hopefully my recipe writing will be better as I write more…
Hi Nami…
Hello from Indonesia!
I already make this melon pan..and it’s lovely!
Thank you for the recipe ???? will tag you on instagram
Hi Stella! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! So happy you made Melon Pan in Indonesia! 😀 I’ll check out #justonecookbook hashtag later! 🙂 Thank you for your kind feedback!
I’ve been trying to make melon pan for a year and a half now, and I never had positive results. So I found this recipe and it’s very different from the others, i tried. The bread dough is PERFECT like this, but the cookie dough isnt good at all. It breaks too easily and it doesnt give a very nice looking melon pan, because it cracks while the bread rises. Summarizing, this bread recipe deserves A+, I’m totally changing the way i make breads now haha
But the cookie dough sucks, im sorry. And I’m very disappointed because melon pan isn’t melon pan if its crust looks fucked up, even though the inside is great. Damn it, almost perfect.
Hi Joo! Thanks for the feedback! I’m glad to hear your dough came out well with this recipe and sorry the cookie dough didn’t come out well. How long did you keep in the fridge? Do you think it can be the thickness of the cookie dough when you roll out? I’ve seen my readers outcome and theirs don’t seem to crack that is visible. Was yours very visible? I made this so many times during the testing, and the cookie dough wasn’t the issue (I really wanted the bread texture to be perfect). Maybe you can match with other’s cookie dough recipe to make a perfect one. 😉
I tried the Melonpan at last weekend and they have incredibly tasty. For a brief moment I felt like in Tokyo. The manual is very easy to understand and it’s easy to bake to. Thank you very much.
Hi Jacky! Thank you for trying this recipe already! So glad to hear you enjoyed it. Melon Pan out of the oven is SOOOO good! Happy to know that you get to taste it. 🙂 Thank you for your kind words on my instructions!
Could I use salted butter? If so how would I go about replacing it.?(By the way, I love this recipe so much :])
Hi Rosa! For baking, unslated butter is recommended. The National Dairy Council (NDC) says that “generally, salted butter contains 1.6–1.7 percent” salt. But it’s up to each company to determine how much it wants to use in its product. It’s really hard to calculate how much salt is in the butter already. What it contains more than you wanted to add to the recipe? How about how much more you need to add? It gets complicated… so since I started baking, I buy only unsalted and sprinkle salt on my butter for eating bread (like a fancy restaurant LOL). Hope this helps!
Hi! I’m planning to make these for my mom but I was wondering if I can make these in advance? Like in the first proofing stage, could I put these in the fridge after they’ve proofed at room temperature or before, then when I take them out should I wait for them to go back to room temperature?
Hi Dona,
Thank you for your kind feedback.
They are freezing technique available, but we’ve never tried before, so we’re not sure how the outcome will be… please let us know how it goes! 😊
Hi Nami,
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe! I’ve been wanting to make some soft asian bread as those in dim sum places. I made those yesterday and they tasted yummy! But due to my limited skills they don’t look as pretty as yours haha.
I have a question for the melon pans as well as the red bean bun you shared before. The ones I made didn’t come out as soft as store-bought or restaurants ones. They are kind of rough or hard, especially after a day or two. Do you might know the reason? Or how to make bread softer in general?
Thanks again for sharing and demonstrating this wonderful recipe!
Hi Vera! Few key points I can suggest:
1) flour – I have problem with this and I hope to get better flour for bread, but try to get good quality flour, not supermarket flour. After all, this is the main ingredient.
2) kneading and proofing – very important for fluffy bread. I think hand kneading can secure the kneading part right. Knead until you get the thin membrane like texture. When you don’t have enough time for bread to rise, it gets hard bread, and when you let the bread rise too long, then you don’t have the elastic bouncy texture in the bread.
3) sugar – when you add more sugar in the dough, it gives some moist, and if you increase in butter, it stays moist/not dry for a longer time. Make sure you don’t change the amount less than what I specified in the recipe.
Hope this helps!
Hi Nami,
Thank you for your reply! I will pay attention to those details.
Thanks! 🙂
The ones you had may have been the Chinese version of red bean bun, called Dou Sha Bao.
i really enjoyed to make these things. and cause anpan uses the same dough iv done them too.
the only problem is, that the sugar on the biscuit was to much, the next time i will do it, i wont sugar them
Hi Philipp! Do you mean the coating on the biscuit dough? It’s a sweet bread so I guess it’s always dipped in the sugar. It can be an optional for sure. 🙂
Wow the resting time is so long! No wonder everyone buys it at the conbini instead.
Also I never thought the top “coat” was actually a biscuit layer. Now it makes sense.
Well, I never liked melon pan (at least the ones I bought in any supermarket in japan) except for the ones with chocolate chips inside, but when I have time, I guess I will try this recipe.
As always thanks for the recipe!
Hi Andrea! Yes…. I used proof setting in my oven to get that warm environment (SF can be quite cold for bread to rise…) so it didn’t take as long as before when I didn’t have the proof setting. Yeah, honestly, if you can buy a decent melon pan especially from bakeries… I’d probably do that. LOL. But once you make your homemade melon pan, they are so good that you’ll be happy too. 🙂
Yeah the top layer is biscuit dough. Try from good bakeries in Japan (not conbini or supermarket). I think you might enjoy it. 🙂
Thank you for reading my blog!
Hey Nami!
I made melon pan today and gosh, as expected it’s way more delicious when homemade!!
It was the first time I made brioche-like pastries and I’m amazed to see how easy and fun it was to make.
I’m definitely gonna try to make some more later!
But I think I’ll make the biscuit layer a bit more thinner next time.
Also I was a bit worried since I didn’t have bread flour, but I added 3tsp of AP flour and it was all good!
By the way, if I want to add choco chips, when would it be better to put them in the bread dough?
Anyway, thanks as always for the awesome recipes!
Oh yeah, I took a photo ???? https://www.instagram.com/p/BJiShoOBZ_j/
Hi Andrea! Yay! Thanks so much for trying this recipe! I just saw your instagram. Perfect looking too!
Thank you for your tip on bread flour – 3 tsp (1 Tbsp) all purpose flour swap. 🙂
Some add choco chip on cookie crust only, some put in the main dough. If you want it to look choco chip, I recommend adding in the cookie crust. 🙂
Nami, do you have any modifications for high altitude baking? I live near the foothills of Denver, so around 5400 ft elevation and baking can sometimes be a little tricky with the altitude. I love melon pan and would love to make this recipe but I’m wondering if I need to change the amount of leavening agent or water. Any suggestions?
Hi Claire! I have zero experience in high altitude cooking/baking. 🙁 Mr JOC is in currently Denver! Wow… 5400ft!
I looked up and there are some “basic” rule/suggestions for high altitude baking, which you might already know.
I thought this blog summarizes well and she is experienced:
http://www.mountainmamacooks.com/high-altitude/
Let us know your experience when you try? Maybe other JOC readers who live in the mountain might want to know. 🙂
Hi. Is it possible to use a gluten free flour? Like rice flour? Thank you so much. I always enjoy your posts, and my family enjoys the food!
Hi Aimee! Thank you for reading my blog! I haven’t tested GF flour to try this or rice flour. I think it’ll come out differently, but it might be worthwhile to try with GF flour (rice four probably different texture).
If anyone try with GF flour, please let us know! 🙂
Yay! I am so excited that you finally have a recipe on melon pan for us to try ourselves. Earlier this year I was sad when I found out that you didn’t have a recipe on melon pan. I had to surf around the internet instead for a different melon pan recipe to use so I could try out the bread myself. I can’t wait to try out your recipe, when I have the time, and enjoy some delicious bread afterwards! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Kat! Thank you for waiting! I can’t express how bad I feel as I continuously receive this recipe all these years yet I hadn’t share a recipe till now. xD I hope my recipe works for you. I made so many Melon Pan while testing the recipe and I needed some break, but I think I’m ready to make again. LOL. They are so delicious!
Next time when you made melon pan, probably try to fill it with pineapple jam. might taste yummy!
Hi Jos,
We’ve never used pineapple jam before, so we’re not sure how the outcome will be… But it sounds yummy…😋
Please let us know how it goes if you make one!
Hi I have a question.. if you use active dry yeast? When will you add it? Thanks
Gianine
Hi Gianine! I mentioned in the Notes but if you’re using active dry yeast, it requires being activated in a little bit of warm water (110 ºF/43 ºC) before being added to the rest of the ingredients at Step 3. In this recipe, add the active dry yeast in 110 ºF/43 ºC milk, hotter than the temperature specified in the recipe because if the milk is not hot enough, the yeast won’t dissolve nicely.
Hi Nami,
I first wanted to thank you for taking the time to test and share the recipe for this! I don’t even remember why I was looking for melon pan recipes initially, I had never heard of them before, but I came across your blog and decided to give it a go. The detailed instructions were a big help in learning how to make this, and I have since made several batches. Enough repetition that I have nearly memorized the recipe!
Second, I have tried a couple of additions I would like to share. Adding chocolate chips to the main dough was the first, although I have only used mini morsels and getting the distribution relatively even with those is difficult. The most popular addition in according to the people I’ve shared with is a teaspoon of ground cinnamon in the biscuit layer and dipping in a cinnamon sugar mixture instead of pure sugar. If that technically changes the recipe to something else I ignorant of what that might be called. The third variant was mentioned in a previous comment about adding cocoa powder to the biscuit layer. I did use 2 tablespoons of cocoa as was suggested before, but I think the biscuit dough became a bit dry, and tended to crack more. It was still a tasty treat wrapped around a bun with chocolate chips inside!
In the future I am considering using cream cheese as a filling, though I am not sure how much to use.
Thank you again for the recipe!
Hi Corwin, Wow! You memorized this recipe!? Amazing! Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for sharing your baking experience with us! So many varieties of Melon Pan, and it made us hungry!😋 Thank you for writing to us.