Japanese Melon Pan

Preparation: 30 min
Cooking time: 15 min
Waiting time: 60-90 min
Portion: 5
Difficulty: 3/5

Ingredient

1. Biscuit dough
   -All purpose flour: 80 gr
   -Unsalted butter: 25 gr – soften at room temperature
   -Powdered sugar: 35 gr
   -Beaten egg: 25 gr – at room temperature
2. Bread dough
   -Bread flour: 150 gr divided into 2 parts: 140 gr and 10 gr ( for dusting)
   -Instant dry yeast: 3 gr
   -Powdered sugar: 25 gr
   -Milk: 70 ml – at room temperature
   -Beaten egg: 15 gr
   -Unsalted butter: 15 gr – soften at room temperature
3. Decorating
   -Granulated sugar: 100 gr – for coating

Instruction

1. Biscuit dough

• Whisk 25 gr soften butter with 35 gr powdered sugar until creamy
• Add gradually 25 gr beaten egg into butter bowl, mix well
• Mix all purpose flour flour with baking powder and sieve into wet ingredients mixture until they’re turn to dough ball
• Spread biscuit dough on plastic wrap and roll it up into cylinder shape.
• Place biscuit dough in fridge for 60-90 minutes to harden the dough

2. Bread dough

• Add 140 gr bread flour, 25 gr powdered sugar and salt into mixing bowl, mix well.
• Then, mix 3 gr instant dry yeast in flour mixture and create a hole in the center of flour bowl

In case if you use dry yeast instead of instant yeast, you should activate the yeast with these following steps:

1. Warm 70 ml milk (in recipe) at 32-38 Celsius by using microwave
2. Stir 1-2 gr sugar in warm milk
3. Add 3 gr dry yeast in warm milk and let it sit in 10 minutes
4. After 10 minutes, if you see the milk bubbling then you can use it for making bread. If not, the yeast that you used may not be activated and not be able to make bread, you should use a new pack of yeast.

• Pour milk (or activated yeast milk if you use dry yeast), and beaten egg into dry ingredient bowl. Mix with wooden spoon.
• Knead the dough by using electric hand whisk with dough hooks or electric mixer at low speed in 5-10 minutes.
• When bread dough is kneaded into dough ball, add 15 gr butter in and knead in 5-7 minutes

If the flour mixture is too dry, you can add 5-10 ml water into mixing bowl. Please note that you should pour little by little to prevent it from being too squashy

• Remove dough ball from mixer and knead by hand in 1-2 minutes 
• Brush a thin layer of 2 ml oil in a clean bowl to prevent the dough from sticking
• Shape the dough into dough ball and place the dough ball into and cover with cotton towel.
• Prove the dough in 45-60 minutes at room temperature until it double its size

If the temperature is higher (or lower) than 30-35 Celsius degree, you should adjust proving time to make sure the dough reach required stage before going to next steps

• When its volume is doubled, press the dough to release gases inside, then cut dough into 5 equal part
• Shape each part into dough ball (5 balls in total)

3. Shaping and Baking

• Cut cold biscuit dough into 5 equal parts and flatten them into round shape (d: ~8-9 cm)

You can place biscuit dough between 2 layers of parchment paper to prevent it from sticking

• Spread flattened biscuit dough on bread dough ball. Adjust its shape if necessary then place on baking tray that lined parchment paper
• Repeat these steps with other dough balls
• Make diamond pattern on top with a scraper (or cutting knife)
• Hold the bottom of the bread dough and dip the cookie dough in granulated sugar 
• Bring the dough to prove again in 30-45 minutes at room temperature 
• When the doughs rise 75%, preheat oven at 170 Celsius degree
• Place the bread in preheated oven and bake at 170 Celsius degree in 12 minutes
• Remove baked melon pan from oven and let it cool completely on rack
• Reserve in closed bag serve within a day

⚠️ ATTENTION

1. Biscuit dough should be refrigerate in 60-90 minutes before flatten to avoid crumbles
2. Crispy biscuit shell will turn brown easily if over-baked so you should bake them at exact temperature and timing