Making Melon Bread

Also known as Melonpan, it’s a sweet Japanese bakery product, made from ‘an enriched dough covered in a thin layer of crispy cookie dough’ – and we became addicted to it while cycling in Japan. It’s super tasty, but not available in Canada for some reason.

 

The bread portion, sitting in a warm place

 

 

The bread portion, an hour or two later

 

 

Balls of cookie mix ready to be rolled flat

 

 

Bread portion divided up

 

 

Bread portion and flattened cookie portion, ready to wrap

 

 

Wrapped up bundles of melon bread, ready to go in the oven – the cookie mix was cracking here, and I couldn’t really score it properly

 

 

After baking – I’m pretty sure the cookie mix must have been too dry, and maybe there wasn’t quite enough either

 

They were still tasty and more-ish, even if things didn’t turn out quite like they were supposed to.

The recipe…

*cookie*
1/3 cup caster sugar
50g butter
1.5 cups plain flour
0.5 tsp baking powder
1 egg

*bun*
2 cups bread mix
1 tsp yeast
125ml water
1 egg
2 tbsp caster sugar
35g butter

Cook for about 15 minutes at 180oC. Makes 8. This is using Australian measures (1 cup = 250ml, 1 tsp = 5ml, 1 tbsp = 20 ml)

* Sift bread flour, caster sugar, salt into a mixing bowl. Add in instant yeast and mix the powdered mixture a little.
* Add in warm water. DO NOT add in all the water at one go, leave a little bit so as to adjust the texture of the dough.
* Mix the ingredients with hand and slowly form into a dough. Add the remaining water if it is too dry.
* Transfer dough to work surface. Knead until the dough longer sticks to the work surface. This should take about less than 5 mins.
* Flatten the dough and add in the butter. Continue to knead. Initially, the dough will be very oily, after a few kneads, the butter will be absorbed by the dough. Continue to knead until the dough no longer feel sticky to your hand and will not stick to the work surface. This should take about 15 to 20 mins.
* Place dough in a lightly greased (with butter) bowl, cover with cling wrap and let proof for about one hour, or until double in bulk.

*For cookie dough, cream butter & sugar, then add other stuff. Divide into 8 and put in fridge to cool.

*After buns have finished rising, cut into 8 bits, make them round, then leave for another 15 mins.
*Roll out cookie dough and stick bun in middle, wrap up, score lines (not too deep), roll in sugar & cook.