melon pan.

note: this recipe is adapted from rose world’s melon pan recipe.

ingredients

• bread dough

  • 140g whole milk

  • 1 3/4 tsps active dry yeast

  • 40g granulated sugar

  • 150g bread flour

  • 80g all-purpose flour

  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt

  • 2 tbsps unsalted butter, room temperature

• matcha cookie dough

  • 50g (about 3 1/2 tbsps) unsalted butter, room temperature

  • 50g granulated sugar

  • 1 egg

  • 120g all-purpose flour

  • 1/4 tsp baking powder

  • 1tsp matcha powder

• granulated sugar - to coat the cookie layer

tools

• digital scale

• whisk

• stand mixer with dough hook (optional)

• large mixing bowl

• plastic wrap

• plastic bench scraper or knife

• large baking sheet

• parchment paper

• wire rack

steps

1. make the bread dough: heat milk in the microwave for about 30-40 seconds (~110F), then add in yeast and whisk well. let it sit for about 5 minutes until foamy. then add in sugar and whisk

2. add bread flour, all-purpose flour, & salt to stand mixer bowl and add in yeast mixture. with dough hook, mix on low until bread dough comes together and separates from the sides of the bowl. it should mainly be stuck on the hook and the bottom of the bowl (about 5 minutes)

3. add in butter, one tbsp at a time - mix on low until all incorporated. this can take some time, but it will get there!

4. increase the speed to medium-high and knead bread dough for about 2-3 minutes until smooth and tacky

5. form bread dough into a smooth ball. place it into a large greased bowl (use 1/2 tsp oil), cover and let proof for 1-2 hours, until doubled in size

6. make the cookie dough: with a whisk or hand mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy. add in sugar and mix. add in the egg. add in the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, baking powder, & matcha powder) and mix well, it should come together like soft cookie dough. shape it into a rough rectangle and tightly wrap with plastic wrap, chill for at least 1 hour or until 1st proof of bread dough is done

7. after 1-2 hours, punch bread dough to deflate and remove excess air

8. on a lightly floured surface, divide bread dough into 8 equal pieces, roughly 70g each. roll each piece of bread dough into a round ball

9. likewise, divide cookie dough into 8 equal pieces. i eyeballed it and cut the rectangle into 8 pieces

10. cover one piece of cookie dough with plastic wrap/parchment paper on both side, then gently but quickly roll out cookie dough. it should be large enough to cover one round bread ball

11. place rolled out cookie dough (on the plastic wrap/parchment paper) directly on top of the bread ball and flip. start peeling cookie dough from the plastic wrap/parchment paper and wrap/press the cookie onto bread ball

12. with a plastic bench scraper or knife, create the melon pattern: just on the cookie part, make 3 cuts horizontally and 3 cuts vertically, like a grid

13. dip cookie covered bread ball in sugar and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. repeat 7 more times

14. proof for another 40 minutes to 1 hour

15. bake for about 15-20 minutes at 350F until the cookie layer is crisp and slightly brown. you may want to rotate the baking sheet half way through for a more even baking

16. let cool slightly before serving

17. enjoy!

notes

• a stand mixer in step 2 is optional. you can use your hands or a spatula to combine the bread dough

• i like rolling out my cookie dough on a piece of parchment paper for a more smooth and even surface

video