Melon pan is the Japanese classic sweet bread shaped to look like a melon or cantaloupe. It has a crunchy and sweet outer crust with a super soft and fluffy inside. I will show you how to make this amazing Japanese bread at home!
What is Melon Pan?
Melonpan is a type of sweet Japanese bread wrapped with crunchy cookie dough and replicates a melon or cantaloupe appearance.
Popular bread to taste among tourists in Tokyo
I never imagined that this Japanese classic Melon Pan would become so popular among tourists but it is and actually people queue up to buy melon pan in Tokyo. I visited the famous Kagetsudo Melon bread shop in Asakusa in April and had a massive Melon pan!
Appearance vs Flavour
Traditional melon pan doesn’t contain any melon or melon flavour but nowadays some melon pan does have a bit of a melon flavour and some stores do colour them green to make them look more like a melon. You can even buy green melon pan in Tokyo Disneyland that is made to look like Mike Wazowski. But personally, I prefer the original melon pan that is just a simple sweet bread flavour.
Interesting fact about Melon Pan
When my melon pan recipe first appeared on the blog, curious readers notified me about a Mexican sweet bread called “Conchas”. It’s fascinating that a similar type of bread to melonpan is found in Mexico! If you are interested about the story read it here.
Common failure of making Melon Pan
Does your melonpan taste great but the appearance does not meet your expectations? A common failure is that the cookie dough cracks during the second rise or while being baked.
Tips to make Melon Pan at home
- Make the cookie dough before you start to make the bread and let the cookie dough rest in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Take the cookie dough out before you wrap and roll the bread dough. It’s easier to roll it out thinly without making any cracks when it is softened in room temperature.
- Use a small bowl to shape a half hemisphere in order to wrap the bread dough easily without making the cookie dough edge pleated.
- Do not score the cookie dough too deeply.
Here is my instruction for Melon Pan and If you liked it, please rate it and leave a comment or any questions below. Also, don’t forget to follow me on Youtube, Pinterest, Facebook , Twitter and Instagram to keep up to date with all the latest happenings on Chopstick Chronicles. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #ChopstickChronicles so I can see your wonderful creations!
Melon Pan
Ingredients
Bread dough
- 300 g baker's flour
- 40 g butter chopped
- 25 g sugar
- 4 g salt
- 160 ml milk
- 1 extra large egg
- 3 g dry yeast
Cookie dough
- 240 g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 80 g butter
- 80 g sugar
- 1 extra large egg
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla essence
- Granule sugar for sprinkle
Instructions
- Make the cookie dough by placing the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat until light and creamy.
- Add the egg and vanilla essence and mix until well combined.
- Fold through the flour and baking powder.
- Divide the cookie dough into 8 small balls and set aside in the fridge. *1
- Combine egg, yeast, milk and sugar in a small bowl or jug
- Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl.
- Make a well in the centre of the flour and add the liquid mixture and stir to form a soft dough.
- Transfer to an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook and knead for about 10 min or until smooth and elastic.
- With the mixer motor running, add the chopped butter until the butter is combined and a smooth and silky dough forms (about a further 10 minutes).
- Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover and set aside in a warm place to prove for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Divide the bread dough into 8 equal sized balls and knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth.
- Roll out the refrigerated cookie dough on cling wrap to 5mm thick.
- Once it is rolled place one bread dough on top of one cookie dough ball and wrap together using cling wrap.
- Take the cling wrap off and score the cookie dough surface diagonally and sprinkle the granule sugar.
- Repeat for all 8 bread rolls.
- Place them on a cooking paper lined oven tray and cover with clean damp cloth and set aside for about 40 min or until doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 180 degree(356 f) and bake for 15 minutes.
When I went to Japan, I saw that many places had melon bread, even the convenience stores. I didn’t understand why it was so popular, until I tried it. Very delicious, and chewy. It taste even better if its warm! Great recipe, and looking forward to trying it.
Hi Amy, let me know how you went 😀
Hello.
I believe Portuguese sweet pan and Spanish pan dulce are very similar, that is why pan dulce in Mexico (eg concha’s) is quite similar to the pan we can find in Japan (melon pan).
Hey Shihoko,
I want to make my melon pan fluffier. Can I therefore use the yudane method? If yes, how much flour etc. do I need to reduce or add?
Hi Mandy, yes you can.
I’ve made this today the cookies sooo good and crunchy thanks for sharing this melon pan recipe
Hey, I’m trying to make melon pan using your recipe for the first time, and Idk what’s the problem with the bread dough, but it won’t get the dry and soft consistency of what it supposed to be, or the texture I’m used to see. Instead, the dough remains sticky and wet. I cannot knead it with my hands. Is it supposed to be like that? I am worried it won’t double in size if it is sticky like that.
Hope you can help. I’ve never had such wet dough before when I used other recipes. :/
Hi Mandy yes it is quite hydrated recipe and are sticky for hand kneaded.
Hi Shihoko,
thanks for replying. Although the dough was so wet, it worked out pretty well and doubled in size as soon as they were baked in the oven.
Today I have used your recipe again to make melon pan. I could make even 8 pieces with half of the ingedrients. Now they are slightly smaller but still look perfect :).
Hi I would like to ask you, does the cookie dough (topping) remain dry & crispy the day after baking it or does it become moist & soft?
Hi Es the cookie dough become moist and soft.
Hi Shihoko-san,
Thank you so much for this recipe! It came out perfect and I will be experimenting with new flavors in the future–I used to eat these in my childhood and your recipe brought tears to my eyes today when I got to eat them for the first time since 2008. Better than I remembered. Thank you thank you thank you–this is going in my family cookbook! I wish you all the best 🙂 I will try out so many more of your recipes! How did you get into cooking?
Thank you Lauren for your lovely comment. This is the reason I share authentic Japanese home cooking recipes 😀 I got into cooking from taking food photography.
Why isn’t my dough turning into dough? I added more flower but it’s just not forming…
Hi Sheila, check you measure the ingredients correctly?
Hi, there are so many comments about wet dough but mine is extremely dry. With a large egg and 160 ml of milk, the 300 g of flour is hardly hydrated. Is the recipe for 150g of milk? Please advise. Thank you!
Hi I have one question. Can I substitute bread flour with baker’s flour?
Hi Sk, yes bur bread flour and baker’s flour are same.
Can I use a Yundane method here? If yes, what’s the measurement for flour and water? Thank you
Hi Evy, yes you can. I may make another post in the future, or you can make bread part with my Shokupan recipe and put the cookie dough on top.
Is this dough meant to be quite wet? I never got it to be smooth on the surface, like usually when I make bread. It was very sticky and I had to add quite a lot of flour to it.
Hi Tiffany yes this recipe is.
This was my first time doing melon pan,and it turns out Awesome.I’been finding melon pan’s recipe for so long and now I have the perfect recipe. Thanks for sharing the recipe .😆😆
Thank you 😀
Thanks a lot Shihoko San for all your wonderful recipes, ver well explained, loads of very useful details! take care
Thank you Léa san 😀
Hi Shihoko-san, can I substitute baker’s flour with all purpose flour instead?
Hi Micha, you can but the end result will be different, because of the protein percentage of the flour is different.
Would would results be?
Hi Ally I am not sure what you are asking.
Thanks so much for sharing the recipe! I was wondering when you use the mixer, what level do you put it at? I have a kictchenaid at home too, would you say level 2 throughout the entire kneading process? Or higher at level at 4 after adding butter?
Hi Rennae, the level is 4-6.
Thank you Shihoko-san. Do you start with 4 and then 6 after butter? I made this again for the 2nd time and was using level 2 the entire time and the dough did not look soft like the ones in your video. I will give it a try at level 4 and 6 next time 🙂
In Chinese bakeries we have pineapple buns which are essentially the same and contains no pineapple. Originated probably from Hong Kong or Macau, again the Portuguese .
Thank you for the information LChen.
Hello Shihoko San,
Thank you for sharing all these amazing recipes. I just made your chiffon cake last night and it was perfect. For the Melon pan, can I freeze them?
Take care,
Jeanette
Hi Jeanette you are welcome and re Melon pan yes you can.
Felt like some melonpan today so gave this ago. Absolutely amazing. Made all of them matcha so will give the original ago next time.
Thank you Cheryl. I am glad that your Melon pan turn out great with matcha 😀
Hi, can you make them without electric mixer ?
Hi Alla Yes you can.
This was the first time I’ve tried making melon pan, and this recipe was the one I liked best, so I went with this. And they turned out to be perfect-looking and delicious. Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe!
You are welcome Aki 😀 Thank you for making Melonpan with my recipe! I am happy that your Melonpan was perfect!