Plant based Melon pan: Japanese sweet bun covered in a layer of crispy cookie dough

What is Melonpan?

Appearance: Melonpan looks like a round bun with a crisscross pattern on top, resembling a melon. Despite its name, it doesn’t usually taste like melon.

Texture: It has a soft, fluffy inside and a slightly crispy, cookie-like crust on the outside.

Flavor: The bread itself is mildly sweet, and the top crust adds a bit of extra sweetness and crunch.

Why is it called Melonpan?

The name comes from its melon-like appearance, not its flavor. “Pan” means bread in Japanese, borrowed from the Portuguese word “pão.”

How is it made?

The dough is made from basic bread ingredients like flour, yeast, sugar, and butter.

A cookie dough layer is placed on top of the bread dough, and then it’s baked to create the signature crispy crust.

Melonpan is a beloved treat in Japan and can be found in bakeries and convenience stores across the country. It’s a must-try if you ever visit Japan! 🍈🍞

Print Recipe

Melon pan : Japanese sweet bun covered in a layer of crispy cookie dough

Fluffy bread with crispy cookie is very tasty and addictive! It's good for breakfast, lunch and gift for people who love sweets!

Prep Time2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Course:Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine:Japanese

Keyword:plant based, vegan

Servings:4

Calories:516kcal

Author:Maiko

Equipment

• 2 bowl
• 1 spatula
• 1 scale
• 1 cup
• parchment sheet
• 1/4 tsp
• 1 Tbs
• 1 towel to cover the bowl to ferment bread dough
• plastic wrap
• kitchen knife
• Rolling Pin
• oven pan

Ingredients

For the bread dough

• 200~230 g bread flour
• 20 g sugar any sugar can work
• 25 g plant based butter
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp instant dry yeast
• 60 g plant based milk soymilk is recommended
• 60 g water

For the biscuit dough

• 130 g self rising flour
• 50 g sugar
• 40 g plant based butter
• 50 ml plant based milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

For the topping

• 1 tbs granulated sugar

Instructions

Preparation

• Take the butter out of the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature.

For the bread dough

• Put water and plant milk in a bowl and heat in the microwave for about 20 seconds. If it feels warm to the touch, it’s ready. If it’s too hot, let it cool down as excessive heat can kill the yeast. If you have a thermometer, aim for around 40°C (104°F).
• Next, add sugar and yeast to the bowl and mix well with a spatula. Add half of the flour and mix well. Then add the remaining flour and mix well again. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
• After 10 minutes, knead the dough by pressing and stretching it about 30 times. Let it rest for another 10 minutes. Then add butter and salt and mix well. If it doesn’t mix well in the bowl, you can knead it on a surface.
• When the dough becomes smooth and forms a thin gluten membrane when stretched, it’s ready.
• Turn on the oven light and place a mug of hot water inside. Put the bowl with the dough in the oven and let it rise until it doubles in size. If you want to let it rise overnight, leave it in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.
• While the dough is rising, make the biscuit dough

For the biscuit dough

• In a separate bowl, mix butter and sugar for the biscuit dough with a whisk until it becomes white and creamy.
• Add vanilla essence and plant milk and mix well.
• Switch to a spatula and add flour in thirds, mixing well each time. If the dough starts to come together, you can stop adding flour.
• Cut a large piece of plastic wrap, place the dough on it, shape it into a ball, wrap it, and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

After the first rise of the bread dough:

• Perform the finger test by dusting your finger with flour and pressing it into the center of the dough. If the mark remains, the dough has risen properly.
• Lightly dust a surface with flour and divide the dough into four pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and let them rest for 10 minutes.
• While the bread dough is resting, take the biscuit dough out of the refrigerator, divide it into four pieces, and shape each piece into a ball. If the butter starts to melt, put the dough back in the refrigerator.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• After the bread dough has rested, roll out the biscuit dough into circles and place them on top of the bread dough. Score a lattice pattern with a knife, sprinkle with granulated sugar, and place them on the baking sheet.
• Put a cup of hot water in the oven, turn on the oven light, and let the dough rise for about 30 minutes until it doubles in size. If rising at room temperature, let it sit for about 2 hours.

Baking:

• After the dough has risen, take the baking sheet out of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Once preheated, put the baking sheet in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet halfway through to ensure even baking.
• The bread is done when it smells good and the bottom is browned.
• Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. The biscuit dough will be soft when freshly baked but will become crispy as it cools.

Storage:

• If you can’t eat all the bread at once, let it cool completely, then store it in a ziplock bag at room temperature for 2-3 days. For longer storage, freeze it for up to a month. Reheat frozen bread in the oven or toaster.

For more fun and variation:

• You can add cocoa powder, matcha powder, chocolate chips, or strawberry powder to the biscuit dough.

Notes

If you are in a rush, you can knead the bread dough for about 10 to 15 minutes instead of waiting a total of 30 minutes before the first fermentation.

Please try to make the surface smooth whenever you shape the bread dough into balls to help them rise well.

The biscuit dough might be hard to handle. If it’s difficult to roll, put it in the freezer to firm up and dust it with flour when you roll it so that you can handle it more easily.