How to Make Handmade Melon Pan

Gather all the ingredients together and bring them to room temperature.

(Picture 1: Ingredients for the biscuit dough, Picture 2: Ingredients for the bread dough and decoration)

Tip: Using both bread flour and all-purpose flour will make the texture of melon pan soft and fluffy, but feel free to use only all-purpose flour.

Place your room temperature, softened butter and sugar into a large bowl and whisk them together until creamy. Add the beaten egg and vanilla essence, and mix well to combine.

Sift the flour into the dough and lightly mix with a spatula until the flour is evenly incorporated. Be careful not to overmix the dough.

In a large bowl, add half of the bread flour, all-purpose flour, instant dry yeast, and sugar. Add the beaten egg to the opposite side of the bowl from where the yeast is. Pour the milk directly on top of the yeast. (See the first picture for reference.) Mix the dough thoroughly with a spatula until it becomes smooth.

Once smooth, add in the remaining bread flour, salt, and butter. Then continue mixing the dough. When the dough is no longer powdery, transfer it to a clean work surface. Use the palms of your hands to push and knead the dough. (See the fourth picture for reference.)

This dough is quite sticky, but once the butter has fully absorbed into the dough, it will eventually become very smooth. (It can take up to 10 minutes to reach this point.)

When the dough is smooth, stretch it out to see if the gluten has developed enough. If you don’t know how to check, basically, the dough should not tear when stretched. (See the fifth picture for reference.)

Tip: Pouring the egg over the yeast will prevent it from dissolving properly into the dough, so please be sure to add the egg on the opposite side of the yeast.

Note: If you are using a stand mixer, add flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and egg directly into the bowl. Then, turn the machine onto a low speed and stream the milk in very slowly. After about 1.5 minutes of kneading, add in the butter. 2-3 minutes of kneading by machine will be enough to proceed to the next step.

Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and put the dough in a warm place (at around 40°C or 104°F) for 25-35 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size.

After the bread dough has rested, dust your index finger with flour and poke the center of the dough. (See the first picture for reference.) If the hole does not spring back, the dough is ready.

Punch the dough to release the built-up gas that was created while it was resting. (See the second picture for reference.)

Remove the dough from the bowl and place it onto a work surface. Measure the weight of the dough (it should be around 390-400g) and cut the dough with a dough scraper into 6 equal pieces (each should be 65-66g).

Knead each piece nicely and shape them into evenly round and smooth balls. (See the fourth picture for reference.)

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for an additional 15 minutes at room temperature.

Roll out the cookie biscuit dough and cut it into 6 pieces.

Knead it well until it becomes smooth and slightly stretchy. Shape each piece into a round circle and then flatten them with a dough scraper. (Each piece should be around 10cm wide.)

After 15 minutes of resting, roll out the bread dough again and shape it into rounds.

Place the cookie biscuit dough onto the bread dough. Repeat this process with all 6 pieces.

Dip the top of the now-formed melon pan into a bowl of granulated sugar. Hold the bottom side of the biscuit dough to spread the sugar around evenly.

Using a dough scraper or knife, score the biscuit dough surface diagonally in a 3 by 3 pattern to give the bread its melon appeal.

Note: Making the cookie biscuit dough can be a bit tricky. It is important to knead, smooth, and stretch out the biscuit dough before shaping it to avoid cracks while baking.

Place the shaped melon pan onto a baking sheet and cover it with plastic wrap. Put the dough in a warm place (around 40°C or 104°F) for 20-25 minutes.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 160°C (320°F) and bake for another 5 minutes until done!

Tip: You’ll know your melon pan are fully baked when the bottom of the bread turns light brown. If it remains white, bake for another 1-2 minutes.

Notes about storing melon pan: Melon pan tastes best when eaten fresh. If you can’t consume them all at once, you can freeze the leftovers in a freezer bag for 2-3 weeks. Reheat them by microwaving for 30-50 seconds or popping them into your toaster oven for a minute or two to crisp up.