Melon pan (Japanese melon bread)
Soft milky buns wearing a crisp, sugary cookie crust scored like a melon, a Japanese bakery favourite.
- Time2 hr 30
- LevelHard
- Costabout £0.42 a head
- Oven180°C (160°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Mix the bread flour, 40 g sugar, yeast and salt in a large bowl. Add the dough egg, warm milk and 30 g butter. Mix to a dough, then knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
10 min - 2
Put in an oiled bowl, cover and leave somewhere warm for 1 hour until doubled.
60 min - 3
Make the crust. Beat 60 g butter with 70 g sugar until pale. Beat in the crust egg and vanilla, then fold in the plain flour and baking powder to a soft dough. Chill for 20 minutes.
20 min - 4
Divide the risen dough into 8 balls and shape each tight and round. Rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
10 min - 5
Divide the cookie dough into 8 pieces. Flatten each between cling film into a thin disc, a little wider than the bun.
- 6
Dip a cookie disc in the coating sugar, sugared side out, and drape it over a ball of dough, covering the top two thirds. Press a criss cross pattern into the crust with the back of a knife. Repeat with the rest.
- 7
Space the buns well apart on 2 lined trays and prove for 30 minutes, until puffy. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan).
30 min - 8
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the crust is pale golden and the buns sound hollow underneath. Cool on a rack and eat the same day.
16 min 40 s
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
